Honouring Heaney

You could say it was the twinkle in his eye, his default Ulster earthiness, or the armchair-by-the-Aga warmth in his voice that made Seamus Heaney such a loved Irishman but, as anyone beguiled, seduced or challenged by his poetry will admit, our relationship with the great poet runs far, far deeper.

It is based on all of those embracing, amicable human things but his work, his maps of who and how we are, cement that relationship in an almost unique way.

That relationship continues to evolve, despite Heaney’s death five years ago next month, with the opening of Seamus Heaney: Listen Now Again in Dublin’s Bank of IrelandCultural and Heritage Centre this week. The exhibition, reflecting on Heaney’s place in the Irish consciousness, will run for at least four years.

It is usually unwise to invest too much in the work of one artist but it is safe to say that Heaney’s legacy resonates in all corners of this island, the lead actor in much of his work, in a way that in an increasingly bland world is uniquely vibrant.

Another good, enriching reason to visit Dublin.