Eileen Shanahan (28 October 1901 – 28 January 1979) was an Irish poet. Her best-known poem, The Three Children (Near Clonmel), has been republished five times since its original publication in The Atlantic Monthly in 1929, and was included in the Oxford Book of Irish Verse (1958).
She was born in Dublin, where her father George Shanahan (1856–1944) was Assistant Secretary of the Irish Board of Works, 1895–1921 and Honorary Treasurer of the Statistical and Social Inquiry Society of Ireland, 1925–44. Her maternal grandfather was J. J. Clancy (1847–1928), Irish Nationalist MP for North County Dublin from 1885 to 1918. Via her maternal grandmother Margaret Hickie, she was related to the revolutionary, poet and author Piaras Béaslaí. She was educated at St Catherine's Dominican Convent, Sion Hill, Blackrock, Dublin and at Alexandra College. She worked as a secretary in Dublin and from 1929 at the League of Nations in Geneva. She married a Scot, Richard Webster, in 1936 and had five children. When France was invaded in 1940 she moved with her family to Dún Laoghaire, Ireland and then to Wallington, Surrey in England, where she lived for the rest of her life.
Her most productive period as a poet was the later 1920s. She first achieved significant publication with four of her poems in The Atlantic Monthly (Boston, USA) during 1929. Her poetry was highly regarded by Lord Dunsany (1878–1957), who helped her to gain publication of The Three Children and Shankill in The London Mercury. Some of her then unpublished poems were broadcast by the Dublin radio station 2RN on 31 May 1930. She also wrote a nativity play The Inn at Bethlehem, related in theme to her poem Epiphany, which was performed at the Theatre Royal, Dublin on 2 December 1928 and broadcast by Radio Eireann on Christmas Eve 1944.
The themes of her poetry include birth and childhood, the trials of love, the contrasts of passionate and cautious approaches to life, and Ireland and its predicament. Many have a powerful sense of place, several, including The Three Children and Moon and Swan, being inspired by visits to her Hickie relatives at Clonmel, Co. Tipperary and another, Shankill, by the countryside near her childhood home at Dalkey. She herself admired the poetry of F. R. Higgins and Francis Ledwidge.
Although she wrote around 70 poems,[1] only eleven were published in her lifetime, and fourteen have been published to date.
The Three Children (Near Clonmel) – The Atlantic Monthly (Boston, Mass.), Vol.143, May 1929, p. 624; The London Mercury, Vol.23 No.138, April 1931, pp. 528–9; Goodbye, Twilight, 1936, pp. 62–3; 1000 Years of Irish Poetry, New York, 1947, pp. 716–7; The Oxford Book of Irish Verse, 1958, pp. 245–6; Poetry by Women in Ireland: A Critical Anthology 1870–1970, Liverpool, 2012, pp. 196–7 (only the second, third, fourth and last of these have the authoritative text)
The Desolate Lover – The Atlantic Monthly (Boston, Mass.), Vol.143, June 1929, pp. 795–6; New Irish Poets, New York, 1948, p. 173; Poetry by Women in Ireland: A Critical Anthology 1870–1970, Liverpool, 2012, pp. 195–6
Judas in Purgatory – The Atlantic Monthly (Boston, Mass.), Vol.144, September 1929, pp. 340–1 (only the two lyrics extracted from a longer poem were printed)
To Adventurers (in Romance) – The Observer (London), 30 March 1930; Poetry by Women in Ireland: A Critical Anthology 1870–1970, Liverpool, 2012, pp. 197–8
Shankill – The London Mercury, Vol.23 No.136, February 1931, p. 315-6; New Irish Poets, New York, 1948, p. 174
Moon and Swan – The Commonweal (New York), Vol.14, 17 June 1931, p. 184; Irish Times, Saturday 18 May 1935
The Kilkenny Boy – Irish Times, Saturday 18 May 1935; New Irish Poets, New York, 1948, p. 175
