Heaney shares his lifetime’s library with the nation

THE literary papers of Nobel laureate Seámus Heaney have been given to the National Library of Ireland.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny received the archive on behalf of the nation at a ceremony honouring the man he called “a visionary” and “a patriot”.

Mr Kenny described the writer as “one of the world’s foremost word sculptors” as the collection, including early drafts of his most famous works, manuscripts, rewrites and 16 bound notebooks, was opened to the public.

“Two weeks ago, Dr Heaney, you spoke of your friend Ted Hughes as being visionary and patriotic. You called him a poet of England. Today, this nation and its people’s library are honoured to receive the literary archive of another visionary and patriot. This time the poet is of Ireland,” Mr Kenny said.

The 72-year-old Derry native said he was deeply touched by the warmth shown to him.

“It is a privilege and an honour to have my own worksheets, drafts, manuscripts and typescripts in our National Library, joining the great writers of the past and present who have also contributed. It is all part of a written, human chain.

“And it is a happiness to feel no regret at the removal of the stuff from the house. Rather, it is a cause for gratitude and pride,” he said.

Fiona Ross, National Library of Ireland director said the Heaney collection would be a great draw for the 200,000 people who attend the institution in person and the further one million who browse its collections online.

“It is likely to attract many researchers, cultural tourists and other visitors to Dublin for many years to come. The library is proud to become a centre for Heaney scholarship and we look forward to making this collection available to scholars and researchers from all over the world,” she said.