The Irish Review, No. 8 (Spring 1990), 138pp. [Cork Univ. Press]

ed. Kevin Barry, Tom Dunne, Richard Kearney, Edna Longley and Clare O’Halloran

CONTENTS

Raymond Deane, et al., ‘The Arts - Undermining Assumptions’: [I] Raymond Deane, ‘Caterer and Comforter? The Composer in Modern Ireland’, pp.1-4. While delineating the role of music in Irish cultural life, Deane condemns the totalitarian attitude towards music, where only banal and repetetive tonality, regurgitated by the exploitative dominant ideologies, receive public acclaim, while the composer with integrity and authentic, modern music is marginalised, even suppressed. [II] Robin Glendinning, ‘The Quality of Laughter’, pp.4-6. Examines the contrasting sense of humour which can be recognised in Terry Eagleton’s ‘St. Oscar’ and Michael Harding’s ‘Una Pooka’, finding the group solidarity and self-satisfaction of the former disturbing and the self recognition and awareness of the latter encouraging; vies for a more responsible stand to be adopted by playwrights, such as that taken by the Nigerian playwright, Wole Soyinka. [III] J.C.C. Mays, ‘Flourishing and Foul: Ideology, Six Poets and the Irish Building Industry’, pp.6-11. Draws attention to the constant assimilation of the humour, pitch and mannerisms to be found in the works of Ireland’s best recognised poets such as Joyce, Beckett and Yeats, as opposed to nurturing the more original, modern works offered by young contemporaries such as Trevor Joyce, James Hogan and Geoffrey Squires; reprimands todays students and academics for their uniform selection of ‘good’ Irish poetry, finding their consensus inhibiting and ultimately, oppressive.

[ top ]

Trevor Joyce, ‘Two Poems from Magazine [A Work in Progress]’, pp.12-13. ‘A Winter Journey’; ‘The sun is seen reflected in the icy path ...’

Patricia Palmer, ‘Apples, Arts, Amnesiacs and Emigrants: the University Connection’, pp.14-18. Pinpoints the ironic relationship between academia and the arts, the set agenda in the academic process being one of formal functionalism and utilitarianism while, paradoxically, drawing on the ‘arts blessing’ in their pursuit of the technological, institutional age, and at the same time pigeonholing and excluding the arts culture from their rightful future; relates both in terms of Europe and the free European Market.

Louise Hermana, ‘Two Poems’, pp.19-20. The Palatine Daughter Marries a Catholic; Hyacinth.

Cairns Craig, ‘Sham Bards, Sham Nation, Sham Politics: Scotland, Nationalism and Socialism’, pp.21-33. Discusses the position of the Constitutinal Convention in Scotland which claims to be representative of the people, yet it is self appointed and holds no legal status but is treated by the media like a ‘government-in-waiting’; offers an insight to Scotland’s political position, alluding to Devolution, Home Rule and the relationship with Westminister; highlights the cultural revival and refers to several writers involved including Tom Nairn, James Kelman and Liz Lochhead.

George Watson, ‘Scottish Culture and the Lost Past’, pp.34-45. Analyses the poetry of Edwin Muir and Hugh Mac Diarmid in terms of Scotlands critical historical points, the Reformation, the Union of 1707 and industrialisation; focuses on the difficulties faced by Scottish writers when approaching their native history and the consequences of Clavinism; cites from novels by Neil Gunne and Alasdair Gray and offers identification with the complexities involved in Ulster writing.

[ top ]

Emma Donoghue, ‘Two Poems’, pp.46. ‘Apparition’; ‘A Path Not Taken’.

Brian S. Turner, ‘The Twisting Rope - Local Studies in Ulster’, pp.47-51. Promotes the personal, social and spiritual advantages in acknowledging and investigating local history, making it possible to achieve a fuller understanding of present day society and lists the alloted agenda by the D.O.E. of local studies in Northern Ireland.

Proinsias Ó Drisceoil, [trans.], Henri Michaux: ‘Voix’; ‘Labyrinthe’, pp.52-53 [poems].

Barra Ó Seaghdha, ‘Ulster Regionalism: The Unpleasant Facts’, pp. 54-61. Examines the topic under a series of individual headings which tackling key points such as Terminology, Ancient and Modern history, Canadian Parallels and Natural Culture; criticises John Wilson Foster in his article ‘Radical Regionalism’, for not asking fundamental questions and remaining outside the issue while sacrificing Irish identity.

Alvin Jackson, ‘Unionist History (ii)’, pp.62-69. Theorises on the politics of the North paying particular attention to the 1912-1914 period as well as from 1969 onwards; concerns himself with the development of protestantism as well as organising unionism and refers to works on Ian Paisley’s movement and loyalist paramilitary politics, contrasting marxist and non-marxist historiography, such as that from Desmond Greaves, John Biggs-Davison, Patrick Buckland and Michael Farrell.

Roy Johnston, ‘Science in a Post-Colonial Culture’, pp.70-76. Offers a critique of ‘The Irish Review’, faulting it for the lack of coverage given to science and technology in the Irish cultural context; praises Dorinda Outram’s article in the first issue and attempts to readdress this issue from a contemporary stance, drawing on the ‘Science as Culture’ Collective for news and reviews; criticises those articles by John A. Murphy, Tom Garvin and Michael D. Higgins for evading this issue and calls for further research to be funded in the area.

[ top ]

Rand Brandes, interview with Ciaran Carson, pp.77-90.

Ciaran Carson, ‘Montezuma’s Revenge’ (ded. for my brother, Liam), pp.91-92 [poem].

[to be completed]

[ top ]

[ top ]