- Belfast Lord Mayor, Councillor Niall Ó Donnghaile, pictured with poet, Pádraic Fiacc (center), and Michael at a reception hosted in Belfast City Hall.
A Belfast poet who grew up in New York after his family emigrated to the U.S. has at last been honored in his native city.
Pádraic Fiacc, described as one of Ireland's greatest "lost poets," was ostracized by the Belfast literary community after writing a series of pieces criticizing the British army during the Troubles.
On Monday, a reception was held for him in Belfast City Hall and attended by Lord Mayor Niall ó Donnghaile. The event coincided with Fiacc's 88th birthday. Fiacc's family emigrated to the United States in the late 1920s and he grew up in New York. He returned to Belfast in 1946 where he lived for four years before returning to New York in 1950 and living in Hell's Kitchen. However, he returned once more to Belfast in 1956.
Fiacc - who was born Patrick Joseph O'Connor - has had his work published across the world and has been featured many times on radio and film in countries including America, England, and Germany.
He received the AE Memorial Award in 1957, and Poetry Ireland Award, 1981. Formal recognition came in 1981 by his election to Aosdana - the Irish State's affiliation of major artists. He is known in many educational establishments from St. Malachy's College, Belfast, Brooke Western O.C. Academy, Northamptonshire, Trinity College, Dublin to Harvard University.
Absent from most official literary accounts of Belfast, the City Hall reception was the first time Pádraic Fiacc has been honored by his home city. Lord Mayor ó Donnghaile said it was a "great opportunity" to honor Fiacc.
"He is from the Markets originally so we are literally only across the street and that makes it quite fitting. It's a great thing to be able to bring him in and recognize him and his achievements especially on his birthday," he said.
"There is such a wealth of talent in this city and we rightly have a focus on the arts in Belfast and beyond. But unfortunately it has often been the case that many artists who took a stand have been overlooked and ignored. So it's good we can give him this recognition, small as it is, for what he has done over the years."
