Celebrating the life and lamenting the passing of Seamus Heaney

The sunshine in Cork cannot dispel the sadness we feel at the passing of one of the ‘greats’ in Irish life. One of our national treasures, Seamus Heaney, died yesterday,

 30 August ’13. A man whom I greatly admired and respected. A wonderful scholar and learned man imbued with the culture and history of his native land. He has left us a rich legacy of poetry and writings on so many aspects of life, culture, history, tradition, relationships, connections and much much more.

He celebrated his 70^th birthday in 2009 and I remember reading how he cherished his farming background and upbringing in Co.Derry. This struck a chord with me as I am also a son of the land, reared on a farm 3 miles west of Listowel, Co.Kerry. I have always loved the rural life and have been fascinated by the contours, textures, colours of the Irish landscape as it changes through the seasons.

In tribute to Seamus I did a small painting to celebrate his 7 decades in 2009. It is a scene from rural Co.Derry which I hoped would evoke memories of his beloved home and farm at Mossbawn. It was an autumnal scene to convey the richness of the landscape, fertility of the soil and the rich harvest of his own work. In the left middle ground there is an oak tree to connect him to the heritage of his native Derry – the oak leaf county. The oak is a symbol of kingship which I felt was appropriate for Seamus – a prince of learning and writing.

I placed the tree in a background of sloping hills and fields as I felt this landscape would reflect the contours and changes in life. It represents a lifetime of work and changes and a fruitful harvest after seasons of toil and labour.

I painted the scene with a golden autumn light filtering across the fields which mingles with the golden stubble of the recently harvested corn. The light also catches the yellows and golds of the autumn leaves and acorns on the oak tree. To include the human changes as we move into the autumn of our lives I put a thin film of white over the grass of the field behind the oak tree to show the whitening of the hair and the ageing process in a man of 70.

The painting is small – 12 x 10 inches and I put a plain cream frame on it. I was very happy with my work and sent it to Seamus as a token of my esteem and respect. The message I wanted to give this hugely accomplished and highly regarded man was how much I appreciated his connection with the land of Ireland and how beautifully he captured the magic and richness of simple folk and everyday lives.

May he rest in peace.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam uasal.