Pat Ingoldsby
Encyclopedia
Pat Ingoldsby is an Irish
poet
. He has hosted children's TV shows, written plays for the stage and for radio, published books of short stories, and been a newspaper columnist. Since the mid-nineties, he has withdrawn from the mass media
, and is most widely known for his collections of poetry, and his selling of them on the streets of Dublin (usually on Westmoreland Street
or College Green
).
, Pat hosted RTÉ
children's TV shows named Pat's Hat, and Pat's Chat, and he appeared regularly on Bosco
as a story reader. His plays include Bats or Booze or Both (Dublin, Project Arts Centre, 1977); Hisself (Dublin, Peacock Theatre, 1978); Rhymin’ Simon (Peacock Theatre, 1978); When Am I Getting’ Me Clothes (Peacock Theatre, 1978); Yeukface the Yeuk and the Spotty Grousler (Peacock, 1982); and The Full Shilling (Dublin, Gaeity Theatre, 1986).
In the early nineties, he had a column in the Evening Press
(a now-defunct national Irish newspaper). These columns were later collected in The Peculiar Sensation Of Being Irish.
Ingoldsby is a fluent Irish
speaker and includes a few poems written in Irish in each book of poetry.
He lives in Clontarf, in Dublin, Ireland. Since sometime in the mid-nineties, he has withdrawn from TV, radio and theatre, instead devoting his efforts to poetry. Pat is still part of Ireland's arts scene, sometimes opening Art exhibitions, introducing then-new musicians such as David Gray
, or launching other people's books.
He self-publishes through Willow Publications, which he set up and named after one of his pet cat
s (who later died).
Some of his books since 1998 have carried a note that they are protected by the "Bratislava Accord 1993, section 2 cre/009 manifest-minsk", the terms of which allegedly protect his book's content from being included in:
humorous possibilities.
Topics of personal experiences vary from the death of his father, or the electroconvulsive therapy
he received (c. 1988), to his appreciation of the natural world or his pets (mostly cats, but also some fish).
Observations of Dublin are mostly humorous conversations overheard on the bus, or the characters he sees and talks to while selling his books on the streets. Some observations are not so cheerful as he also sees the drunks and the homeless of Dublin city, and the some aspects of modernisation which he isn't pleased with.
His most distinctive style of poetry is his humorist style. A recurring character, Wesley Quench, appears in roles such as the driver of a Flying See-Saw Brigade. Another poem, "Vagina in the Vatican," depicts a vagina sneaking into the Vatican unstopped because no one knew what it was - except for a few who couldn't let slip that they did.
He also occasionally produces stories for children. These are a childish version of his mildly surreal style.
During the rapid increase in the use of mobile telephones, he offered a "Mobile Phone Euthanasia
" services on the streets of Dublin, where he would destroy phones for annoyed owners.
His cousin Maeve Ingoldsby
is a playwright.
When Pat is selling his books, more often than not, he can be found on Westmoreland Street.
Ingoldsby also wrote some episodes of Wanderly Wagon
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
. He has hosted children's TV shows, written plays for the stage and for radio, published books of short stories, and been a newspaper columnist. Since the mid-nineties, he has withdrawn from the mass media
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
, and is most widely known for his collections of poetry, and his selling of them on the streets of Dublin (usually on Westmoreland Street
Westmoreland Street
Westmoreland Street is a street in the southern city-centre of Dublin, Ireland. It is one of the two broad avenues - along with D'Olier Street - that converge at their northern ends at O'Connell Bridge over the River Liffey...
or College Green
College Green
College Green is a three-sided "square" in the centre of Dublin. On its northern side is a building known today as the Bank of Ireland which until 1800 was Ireland's Parliament House. To its east stands Trinity College Dublin, the only constituent college of the University of Dublin. To its south...
).
Work
In the 1980s1980s
File:1980s decade montage.png|thumb|400px|From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, Columbia, lifted off in 1981; American President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev eased tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the end of the Cold War; The Fall of the Berlin Wall in...
, Pat hosted RTÉ
RTE
RTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey...
children's TV shows named Pat's Hat, and Pat's Chat, and he appeared regularly on Bosco
Bosco
Bosco was an Irish children's television programme produced during the late 1970s and early 1980s. It was produced by the Lambert Puppet Theatre. Designed by Jan Mitchell, Bosco was voiced by Miriam Lambert initially; in later years Paula Lambert took over the character...
as a story reader. His plays include Bats or Booze or Both (Dublin, Project Arts Centre, 1977); Hisself (Dublin, Peacock Theatre, 1978); Rhymin’ Simon (Peacock Theatre, 1978); When Am I Getting’ Me Clothes (Peacock Theatre, 1978); Yeukface the Yeuk and the Spotty Grousler (Peacock, 1982); and The Full Shilling (Dublin, Gaeity Theatre, 1986).
In the early nineties, he had a column in the Evening Press
Evening Press
The Evening Press was an Irish newspaper which was printed from 1954 until 1995. It was set up by Éamon de Valera's Irish Press group, and was originally edited by Douglas Gageby...
(a now-defunct national Irish newspaper). These columns were later collected in The Peculiar Sensation Of Being Irish.
Ingoldsby is a fluent Irish
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
speaker and includes a few poems written in Irish in each book of poetry.
