Donagh MacDonagh
Encyclopedia
Donagh MacDonagh was an Irish writer, judge, presenter, broadcaster, and playwright.
, an Irish nationalist and poet, was executed in 1916.
Tragedy struck again when his mother died of a heart attack a year afterwards while swimming at Skerries
to Lambay, County Dublin
on 9 July 1917.
His parents' families then engaged in a series of custody
lawsuits, as the MacDonaghs were Roman Catholic and the Giffords were Protestant
; in the climate of Ne Temere
, the MacDonaghs were successful.
He and his sister Barbara (who later married actor Liam Redmond
) were put into the custody of strangers until their late teens, when they were taken in by Jack MacDonagh and by Eleanor Bingham, County Clare
.
He was married twice, to Maura Smyth and Nuala Smyth and he had four children from the two marriages.
He died on 1 January 1968 and is buried at Deans Grange Cemetery
.
and University College Dublin
(UCD) with contemporaries Cyril Cusack
, Denis Devlin
, Charlie Donnelly, Brian O'Nolan, Niall Sheridan and Mervyn Wall
.
In 1935 he was called to the Bar and practised on the Western Circuit
.
In 1941 he was appointed a District Justice in County Mayo
. He was Justice for the Dublin Metropolitan Courts at the time of his death.
He published three volumes of poetry: "Veterans and Other Poems" (1943), The Hungry Grass (1947) and A Warning to Conquerors (1969).
He also edited the Oxford Book of Irish Verse
(1958) with Lennox Robinson
.
A play, Happy As Larry, was translated into a number of languages.
He had three other plays produced: God's Gentry (a ballad opera about the tinkers), Lady Spinder (about Deirdre of the Sorrows and the Three sons of Ussna and by far his best writing) and Step in the Hollow a piece of situation comedy nonsense.
He also wrote short stories.
He published ‘’Twenty Poems’’ with Niall Sheridan; staged first Irish production of ‘’Murder in the Cathedral’’ with Liam Redmond
, later his brother-in-law.
Furthermost he was a popular broadcaster on Radio Éireann.
.
His private life
He was born in Dublin and was still a young child when his father Thomas MacDonaghThomas MacDonagh
Thomas MacDonagh was an Irish nationalist, poet, playwright, and a leader of the 1916 Easter Rising.-Early life:MacDonagh was born in Cloughjordan, County Tipperary...
, an Irish nationalist and poet, was executed in 1916.
Tragedy struck again when his mother died of a heart attack a year afterwards while swimming at Skerries
Skerries, Dublin
-The 20th century and today:Historically, Skerries has been a thriving fishing port and a major center of hand embroidery. In the late 20th century, it became a resort town , and another suburb for commuters to the city of Dublin....
to Lambay, County Dublin
County Dublin
County Dublin is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Dublin Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the city of Dublin which is the capital of Ireland. County Dublin was one of the first of the parts of Ireland to be shired by King John of England following the...
on 9 July 1917.
His parents' families then engaged in a series of custody
Child custody
Child custody and guardianship are legal terms which are used to describe the legal and practical relationship between a parent and his or her child, such as the right of the parent to make decisions for the child, and the parent's duty to care for the child.Following ratification of the United...
lawsuits, as the MacDonaghs were Roman Catholic and the Giffords were Protestant
Church of Ireland
The Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. The church operates in all parts of Ireland and is the second largest religious body on the island after the Roman Catholic Church...
; in the climate of Ne Temere
Ne Temere
Ne Temere was a decree of the Roman Catholic Congregation of the Council regulating the canon law of the Church about marriage for practising Roman Catholics....
, the MacDonaghs were successful.
He and his sister Barbara (who later married actor Liam Redmond
Liam Redmond
Liam Redmond was an Irish actor known for his stage, film and television roles.-Early life:Redmond was one of four children born to carpenter Thomas and Eileen Redmond...
) were put into the custody of strangers until their late teens, when they were taken in by Jack MacDonagh and by Eleanor Bingham, County Clare
County Clare
-History:There was a Neolithic civilisation in the Clare area — the name of the peoples is unknown, but the Prehistoric peoples left evidence behind in the form of ancient dolmen; single-chamber megalithic tombs, usually consisting of three or more upright stones...
.
He was married twice, to Maura Smyth and Nuala Smyth and he had four children from the two marriages.
He died on 1 January 1968 and is buried at Deans Grange Cemetery
Deans Grange Cemetery
Deans Grange Cemetery, or more commonly known today as Deansgrange Cemetery, is situated in the suburban area of Deansgrange in the Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown part of the former County Dublin, Ireland. Since it first opened in 1865, over 150,000 people have been buried there...
.
His career
MacDonagh was educated at Belvedere CollegeBelvedere College
Belvedere College SJ is a private secondary school for boys located on Great Denmark Street, Dublin, Ireland. It is also known as St. Francis Xavier's College....
and University College Dublin
University College Dublin
University College Dublin ) - formally known as University College Dublin - National University of Ireland, Dublin is the Republic of Ireland's largest, and Ireland's second largest, university, with over 1,300 faculty and 17,000 students...
(UCD) with contemporaries Cyril Cusack
Cyril Cusack
Cyril James Cusack was an Irish actor, who appeared in more than 90 films.-Early life:Cusack was born in Durban, Natal, South Africa, the son of Alice Violet , an actress, and James Walter Cusack, a sergeant in the Natal mounted police. His parents separated when he was young and his mother took...
