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Remarks by President McAleese at Irish PEN’S Annual Dinner in the National Yacht Club, Dun Laoghaire

Remarks by President McAleese at Irish PEN’S Annual Dinner in the National Yacht Club, Dun Laoghaire Friday, 22 January 1999

I am delighted to have been invited here this evening to celebrate the 78th anniversary of Irish “Pen” – this gathering of Playwrights and Poets, Editors, Essayists and Novelists. Many thanks to Fr. Gaughan for his kind introduction.

It has been said that writers, like teeth, are divided into incisors and grinders. Perhaps being married to a dentist has made me sensitive to the analogy, but I won’t even attempt a guess at which of you might fall into each category.

Whatever the truth of this description, it is certainly the case that the life of a writer – and particularly the creative process of writing itself – can be a lonely one. Amy Dawson Scott was mindful of this potential for isolation when she established PEN in London back in 1921. She wanted to create a forum whereby writers could come together on an informal basis to exchange ideas, discuss, debate and, no doubt, disagree.

From that inaugural dinner in London all those years ago, the organisation gradually established branches all over the world, including Ireland. I was interested to hear that the Irish meetings alternated between the Dublin and Belfast centres. So perhaps Irish Pen was one of the first cross border groups in Ireland.

Lady Gregory was the first in a long line of distinguished Presidents, which has included Mary Lavin, John B. Keane and Sean O’Faoláin. I could not let this occasion pass without remembering two former Presidents who have passed away within the year, each, coincidentally at the age of 87: the well known and much loved Bryan McMahon, and Zebby Whitehead, who died in July. Although a less familiar name to the Irish public, we owe a great debt to Zebby for his continued sponsorship of the “O.Z. Whitehead Play Competition” over the past 21 years. This competition has acted as a catalyst and encouragement for many young playwrights, Bernard Farrell having been an early winner.

We also remember Brian Moore, who died last week. The label “Irish writer” can sometimes be a burden, a neat but simplistic categorisation that can impose stifling expectations. Brian never fell into this trap. His work demonstrates an extraordinary versatility, yet with certain common themes, notably: faith and the loss of belief; displacement and exile, both geographical and spiritual. Few authors have managed to achieve such a sensitive and intelligent treatment of complex themes, while always retaining a simple, accessible style. In his work as in his life, Brian was the antithesis of pretension. We will miss him.

So often, we only pay tribute to writers when they become, to coin a phrase, “decomposing composers”. I am delighted to be able to say a few words about a writer who is still very much with us. I mentioned him earlier as a former President of PEN: it is, of course, John B. Keane.

Few men have earned their entry in “Who’s who in Ireland”, as much as John B. has. Fewer still have listed cloud-watching among their hobbies or had such a diverse career. His experiences have ranged across acting, farming, fowl-buying, apprentice chemist, amateur politician, instigator of the one and only issue of the Listowel Leader, scavenger and publican. We all know him as one of our best known playrights, novelists and commentators on the foibles of human existence. His works, from the earliest success of Sive and The Field, have been brought to life by every amateur drama group in the country. They have brought so many into the theatre that would never see themselves as theatre-goers.

If Brian Moore found universal themes in exile, John B. has found them equally well in his locality. A man who has combined wit and courage, at a time when to be outspoken gave rise to fear and condemnation. He is a playwright of poetry, yet who has portrayed the reality of the bitterness, frustration and greed that hid beneath the surface of rural Ireland. He has won many awards and accolades in his life. But it is appropriate his fellow playwrights, poets and writers, should honour him here this evening with the Irish PEN/AT Cross Literary Award. I would like to add my voice to theirs, in paying tribute to John B. Keane and I greatly look forward to presenting him with that award in a few minutes.

I have no doubt that John B. provides great inspiration and hope to aspiring writers, for he has known rejection as well as praise. One of secrets of Irish PEN’s success has been its recognition of the need to look to the future. I have no doubt that the competitions, talks and seminars it has organised for those writers who have not yet achieved success, have encouraged many to find the courage to persevere. If success continues to elude them, they can always take comfort from the fact that they are in distinguished company. As Charles Lamb said when a sonnet of his was rejected: “Damn the Age, I will write for Antiquity”.

Whatever about antiquity, the promotion and recognition of excellence is always important. Irish Pen has the privilege of nominating candidates for the Nobel Prize for Literature, of which, as we all know, our own beloved Seamus Heaney was our most recent and deserving winner.

It is difficult to know why Ireland, with four Nobel Laureates, has made an impact on world literature that is totally disproportionate to our size – perhaps the repression and conflict that marked our past, has had some influence. Thankfully, our society is now both more open and more peaceful. But new challenges and difficulties lie ahead, so I hope that none of you will decommission your pens just yet.

In conclusion, I would like to thank Arthur Flynn for his warm invitation and all of you for the pleasure and stimulation which you have given myself, as so many others, in the past. I wish you all equal success in the future.