Máirtín Ó Direáin

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Máirtín Ó Direáin (1910-1988) born in Sruthán on Inishmore in the Aran Islands was an Irish language poet.

The son of a small-farmer, Máirtín Ó Díreáin spoke only Irish until his mid-teens. He worked as a civil servant from 1928 until 1975. His main works include the poetry collections:

Rogha Dánta (1949)
Ó Mórna agus Dánta Eile (1957)
Ar Ré Dhearóil (1962)
Cloch Choirnéil (1967)
Crainn is Cairde (1970)
Dánta 1939-79 (1980)
Ceacht an Éin (1984)
Béasa an Túir (1984)
Tacar Dánta/Selected Poems (1984)
Craobhóg: Dán (1986)

His autobiographical essays are collected as Feamainn Bhealtine (1961). His awards include the An Chomhairle Ealaíon/The Arts Council Awards (1964 and 1971); the Butler Prize, with Eoghan Ó Tuairisc (1967); the Ossian Prize for Poetry, FVS Foundation, Hamburg (1977). He was a member of Aosdána.

Carraig agus cathair: Ó Direáin is a recent (2002) biography. Its title ('Rock and City') refers to Ó Direáin's journey from his native rocky island to Dublin, where he lived most of his life.