, Denis Devlin
Denis Devlin
Denis Devlin was, along with Samuel Beckett and Brian Coffey, one of the generation of Irish modernist poets to emerge at the end of the 1920s. He was also a career diplomat.-Early life and studies:...
, Charlie Donnelly, Brian O'Nolan, Niall Sheridan and Mervyn Wall
Mervyn Wall
Mervyn Wall is an Irish writer who was born in Dublin. Wall attended Belvedere College and worked as a civil servant. His wife, Frances Feehan, was a music critic....
.
In 1935 he was called to the Bar and practised on the Western Circuit
Circuit court
Circuit court is the name of court systems in several common law jurisdictions.-History:King Henry II instituted the custom of having judges ride around the countryside each year to hear appeals, rather than forcing everyone to bring their appeals to London...
.
In 1941 he was appointed a District Justice in County Mayo
County Mayo
County Mayo is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Mayo, which is now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 130,552...
. He was Justice for the Dublin Metropolitan Courts at the time of his death.
His cultural work
He wrote poetic dramas and ballad operas.He published three volumes of poetry: "Veterans and Other Poems" (1943), The Hungry Grass (1947) and A Warning to Conquerors (1969).
He also edited the Oxford Book of Irish Verse
Oxford Book of Irish Verse
The Oxford Book of Irish Verse, 17th century-20th century was a poetry anthology edited by Donagh MacDonagh and Lennox Robinson. It was published by Oxford University Press in 1958....
(1958) with Lennox Robinson
Lennox Robinson
Esmé Stuart Lennox Robinson was an Irish dramatist, poet and theatre producer and director who was involved with the Abbey Theatre....
.
A play, Happy As Larry, was translated into a number of languages.
He had three other plays produced: God's Gentry (a ballad opera about the tinkers), Lady Spinder (about Deirdre of the Sorrows and the Three sons of Ussna and by far his best writing) and Step in the Hollow a piece of situation comedy nonsense.
He also wrote short stories.
He published ‘’Twenty Poems’’ with Niall Sheridan; staged first Irish production of ‘’Murder in the Cathedral’’ with Liam Redmond
Liam Redmond
Liam Redmond was an Irish actor known for his stage, film and television roles.-Early life:Redmond was one of four children born to carpenter Thomas and Eileen Redmond...
, later his brother-in-law.
Furthermost he was a popular broadcaster on Radio Éireann.
Poetry Collections
- 1930 - The Golden Treasury of Irish Verse
- 1941 - Veterans and Other Poems -, Cuala Press, Dublin 1941
- 1947 - The Hungry Grass -, Faber & Famer, London 1947
- 1954 - The Ballad of Jane Shore -, Dolmen Press, Dublin 1954)
- 1958 - The Oxford book of Irish verse: XVIIth Century - XXth Century, Oxford University Press, 1958 … (Editor with Lennox RobinsonLennox RobinsonEsmé Stuart Lennox Robinson was an Irish dramatist, poet and theatre producer and director who was involved with the Abbey Theatre....
) - 1969 - A Warning to Conquerors -, Dolmen Press, Dublin 1969 … (Preface by Niall Sheridan)
Plays
- 1946 - Happy As Larry -, Maurice Fridberg, London 1946
A ballad opera. The most successful play in London in post-war years though produced unsuccessfully in New York in an elaborate production by Burgess Meredith. Has been translated into a number of languages - 1951 - God's Gentry
A ballad opera. Frequently acted but unpublished play about travellers (Belfast Arts Theatre, August 1951) - 1957 - Step in the Hollow -, Penguin 1959
(A piece of situation comedy nonsense (Gaiety Theatre, 11 Mar. 1957)) - 1967 - Do.: A Play in Four Scenes -, Maurice Fridberg, London 1967
- 1980 - Lady Spider, edited and annotated by Gordon M. Wickstrom, in Journal of Irish LiteratureÉigseÉigse: A Journal of Irish Studies is an academic journal devoted to the study of the Irish language and literature. It started life in 1923 as part of an initiative by the Senate of the National University of Ireland to use the Adam Boyd Simpson Fund for the publication of an Irish studies journal...
, 9 (Sept. 1980), pp. 3–82 - (unpublished) - Lady Spinder. About DeirdreDeirdreDeirdre or Derdriu is the foremost tragic heroine in Irish mythology and probably its best-known figure in modern times. She is often called "Deirdre of the Sorrows." Her story is part of the Ulster Cycle, the best-known stories of pre-Christian Ireland.-Legendary Biography:Deirdre was the...
of the Sorrows and the three sons of UisnechNaoiseIn Irish mythology, Noíse or Noisiu was the nephew of King Conchobar mac Nessa of Ulster, and a son of Usnech , in the Ulster Cycle....
Secondary literature
- Robert HoganRobert HoganRobert Hogan may refer to:*Robert J. Hogan , American soap opera actor*Robert J. Hogan American pulp fiction author, creator of G-8 and other works.*Robert Hogan Robert Hogan may refer to:*Robert J. Hogan (born 1933), American soap opera actor*Robert J. Hogan (author) American pulp fiction...
- After the Irish Renaissance -, 1986 - Desmond Ernest Stewart Maxwell – Modern Irish Drama 1891-1980 -, Cambridge 1985
.