Mike and Claire stopped by today on their way back to Dublin from Oughterard and gave Pat the Word Magic which is a selection of favourite poems chosen by Ulick O’Connor and comments by Ulick.Printed by Curragh (press) www.currach.ie

I liked the Frances Ledwidge poem on Thomas Mc Donagh. Remember it ?

THOMAS MCDONAGH

He shall not hear the bittern cry

In the wild sky, where he is lain,

Nor voices of the sweeter birds

Above the wailing of the rain.

Nor shall he know when loud March blows

Thro’ slanting snows her fanfare shrill,

Blowing to flame the golden cup

Of many an upset daffodil’

But when the Dark Cow leaves the moor,

And pastures poor with greedy weeds,

Perhaps he’ll hear her low at morn

Lifting her horn in pleasant meads.

O’Connor tells us that Ledwidge was a road ganger in County Meath

And that he wrote the poem about his university professor friend,

Thomas McDonagh, executed in the 1916 Rising.

The Dark Cow is a metaphor for Ireland

Other poems featured include Clonmacnois, Aughrim, Raglan Road,

Ringsend, Trees and The Diviner