Pastorale, 1946 – Irish Times, Saturday 11 January 1947; Earth Voices Whispering, Belfast, 2008, p. 113; Poetry by Women in Ireland: A Critical Anthology 1870–1970, Liverpool, 2012, p. 199
Epiphany – New Irish Poets, New York, 1948, p. 176
Free State (1925) – Earth Voices Whispering, Belfast, 2008, p. 113; Poetry by Women in Ireland: A Critical Anthology 1870–1970, Liverpool, 2012, p. 196
September – Route de Malagnou – Poetry by Women in Ireland: A Critical Anthology 1870–1970, Liverpool, 2012, p. 198
The Colonel's Wife – Poetry by Women in Ireland: A Critical Anthology 1870–1970, Liverpool, 2012, p. 199
Sunday Independent (Dublin), 2 December 1928, 25 May 1930 and 24 December 1944
Irish Times, 31 May 1930
Obituary, George E. Shanahan, Journal of the Statistical and Social Inquiry Society of Ireland Vol.XVII, 98th Session 1944–45, p.viii
Piaras Béaslaí Papers, National Library of Ireland
Collins, Lucy (ed.) (2012) Poetry by Women in Ireland: A Critical Anthology 1870–1970, Liverpool, Liverpool University Press
Daiken, Leslie H. (compiler) (1936) Goodbye, Twilight: Songs of the Struggle in Ireland, London, Lawrence and Wishart
Dawe, Gerald (ed.) (2008) Earth Voices Whispering: An Anthology of Irish War Poetry 1914–1945, Belfast, The Blackstaff Press
Garrity, Devin A. (ed.) (1948) New Irish Poets: Representative Selections from the Work of 37 Contemporaries, New York, The Devin-Adair Company
Hoagland, Kathleen (ed.) (1947) 1000 Years of Irish Poetry, New York, The Devin-Adair Company
The Oxford Book of Irish Verse, XVIIth Century-XXth Century, Chosen by Donagh MacDonagh and Lennox Robinson (1958), Oxford University Press
External linksedit
Obituary of George E. Shanahan
January 01, 1970
eileen, shanahan, american, journalist, journalist, october, 1901, january, 1979, irish, poet, best, known, poem, three, children, near, clonmel, been, republished, five, times, since, original, publication, atlantic, monthly, 1929, included, oxford, book, iri. For the American journalist see Eileen Shanahan journalist Eileen Shanahan 28 October 1901 28 January 1979 was an Irish poet Her best known poem The Three Children Near Clonmel has been republished five times since its original publication in The Atlantic Monthly in 1929 and was included in the Oxford Book of Irish Verse 1958 Eileen Shanahan in Dublin in the later 1920s Contents 1 Biography 2 Published poems 3 References 4 Sources 5 External linksBiography editShe was born in Dublin where her father George Shanahan 1856 1944 was Assistant Secretary of the Irish Board of Works 1895 1921 and Honorary Treasurer of the Statistical and Social Inquiry Society of Ireland 1925 44 Her maternal grandfather was J J Clancy 1847 1928 Irish Nationalist MP for North County Dublin from 1885 to 1918 Via her maternal grandmother Margaret Hickie she was related to the revolutionary poet and author Piaras Beaslai She was educated at St Catherine s Dominican Convent Sion Hill Blackrock Dublin and at Alexandra College She worked as a secretary in Dublin and from 1929 at the League of Nations in Geneva She married a Scot Richard Webster in 1936 and had five children When France was invaded in 1940 she moved with her family to Dun Laoghaire Ireland and then to Wallington Surrey in England where she lived for the rest of her life Her most productive period as a poet was the later 1920s She first achieved significant publication with four of her poems in The Atlantic Monthly Boston USA during 1929 Her poetry was highly regarded by Lord Dunsany 1878 1957 who helped her to gain publication of The Three Children and Shankill in The London Mercury Some of her then unpublished poems were broadcast by the Dublin radio station 2RN on 31 May 1930 She also wrote a nativity play The Inn at Bethlehem related in theme to her poem