DCU honour for poet

RENOWNED poet Paula Meehan who grew up on the Northside was presented with an honorary doctorate at DCU last week.

The doctorate was awarded in recognition of Meehan’s extensive literary contribution, including a number of poetry collections. 

Delivering the citation, Dr Mary Shine Thompson, DCU’s Governing Authority, paid tribute to poet who once lived on the corner of Sean McDermott Street and Gardiner Street and later moved to Finglas.

“Her verse is elegantly wrought, often magically incantatory, and always accessible, but, like Seamus Heaney’s, charged with a challenging undercurrent,” she said.

“In it Paula Meehan gives voice to her people and her place.”

On acceptance of her doctorate, Meehan thanked her “beloved partner Theo Dorgan, who himself is a poet and understands the sometimes very strange places poetry takes us to.”

“He has always made the time and space to help me live in those strange places,” she continued.

“I thank my family and friends. If it takes a village to raise a child, it takes open-minded and compassionate villagers to allow that child follow the poet’s paths.

“I remind myself always every day that some countries are locking up their poets.”

To celebrate receiving the honorary doctorate, Meehan wrote and recited a poem for the occasion, remembering this time 50 years ago when she moved from inner city Dublin to live in Finglas.

“To celebrate this moment, I’ve written a poem for the day that’s in it called ‘At the Spring Equinox’ – when day and night are the same length and summer is coming in,” she said.

“I wanted to celebrate the edge of the city that I discovered when we moved out here from the inner city…remembering those friends, that landscape and the rivers that ran through it.”

 In closing the graduation ceremony, Professor Brian MacCraith, DCU President, welcomed Paula back to DCU and acknowledged her exceptional artistic work.