Culture

Gerald Dawe a ‘champion of the outsider’ with ‘inspiring’ passion for literature, memorial told

Award-winning Belfast-born poet and academic died last month at 72 following a long illness

The memorial was a celebration of Gerald Dawe’s life and achievements, notably his poetry. Photograph: Brenda Fitzsimons/The Irish Times

Jack White
Deirdre Falvey
Thu Jun 6 2024 - 18:47

Poet and academic Gerald Dawe was a “champion of the outsider”, with a “fierce and inspiring” passion for literature, his memorial in Dublin heard on Thursday.

The award-winning Belfast-born poet and academic died at home surrounded by his family on May 29th at the age of 72, following a long illness.

The memorial was a celebration of Dawe’s life and achievements, notably his poetry which spans decades.

His debut collection of poems was published in 1978, with his most recent collection being published in 2023. Just last month, he was named the winner of the 2024 Lawrence O’Shaughnessy Award for Irish poetry.

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The memorial was held at the National Maritime Museum of Ireland in Dún Laoghaire, the upper floor of which was filled with friends and members of the public standing and watching from above. Poems, memories and music marked what Buddhist celebrant Rev Myozan Ian Kilroy described as “a life well lived and too early departed”.

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Those attending heard of two sides of the late poet – his passion for writing and education as well as his passion for rugby, and his sense of humour which involved “uncanny impressions”.

He was described as the embodiment of a “rare combination” of high achievement and affection by celebrant Rev Kilroy.

Among those present was President Michael D Higgins who embraced Dawe’s wife Dorothea both before and after the ceremony.

Several close friends and colleagues spoke briefly before reading Dawe’s poetry alongside several performances by musician Eleanor Shanley.

Shanley evoked the “simplicity and beauty of Gerald’s writing”, saying performing with him was “always soulful and peaceful”.

“Gerald’s death has undone so many of us and I know that everybody here today will miss him terribly,” said writer and professor of English at Trinity College Dublin (TCD) Eve Patten.

She spoke of Dawe’s “fierce and inspiring” passion for literature but also his rare ability to make the everyday runaround “just stop for a moment”.

“Gerry was the most warm-hearted companion, he was the most encouraging and imaginative scholar, he was the most generous teacher,” she said.

Ms Patten expressed thanks to her former colleague on behalf of his “other family” at TCD, where he was previously a professor and inaugural director of the Oscar Wilde Centre for Irish Writing, and “the hundreds and hundreds of students who were fortunate enough to work with him”.

Among those former students was actress Cathy Belton who said she was lucky to be taught by Dawe.

She said he was always known as “Prof”, despite becoming close friends in the years that followed, before reading his poem The Tribune which she noted is on a plaque outside the Connaught Tribune “for all to see, for the years to come”.

Olwen Dawe described her late father as someone “genuinely interested in others, in their lives, in their work”.

She recalled her father’s “wittingly dry humour” and his “uncanny impressions” as well as his love of rugby, speaking to friends about politics, books, theatre, “or whatever was piquing his interest at the time.”

She said: “He spent his whole life even when snoozing ... conjuring up the next thing, followed by the inevitable ‘and after that I’ll be taking a break’.”

“He couldn’t wait to get his head round the next endeavour,” Olwen said. “Even after his cancer diagnosis in the run up to the pandemic he continued to write, publish and create”, including on the BBC documentary Gerald Dawe – Out of the Ordinary

His love of teaching was strong, she said, adding that her father was always proud of his students’ achievements, some of whom were in attendance.

In attendance from the poetry and literary worlds included poets Michael Longley, Tony Curtis, Peter Fallon, Emilie Pine, Declan Hughes. From theatre, actor Stephen Rea, Christopher Fitzsimons, former and current Abbey Theatre directors Fiach MacConghail and Mark O’Brien

Speaking at the memorial, Gerard Smyth, Irish Times Poetry Editor, described his long-time friend Dawe as a “champion of the outsider”.

Jack White

Jack White

Jack White is a reporter for The Irish Times

Deirdre Falvey

Deirdre Falvey

Deirdre Falvey is a features and arts writer at The Irish Times

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