The late Seamus Heaney
A SEAMUS Heaney poem has ben voted the best of the past 100 years in a TV poll.
The poem ‘When All The Others Were Away At Mass’ made a shortlist of ten poems in the running in RTE’s A Poem for Ireland poll, whch invited members of the public to vote.
President Michael D Higgins announced the win during the filming of a special episode of RTE arts show The Works at the Royal Irish Academy in Dublin.
Speaking to RTE, Seamus Heaney’s son Mick said: “We are delighted and honoured that my father’s sonnet When All the Others Were Away at Mass has been voted by the public as the Poem for Ireland, particularly given the magnificent short-list it was part of.”
He continued: “Dad was never happier than when reading or writing poetry, so for his work to be part of a project that shows the sweep of Irish poetry and underlines its crucial part in our culture is a wonderful tribute to his life and work, for which our family are truly grateful.”
The special episode of The Works will air this Friday, March 13, at 8:30pm on RTÉ One.
The sonnet was written on the death of his mother: And here it is again:
In Memoriam M.K.H., 1911-1984
When all the others were away at Mass
I was all hers as we peeled potatoes.
They broke the silence, let fall one by one
Like solder weeping off the soldering iron:
Cold comforts set between us, things to share
Gleaming in a bucket of clean water.
And again let fall. Little pleasant splashes
From each other’s work would bring us to our senses.
So while the parish priest at her bedside
Went hammer and tongs at the prayers for the dying
And some were responding and some crying
I remembered her head bent towards my head,
Her breath in mine, our fluent dipping knives–
Never closer the whole rest of our lives.
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