02: Portrait

Who better to describe Patrick Kavanagh than the poet himself? His brother Peter, publisher Tim O’Keeffe, and poets Seamus Heaney and Brendan Kennelly.

While Kavanagh himself was somewhat unsentimental about Irish life and his work, here we present some reflections on the character of Kavanagh and the contribution he made.
Kavanagh is presented here as a brother, a poet, a wordsmith, and a genius. While he was an unpredictable and often disgruntled character, the honesty that is evident in his self-portrait is the characteristic that is admired by so many.

In an article entitled ‘Image of a Poet’ published in the RTV Guide, David Hanley writes of Kavanagh,

...he is at all times and on every subject eminently quotable. But he doesn’t seek so-called serious conversation. He doesn’t want to answer serious questions. He doesn’t make serious statements. He doesn’t want to be serious. Kavanagh wants to be happy. Happiness is everything, and is more than anything else worth striving for. The essential thing is to learn quickly to compromise with life. And this Kavanagh is only now beginning to do.

(RTV Guide, Vol.2, No.149, October 9, 1964, p.5)

Who better to describe Patrick Kavanagh than the poet himself? There are also his brother Peter, his publisher Tim O’Keeffe, and fellow poets Seamus Heaney and Brendan Kennelly.