Poet Paul Durcan to be buried in MacBride family plot in Mayo cemetery

Renowned Irish poet Paul Durcan who will be buried in Mayo tomorrow loved every 'stick and stone' in Westport and loved visiting his family's home county.

One of Ireland's best known contemporary poets, Paul Durcan died aged 80 years in Dublin on Saturday with President Michael D Higgins among the many people who paid tribute to him.

Although he was born and lived in Dublin, his father John and mother Sheila were from Turlough and Westport respectively and he spent much of his time in Mayo especially Westport and Dugort in Achill, where he owned a house.

His Funeral Mass will take place this morning in St Patrick's Church in Ringsend, Dublin at 12 noon and on Friday his remains will travel west to Westport where a blessing will take place in St Mary's Church, Westport followed by burial in the MacBride Family Cairn in Aughavale Cemetery.

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His first cousin, Mary MacBride Walsh, whose father Erc MacBride was a brother of Paul's sister Sheila, told The Mayo News that since childhood Paul was very close to his granny Eileen MacBride - a sister of Maud Gonne - and it was his wish to be buried in the family plot.

“It was very important for Paul to be buried in Westport because he adored our granny Eileen and would spend weeks as a young boy with her in Mallow Cottage, Streamstown, Westport,” she explained.

Paul and Mary's grandfather, Joseph MacBride who was born at the Helm at the Quay and a former TD for West Mayo was an older brother of Irish patriot Major John MacBride who was executed after the 1916 Rising.

“I am Paul's only MacBride first cousin and Paul and I have been very close since childhood,” said Mary.

“Since I was a child Paul stayed with Mammy and Daddy and myself and when I got married to Seamus 49 years ago, Paul came every single year for many years and when our children were young he would come twice a year.

“Paul loved every stick and old of Westport. He would go off in the morning walking and he wouldn't be back until the evening. He was a great character and will be sadly missed.”

Mary explained that Paul is also Godfather to their daughter Síabhra and wrote a poem, 'The Westport Ethiopian' in honour of her daughter, Mary Catherine, after she won an All-Ireland U-13's 600 metre final in athletics in 2004.

Paul's first book of poetry 'O Westport in the Light of Asia Minor' was first published in 1975 and in a tribute, well-known Westport musician Dan Delaney has specially composed a piece of music, 'In the Light of Asia Minor' which will be played at St Mary's Church on Friday.

Ballina-based musician Eamon Walsh will also perform on the Uilleann Pipes at the funeral Mass in Dublin this morning.

A winner of the Whitbread Poetry Prize and the Patrick Kavanagh Poetry Award, Paul Durcan's publications include A Snail in My Prime, Crazy About Women, Greetings to our Friends in Brazil, and Cries of an Irish Caveman.

President Michael D Higgins paid tribute to his ‘close friend for over 50 years’, saying his 'contribution to the performed poem was of enormous importance to the appreciation of poetry in Ireland'.

“We have audiences in so many generations for Irish poetry owes much to him and those others who brought their work around Ireland and abroad.

“Recently when I had the privilege of participating in a tribute to Paul for his 80th Birthday, I was privileged to read his magnificent ‘The Haulier’s Wife meets Jesus on the road near Moon’.

“Paul’s reading of poems in diverse settings was a wonderful encouragement to poets starting out.

I remember him being in an agony of tension before a radio reading but when the first line was delivered the trance was under way.

“Paul Durcan’s knowledge of philosophy and the history of art was vast. His beautiful pieces from visits to the National Gallery are essays on how to relate to painters, time and subject.

“I spent a considerable time with him back in 1979. We discussed the value of an image notebook! He played with our children in the woods of Barna and Merlin Park and sent beautiful messages to the children. Sabina and I know him as a dear friend. Early in my presidency he visited us in the Áras. His illness was hard for him to bear and Ireland was missing a great and unique talent in poetry.”

President Higgins expressed his sympathies to Nessa, his daughters Sarah and Síabhra, son Michael, sons-in-law, daughter-in-law and nine grandchildren.