Seán Ó Riordáin

Seán Ó Riordáin was born in Ballyvourney, County Cork. Irish was the language of Ó Ríordáin's environment until, at the age of fifteen, he moved to an English-speaking area, Inish Carra near Cork City. As a young man, he was diagnosed with tuberculosis, and, though he lived until the age of sixty, he was constantly in poor health, and spent much time bed-ridden. Only four of his collections were published during his life time and a further one posthumously. They are Eireaball Spideoige (Robin's Tail, 1952), Brosna (Kindling, 1964), Línte Liombó (Lines From Limbo, 1971), and the posthumous Tar éis mo Bháis (After my Death, 1978). In the twilight years of his life, Ó Riordáin wrote a series of essays for The Irish Times which were widely read. He died on 21 February 1977.