A collection of Irish prose and poetry by the late Kerry fisherman, farmer, writer and painter Michael Kirby (Mícheál Ua Ciarmhaic) has been published by Cork University Press to mark World Book Day.
The archives of the late writer and painter will also be open to the public for the first time, University College Cork (UCC) says.
Kirby (1906-2005) was from Ballinskelligs on Kerry’s Iveragh peninsula, and lived there for most of his life, except for a brief period when he went to America.
Michael Kirby (Mícheál Ua Ciarmhaic)
His first book, Cliathán na Sceilge was published when he was 78 years of age. He continued to write, in Irish and English, for the next two decades, publishing eleven books in total.
The new collection, Glór ón Sceilg, comprises prose and poetry selected from his eight original Irish language books published between 1984 and 2000, together with two poems from the multi-authored collection Duanaire Mhaidhcí (2006).
The collection is described as “an insider’s account of a unique cultural region, the hilly coastal area that looks out onto Skellig Michael at the tip of the Iveragh Peninsula”.
Cork University Press and UCC Library held a special event on World Book Day to celebrate the publishing of Glór ón Sceilg and the opening of the Mícheál Ua Ciarmhaic (Michael Kirby) Collection.
The archive includes manuscript materials, handwritten drafts, correspondence, artwork, photographs, audio-visual materials, and signed copies of Kirby's books.
The archive was donated by Mícheál’s daughter, Anne Coffey and his son-in-law Pat Coffey, and offers what has been described as an “unparalleled insight into the life and works of Mícheál Ua Ciarmhaic”.
It is available for research access via Special Collections and Archives in UCC Library.
“The Mícheál Ua Ciarmhaic (Michael Kirby) Collection is a remarkable addition that not only preserves the legacy of a prominent Irish writer but also provides invaluable resources for understanding Ireland's cultural and literary heritage,”interim university librarian Alan Carbery said.
“Cork University Press has played an instrumental role in advancing Irish language scholarship through its publications. As we celebrate 100 years of Cork University Press, we are proud to continue this tradition by showcasing works such as Glór ón Sceilg,” he said.
Dr Ailbhe Ní Ghearbhuigh, poet, lecturer in modern Irish and member of Cork University Press editorial committee, said that “there is a wealth of indigenous knowledge, particularly about the natural world, in Ua Ciarmhaic’s work which will be of interest to many”.
“The acquisition of the Michael Kirby Collection by the Boole Library together with the publication of Glór ón Sceilg by Cork University Press is indicative of the spirit of collaboration across UCC in preserving our literary heritage,”she said.
Anne Kirby Coffey, daughter of Mícheál Ua Ciarmhaic, remarked that “it is an honour and a delight for us, the Ua Ciarmhaic family, to welcome the publication of Glór ón Sceilg by Cork University Press”.
“My father, Mícheál Ua Ciarmhaic, was passionate about his place, its people, their language, heritage, and way of life,”she said.
“Glór ón Sceilg, selected and edited by Máirín Nic Eoin and Mary Shine Thompson, calls to us through the winds and waves of the Skellig’s shore. When it came to preserving and donating the Michael Kirby Archive, we felt that UCC should be its natural home,” she said.
“ We are grateful to the Archive Department of the Boole Library, for the warm welcome we always received, for their careful and thorough documenting of this collection, and for working closely with us along the way,” she said.
Editors Máirín Nic Eoin and Mary Shine Thompson said that the writings are “a valuable link in a linguistic and cultural chain, and that they will be an inspiration to environmental and language activists and to all those interested in the past and the future of small Gaeltacht communities”.
