Tributes as poet Sweeney laid to rest
Torrential downpours accompanied the burial of leading Irish poet Matthew Sweeney yesterday in his native Donegal.
Mr Sweeney passed away in his adopted home of Cork last Sunday after a battle with motor neurone disease.
His remains were taken to the opposite end of the country to be buried amongst that of his county people in the New Cemetery in Clonmany.
More than 200 mourners gathered at the grave of Mr Sweeney, including many from the literary world in which he was held in such high esteem. Among the mourners was his partner Mary Noonan whom he had shared many happy years with at their home in Sunday’s Well in Cork.
His burial had to be delayed by up to half an hour such was the downpour from the grey skies over the rugged terrain of the Inishowen Peninsula.
Many mourners wore yellow roses.
A number of mourners read poems in honour of the man whose life was lived through his own poetry.
Mr Sweeney’s granddaughter Nell recited a poem called My Wee Nell which the writer had composed especially for her.
Nell’s mum Nico, Matthew’s daughter, had on Wednesday described her dad as a person with a “remarkable mind and buckets of imagination”.
Yesterday, his partner Mary also read a poem as did his brother Paudge.
A sister of Mr Sweeney previously passed away from motor neurone disease in 2009.
Mr Sweeney had written several poetry collections and had lived in Berlin, the Romanian city of Timisoara and, for a long time, Bloomsbury in London.
The late Aosdána member’s better-known works included Inquisition Lane and Horse Music.
A celebration of his life and poetry took place earlier this week in the Triskel Arts Centre in Cork City.