Epiphany which was performed at the Theatre Royal Dublin on 2 December 1928 and broadcast by Radio Eireann on Christmas Eve 1944 The themes of her poetry include birth and childhood the trials of love the contrasts of passionate and cautious approaches to life and Ireland and its predicament Many have a powerful sense of place several including The Three Children and Moon and Swan being inspired by visits to her Hickie relatives at Clonmel Co Tipperary and another Shankill by the countryside near her childhood home at Dalkey She herself admired the poetry of F R Higgins and Francis Ledwidge Although she wrote around 70 poems 1 only eleven were published in her lifetime and fourteen have been published to date Published poems editThe Cherry Tree in Spring Clonmel Nationalist 26 March 1921 p 8 The Three Children Near Clonmel The Atlantic Monthly Boston Mass Vol 143 May 1929 p 624 The London Mercury Vol 23 No 138 April 1931 pp 528 9 Goodbye Twilight 1936 pp 62 3 1000 Years of Irish Poetry New York 1947 pp 716 7 The Oxford Book of Irish Verse 1958 pp 245 6 Poetry by Women in Ireland A Critical Anthology 1870 1970 Liverpool 2012 pp 196 7 only the second third fourth and last of these have the authoritative text The Desolate Lover The Atlantic Monthly Boston Mass Vol 143 June 1929 pp 795 6 New Irish Poets New York 1948 p 173 Poetry by Women in Ireland A Critical Anthology 1870 1970 Liverpool 2012 pp 195 6 Judas in Purgatory The Atlantic Monthly Boston Mass Vol 144 September 1929 pp 340 1 only the two lyrics extracted from a longer poem were printed To Adventurers in Romance The Observer London 30 March 1930 Poetry by Women in Ireland A Critical Anthology 1870 1970 Liverpool 2012 pp 197 8 Shankill The London Mercury Vol 23 No 136 February 1931 p 315 6 New Irish Poets New York 1948 p 174 Moon and Swan The Commonweal New York Vol 14 17 June 1931 p 184 Irish Times Saturday 18 May 1935 The Kilkenny Boy Irish Times Saturday 18 May 1935 New Irish Poets New York 1948 p 175 Pastorale 1946 Irish Times Saturday 11 January 1947 Earth Voices Whispering Belfast 2008 p 113 Poetry by Women in Ireland A Critical Anthology 1870 1970 Liverpool 2012 p 199 Epiphany New Irish Poets New York 1948 p 176 Free State 1925 Earth Voices Whispering Belfast 2008 p 113 Poetry by Women in Ireland A Critical Anthology 1870 1970 Liverpool 2012 p 196 September Route de Malagnou Poetry by Women in Ireland A Critical Anthology 1870 1970 Liverpool 2012 p 198 The Colonel s Wife Poetry by Women in Ireland A Critical Anthology 1870 1970 Liverpool 2012 p 199References edit Collins 2012 p 194 Sources editSunday Independent Dublin 2 December 1928 25 May 1930 and 24 December 1944 Irish Times 31 May 1930 Obituary George E Shanahan Journal of the Statistical and Social Inquiry Society of Ireland Vol XVII 98th Session 1944 45 p viii Piaras Beaslai Papers National Library of Ireland Collins Lucy ed 2012 Poetry by Women in Ireland A Critical Anthology 1870 1970 Liverpool Liverpool University Press Daiken Leslie H compiler 1936 Goodbye Twilight Songs of the Struggle in Ireland London Lawrence and Wishart Dawe Gerald ed 2008 Earth Voices Whispering An Anthology of Irish War Poetry 1914 1945 Belfast The Blackstaff Press Garrity Devin A ed 1948 New Irish Poets Representative Selections from the Work of 37 Contemporaries New York The Devin Adair Company Hoagland Kathleen ed 1947 1000 Years of Irish Poetry New York The Devin Adair Company The Oxford Book of Irish Verse XVIIth Century XXth Century Chosen by Donagh MacDonagh and Lennox Robinson 1958 Oxford University PressExternal links editObituary of George E Shanahan Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Eileen Shanahan amp oldid 1158538861, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
