Dermot Healy (1947-2014)

His posthumous Collected Poems leaves its over-sized footprint in the world of contemporary Irish poetry.
— John McAuliffe, The Irish Times
A poet not just for poets, a writer not just for writers, but a voice for everyone.
— Paul Perry, Sunday Independent

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Dermot Healy was born in Finea, County Westmeath, in 1947.

The Gallery Press has published his five collections of poems, The Ballyconnell Colours (1992), What the Hammer (1998), The Reed Bed (2001), A Fool’s Errand (2010) and a posthumous collection The Travels of Sorrow (2015). His Collected Poems was published in 2018.

His prose books include Banished Misfortune (stories), The Bend for Home (memoir) and novels Fighting with Shadows, A Goat’s Song, Sudden Times and Long Time, No See (selected for the International IMPAC Literary Award).

He wrote and directed plays, including The Long Swim, On Broken Wings and Mister Staines, and wrote the screenplay for Our Boys, directed by Cathal Black.

Dermot Healy won the Hennessy Award (1974 and 1976), the Tom Gallon Award (1983), and the Encore Award (1995). In 2011, he was shortlisted for the Poetry Now Award for his 2010 poetry collection, A Fool’s Errand.

As a member of Aosdána Dermot Healy was also part of its governing body, the Toscaireacht. He founded and edited the literary journals The Drumlin and Force 10.

Dermot Healy lived in Ballyconnell, County Sligo until his sudden death, aged 66, in 2014.