The Yeats Society fondly recalls Richard Murphy
TRIBUTES have been paid to the renowned poet Richard Murphy, who spent a lot of time in Sligo.
The 90-year-old was a distinguished guest at the Yeats Summer School on a number of occasions and also celebrated his 80 th birthday with a bash here in Sligo. He was born into an Anglo-Irish family on the Mayo- Galway border and his work covered many topics, including Yeats who he admired greatly and his Anglo-Irish background.
Maura McTighe, of the Yeats Society, said Richard was a fantastic addition to the Summer School. She said: “He was a most impressive character, he lived for sometime on an island in Connemara and he died in Sri Lanka where he lived for years too.
“He was a very funny, very witty man. He loved Sligo and the Yeats connection. He was a huge fan of Yeats. His Anglo-Irish background was very important to his work and he did his level best to bring the two sides out with no conflict. “He certainly was a most attractive man, even into his 80s, he was very healthy. I think we last met him in Sligo around 2010 and he knew many people here.
“I’m sure Dermot Healy and Leland Bardwell would have come along to his readings, his poetry was lovely, the likes of writing about getting the boat out to his island in Clifden.
“He was a great addition to the Summer School and we certainly enjoyed his visits,” Maura added.