Macdara Woods

Macdara Woods (born 1942) is an Irish poet

Poetry

Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...

 born in Dublin

Dublin

Dublin is the largest city and capital of Ireland. It is officially known in Irish as Baile Átha Cliath or Áth Cliath ; the English name comes from the Irish Dubh Linn meaning "black pool". It is located near the midpoint of Ireland's east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey and at the...

.

Life

Macdara Woods is married to the poet Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin

Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin

-Life:Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin is the daughter of Eilís Dillon and Professor Cormac Ó Cuilleanáin. She was educated at University College Cork and The University of Oxford. She lives in Dublin with her husband Macdara Woods and their son Niall. She is a Fellow of Trinity College Dublin where she is...

, they have an adult son, Niall, a musician. Woods currently lives in Dublin and Umbria. A founder-editor of the Irish literary magazine Cyphers, he is a member of Aosdána

Aosdána

Aosdána is an association of people in Ireland who have achieved distinction in the arts. It was created in 1981 on the initiative of a group of writers and with support from the Arts Council of Ireland. Membership, which is by invitation from current members, is limited to 250 individuals;...

 (an organisation established by the Irish Government to honour those who have made an outstanding contribution to the Arts in Ireland) since 1986.

Publications

Poetry Collections:

• Decimal D. Sec Drinks In A Bar In Marrakesh (1970), New Writers’ Press
• Early Morning Matins (1973), Gallery Press
• The King of the Dead & other Libyan Tales (1978), Martin, Brian & O’Keeffe
• Stopping The Lights In Ranelagh (1987, reprinted 1988), Dedalus Press
• Miz Moon (1988), Dedalus Press
• The Hanged Man Was Not Surrendering (1990), Dedalus Press
• Notes From The Countries Of Blood-Red Flowers (1994), Dedalus Press
• Selected Poems (1996), Dedalus Press
• Knowledge in the Blood, New and Selected Poems (2000, 2007), Dedalus Press
• The Nightingale Water (2001), Dedalus Press
• Artichoke Wine (2006), Dedalus Press

In Italian:

• Biglietto di Sola Andata (1998) Moby Dick Editrice, Faenza
• Above Pesaro/Con Pesaro ai Miei Piedi (1999) Volumnia Editrice, Perugia

Edited books:

• The Kilkenny Anthology (1991), Kilkenny Co Council.
• (with Jim Vaughan), Present Tense: Words and Pictures (2006), Mayo Co Council

Woods's work has been translated into many languages. He has collaborated with musicians, notably Brendan Graham (Winter Fire & Snow, performed by Anúna

Anúna

Anúna is an Irish choral group. In 1987 Dublin composer Michael McGlynn founded An Uaithne, a name which describes the three ancient types of Celtic music, Suantraí , Geantraí and Goltraí . One of the group's stated aims is to explore and redefine this music . An Uaithne became Anúna in 1991...

and others), Benjamin Dwyer (In The Ranelagh Gardens), Militia (Above Pesaro/Con Pesaro ai Miei Piedi) and Richard Hartshorne (The Cello Suites).