Spring seaweed

‘While Máirtìn Ó Direáin stands among Ireland’s greatest twentieth-century poets, his prose reveals another dimension of his genius. These essays, born from childhood memories that shaped his poetic vision, offer an unparalleled window into authentic Aran island life.’ – Alan Titley, Emeritus Professor of Modern Irish, University College Cork and Translator of The Dregs of the Day (Yale University Press, 2019).

In Spring Seaweed Ó Direáin captures both the soul of the Aran Islands and an artist’s journey between two worlds.

Mìcheál Ó hAodha’s translation remains faithful to Ó Direáin’s original vision, masterfully conveying the author’s gift for Irish conversation, particularly in the lightning-quick exchanges of traditional ‘agallamh beirte’. Through lyrical prose, Ó Direáin tells of island life: from shawled keening women whose voices carry ‘an ancient and mysterious beauty’ to the ‘wild, red flood of tide’ washing over the shore. He describes seaweed and kelp drying into a ‘multi-coloured quilt’ beneath the ‘spiralling music’ of larks. He weaves together memories of lost love and friendships with profound meditations on art and exile. The musical prose echoes centuries of Irish storytelling and explores the universal themes of belonging, memory, and artistic creation, while detailed footnotes expand cultural references for contemporary readers.

Spring Seaweed stands as both a vital record of Irish island life and a timeless collection of essays from a master stylist – one that rewards both first-time readers and those returning to discover new depths in Ó Direáin’s writing.

Máirtìn Ó Direáin is regarded as one of the three major Irish language poets from last century, the others being Seán Ó Rìordáin and Máire Mhac an tSaoi, who lived well into this century. This book also contains twenty of his poems.