Cork poet Gerry Murphy wins US award

Poet Gerry Murphy has won the Lawrence O'Shaughnessy Award for poetry, worth $5,000.

Cork poet and former lifeguard, Gerry Murphy, has won the Lawrence O'Shaughnessy Award for poetry. Worth $5,000 (€4,600), the award honours outstanding Irish poets. It is named after a former University of St Thomas (in Minnesota) lecturer, trustee and benefactor who helped establish the university's Centre for Irish Studies.

Murphy (69), who has undergone a couple of minor medical procedures in recent years, including surgery on gallstones, is philosophical about getting older. He says that at his age, he has learned "to just take things as they come."

A spiritual anarchist

Described by the late poet, John Montague, as "a spiritual anarchist," Murphy, known for his acerbic satirical poetry as well as love poetry, has noticed that he is writing more about family these days. One of three siblings, Murphy's mother died when he was eleven and his father died when he was going on eighteen.

"When you write one family poem, it sets off a whole series of them," he says. Murphy has published eight collections of poetry and has three collections of selected works in translation coming out.

He retired from his 39-year job as the lifeguard and swimming pool manager at Mayfield Leisure Complex which is attached to Mayfield Community School in late 2019. Murphy goes swimming there once a week as part of his routine which sees him rising at 6am every morning and going for a run as well as having lunch most days at the Farmgate in the English Market.

Collette Nolan, artist, and Gerry Murphy, poet, outside an entrance to the English Market. Picture Denis Minihane.

Productive retirement

He says he has become more productive at writing since retirement. "But the writing has never been routine-based. Something has to occur to me before I write a poem. it could be something I read, or something I see on the street. Or an idea comes into my head."

While politics are an ongoing theme in his poetry, Murphy says his favourite works are his love poems. "They're based on memory now." An old romantic, Murphy admits that he has sacrificed the notion of settling down with a life partner because of his art.

"The poet's life makes you self-obsessed. it wouldn't be fair on somebody else having to put up with that. I had two long relationships. The people knew instinctively that it wasn't going to be a long term thing. They knew I wasn't going to stick around."

Poet Gerry Murphy was described by the late poet, John Montague, as "a spiritual anarchist.

Murphy, a member of Aosdana, was inspired to write poetry by a teacher, George O'Sullivan, at the North Monastery. He started his working life digging the roads with a shovel and pick. His ex-swimming coach offered him a job at the Mayfield Leisure Centre in 1980. "It was perfect for the writing."

Normally, winners of the Lawrence O'Shaughnessy Award go to the University of St Thomas for a week to give readings. But because of the pandemic, "that's up in the air. The 2020 winner, Ailbhe Ní Ghearbhuigh and last year's winner, Dermot Bolger, were unable to go to Minnesota because of Covid. There's talk now of the university people coming over and doing an award ceremony with the three of us in Dublin."

My Father Drying My Hair 

I have washed my hair and I am drying it somewhat distractedly by the fire.

"Dry it properly,"

my father commands from behind his newspaper.

I make a half-hearted attempt but soon lapse into ineffectual dabbing at its dripping ends.

Eventually, as is his wont, he takes the towel and vigorously rubs it dry.

My head, held sweetly in the busy orbit of his hands, lulled into a drowsy rapture.