A Poet in the House: Patrick Kavanagh at Priory Grove

In A Poet in the House: Patrick Kavanagh at Priory Grove, a memoir by Elizabeth O'Toole, we encounter a new Patrick Kavanagh. Patrick Kavanagh (1904-67) was one of Ireland's foremost poets, best known for 'The Great Hunger' and novel Tarry Flynn. He is also remembered for his cantankerous, sometimes volatile nature, fuelled by alcohol. In 1961, the poet lived with the O'Toole family in Stillorgan for six months at a crucial point in his life, when he was sober, industrious and, as the accompanying photographs will show, much loved by her children. Although Elizabeth O'Toole is now ninety-six, her decidedly down-to-earth voice is that of a much younger woman. Her vivid recollections deepen and challenge the way we view Patrick Kavanagh. The influence of her book will tilt our perception of this passionate man. A contextual essay by the editor of the volume, playwright and novelist Brian Lynch, accompanies the memoir.

Elizabeth O'Toole was born in County Clare in 1924. Her father, Laurence Ryan, was a thoroughbred horse breeder; her mother, May Watson, was from Charleville, in County Cork. Elizabeth was educated at Laurel Hill secondary school in Limerick, and at Cathal Brugha Street College in Dublin, graduating with degrees in Nutritional Science and Home Economics. Before her marriage, in 1948, she taught in County Cork, and, after moving back to Dublin, was a lecturer at the Church of Ireland College of Education, at Dundrum and Ballsbridge Technical Colleges, and at her alma mater, Cathal Brugha Street. She has lived in the United States for much of her adult life.