He lives in Clontarf, in Dublin, Ireland. Since sometime in the mid-nineties, he has withdrawn from TV, radio and theatre, instead devoting his efforts to poetry. Pat is still part of Ireland's arts scene, sometimes opening Art exhibitions, introducing then-new musicians such as David Gray
David Gray (musician)
David Gray is an English singer-songwriter. He released his first studio album in 1993 and received worldwide attention after the release of White Ladder six years later...
, or launching other people's books.
He self-publishes through Willow Publications, which he set up and named after one of his pet cat
Cat
The cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
s (who later died).
Some of his books since 1998 have carried a note that they are protected by the "Bratislava Accord 1993, section 2 cre/009 manifest-minsk", the terms of which allegedly protect his book's content from being included in:
- school textbooks
- examinations
- elocution classes
- anything with the word "Arts" in it.
Influences
Most of Pat's poems are about his personal experiences, observations of life in Dublin, or mildly surrealSurrealism
Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members....
humorous possibilities.
Topics of personal experiences vary from the death of his father, or the electroconvulsive therapy
Electroconvulsive therapy
Electroconvulsive therapy , formerly known as electroshock, is a psychiatric treatment in which seizures are electrically induced in anesthetized patients for therapeutic effect. Its mode of action is unknown...
he received (c. 1988), to his appreciation of the natural world or his pets (mostly cats, but also some fish).
Observations of Dublin are mostly humorous conversations overheard on the bus, or the characters he sees and talks to while selling his books on the streets. Some observations are not so cheerful as he also sees the drunks and the homeless of Dublin city, and the some aspects of modernisation which he isn't pleased with.
His most distinctive style of poetry is his humorist style. A recurring character, Wesley Quench, appears in roles such as the driver of a Flying See-Saw Brigade. Another poem, "Vagina in the Vatican," depicts a vagina sneaking into the Vatican unstopped because no one knew what it was - except for a few who couldn't let slip that they did.
He also occasionally produces stories for children. These are a childish version of his mildly surreal style.
During the rapid increase in the use of mobile telephones, he offered a "Mobile Phone Euthanasia
Euthanasia
Euthanasia refers to the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering....
" services on the streets of Dublin, where he would destroy phones for annoyed owners.
His cousin Maeve Ingoldsby
Maeve Ingoldsby
Maeve Ingoldsby is a former writer of the Raidió Teilifís Éireann radio show Only Slaggin and former writer on RTÉ soap operas Glenroe and Fair City. She is a well-known playwright and satirist. She has also written numerous children's plays including Earwigs, which was awarded "Best Young...
is a playwright.
When Pat is selling his books, more often than not, he can be found on Westmoreland Street.
Poetry
- You've Just Finished Reading This Title
- Rhyme Doesn't With Reason
- Up The Leg Of Your Jacket
- Welcome To My Head (Please Remove Your Boots) (1986)
- Salty Water (1988)
- Scandal Sisters (1990)
- How Was It For You Doctor? (1994)
- Poems So Fresh And So New ...Yahoo! (1995)
- If You Don't Tell Anybody I Won't (1996)
- See Liz She Spins (1997)
- Half A Hug (1998)
- Beautiful Cracked Eyes (1999)
- The Blue E-Tee Wet! (2000)
- Do Lámh I Mo Bhrístí (2001)
- The Frenchwoman And The Sky (2003)
- Once Upon A 'hide (2004)
- I'm Out Here (2005)
- Can I Get In The Bath? (2007)
- Once Upon A Wicked Eye (2008)
- I Thought You Died Years Ago (2009)
- Hitting Cows With A Banjo (2011)
For adults
- Hisself (Play, Peacock Theatre, Dublin)
- When am I Gettin' Me Clothes (Play, Peacock Theatre, Dublin) (Later adapted for radio play on RTÉ Radio 1RTÉ Radio 1RTÉ Radio 1 is the principal radio channel of Irish public-service broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann and is the direct descendant of Dublin radio station 2RN, which began broadcasting on a regular basis on 1 January 1926...
) - The Dark Days of Denny Lacey (radio play, RTÉ Radio 1)
- She Came Up From the Sea (radio play, RTÉ Radio 1)
- Fire Is Far Enough (radio play, RTÉ Radio 1)
- Liffey Ever Is (radio play, RTÉ Radio 1)
- The Peculiar Sensation Of Being Irish (short stories) (1995) ISBN 1-873548-31-1
- Laugh Without Prejudice (short stories) (1996) ISBN 1-873548-37-0
- My Own Voice (Audio CD of Pat reading some poems)
- Let Me Into Your Ear (Audio CD of Pat reading more of his poems)
For children
- Zaney Tales (short stories book)
- Rhymin' Simon (Play)
- Yeukface the Yeuk and the Spotty Grousler (Play)
- Tell Me A Story Pat (Audio Tape)
Ingoldsby also wrote some episodes of Wanderly Wagon
Wanderly Wagon
Wanderly Wagon was an Irish children's television series which aired on RTÉ from Saturday 30 September 1967 until 1982. Wanderly Wagon followed human and puppet characters as they travelled around Ireland visiting interesting locations, rescuing Princesses and generally doing good...