Augustine Martin
Encyclopedia
Thomas Augustine "Gus" Martin (13 November 1935 – 16 October 1995) was an Irish academic, Anglo-Irish scholar, teacher
, writer
, broadcaster
and literary critic. During his career he was Professor of Anglo-Irish Literature at University College Dublin
, Ireland; Artistic Director of the Abbey Theatre
(Dublin) ; and an elected member of the Seanad Éireann
from 1973 to 1981.
, County Leitrim
in 1935. He was a childhood contemporary of author John McGahern
. Initially educated at the local national school, he completed his secondary education at Cistercian College, Roscrea
(CCR, Mount St. Joseph's College), a boarding school
in County Tipperary
where he captained the rugby
team, was elected House Captain by the students and in his Leaving Certificate examination, scored an A in English, coming first in the country that year.
In 1953 he entered University College Dublin (UCD)http://www.ucd.ie where he took a B.A. in 1957. He married Claire Kennedy (a radiologist
) in 1959 and thereafter he taught English and Irish at his old school (CCR) while he completed his M.A.
In 1964 he joined the English department of UCD as a lecturer specialising in Anglo-Irish literature and was subsequently involved with the redrawing of the schools' English literature
curriculum
as a founder member of the Association for Teachers of English (ATE). During this period he edited the text books Exploring English (1 and 3) and Soundings. In 1973, he competed his doctoral thesis on James Stephens
.
He won a Jacobs Award
in 1968 for presenting Telefís Scoile programmes about English literature for Raidió Teilifís Éireann
.
He succeeded Roger McHugh to Chair of Anglo-Irish Literature, at UCD in 1979.
In 1973 he was elected to the Irish Senate under the "universities panel" National University of Ireland (constituency)#Seanad Éireann i.e. he was elected by the graduates of the National University of Ireland
, and reelected in 1977 to serve until 1981. As a senator he spoke for the arts and culture, and was notably active in the opposition to the development of Wood Quay
, a 900-year old Viking
settlement in Dublin.
In 1983, he was appointed to the Board of the Abbey Theatre (the Irish national theatre), and in 1985 was appointed Chairman. He was Chairman of the Yeats International Summer School from 1978 to 1981 and subsequently founded the Yeats Winter School and the Joyce Summer School at Newman House.
Gus Martin died on the 16 October 1995, aged 59. At the time of his death he was working on a biography of the Irish poet, Patrick Kavanagh
. He is succeeded by his wife, Claire and by his four children, Breffni, Grainne, Niamh and Aengus.
An anthology of his essays was published posthumously: Bearing witness: essays on Anglo-Irish edited by Anthony Roche (1996)
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
, writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, broadcaster
Presenter
A presenter, or host , is a person or organization responsible for running an event. A museum or university, for example, may be the presenter or host of an exhibit. Likewise, a master of ceremonies is a person that hosts or presents a show...
and literary critic. During his career he was Professor of Anglo-Irish Literature at University College Dublin
University College Dublin
University College Dublin ) - formally known as University College Dublin - National University of Ireland, Dublin is the Republic of Ireland's largest, and Ireland's second largest, university, with over 1,300 faculty and 17,000 students...
, Ireland; Artistic Director of the Abbey Theatre
Abbey Theatre
The Abbey Theatre , also known as the National Theatre of Ireland , is a theatre located in Dublin, Ireland. The Abbey first opened its doors to the public on 27 December 1904. Despite losing its original building to a fire in 1951, it has remained active to the present day...
(Dublin) ; and an elected member of the Seanad Éireann
Seanad Éireann
Seanad Éireann is the upper house of the Oireachtas , which also comprises the President of Ireland and Dáil Éireann . It is commonly called the Seanad or Senate and its members Senators or Seanadóirí . Unlike Dáil Éireann, it is not directly elected but consists of a mixture of members chosen by...
from 1973 to 1981.
Biography
Augustine Martin was born in BallinamoreBallinamore
Ballinamore is a small town in County Leitrim, Ireland, from the border with Northern Ireland. It is located on the R202 regional road where it is joined by the R199 and R204. means "mouth of the big ford", and the town is so named because it was the main crossing point of the Yellow River,...
, County Leitrim
County Leitrim
County Leitrim is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Leitrim. Leitrim County Council is the local authority for the county...
in 1935. He was a childhood contemporary of author John McGahern
John McGahern
John McGahern was one of the most important Irish authors of the latter half of the twentieth century. Before his death in 2006 he was hailed as "the greatest living Irish novelist" by The Observer.-Life:...
. Initially educated at the local national school, he completed his secondary education at Cistercian College, Roscrea
Cistercian College, Roscrea
Cistercian College, Roscrea or Roscrea College is a private boarding school in Ireland. It is a Roman Catholic seven-day boarding school for boys and was founded in 1905....
(CCR, Mount St. Joseph's College), a boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
in County Tipperary
County Tipperary
County Tipperary is a county of Ireland. It is located in the province of Munster and is named after the town of Tipperary. The area of the county does not have a single local authority; local government is split between two authorities. In North Tipperary, part of the Mid-West Region, local...
where he captained the rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
team, was elected House Captain by the students and in his Leaving Certificate examination, scored an A in English, coming first in the country that year.
In 1953 he entered University College Dublin (UCD)http://www.ucd.ie where he took a B.A. in 1957. He married Claire Kennedy (a radiologist
Radiology
Radiology is a medical specialty that employs the use of imaging to both diagnose and treat disease visualized within the human body. Radiologists use an array of imaging technologies to diagnose or treat diseases...
) in 1959 and thereafter he taught English and Irish at his old school (CCR) while he completed his M.A.
In 1964 he joined the English department of UCD as a lecturer specialising in Anglo-Irish literature and was subsequently involved with the redrawing of the schools' English literature
English literature
English literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....
curriculum
Curriculum
See also Syllabus.In formal education, a curriculum is the set of courses, and their content, offered at a school or university. As an idea, curriculum stems from the Latin word for race course, referring to the course of deeds and experiences through which children grow to become mature adults...
as a founder member of the Association for Teachers of English (ATE). During this period he edited the text books Exploring English (1 and 3) and Soundings. In 1973, he competed his doctoral thesis on James Stephens
James Stephens (author)
James Stephens was an Irish novelist and poet.James Stephens wrote many retellings of Irish myths and fairy tales. His retellings are marked by a rare combination of humor and lyricism...
.
He won a Jacobs Award
Jacob's Awards
The Jacob's Awards were instituted in December 1962 as the first Irish television awards. Later, they were expanded to include radio. The awards were named after their sponsor, W. & R. Jacob & Co. Ltd., a biscuit manufacturer, and recipients were selected by Ireland's national newspaper television...
in 1968 for presenting Telefís Scoile programmes about English literature for Raidió Teilifís Éireann
Raidió Teilifís Éireann
Raidió Teilifís Éireann is a semi-state company and the public service broadcaster of Ireland. It both produces programmes and broadcasts them on television, radio and the Internet. The radio service began on January 1, 1926, while regular television broadcasts began on December 31, 1961, making...
.
He succeeded Roger McHugh to Chair of Anglo-Irish Literature, at UCD in 1979.
In 1973 he was elected to the Irish Senate under the "universities panel" National University of Ireland (constituency)#Seanad Éireann i.e. he was elected by the graduates of the National University of Ireland
National University of Ireland
The National University of Ireland , , is a federal university system of constituent universities, previously called constituent colleges, and recognised colleges set up under the Irish Universities Act, 1908, and significantly amended by the Universities Act, 1997.The constituent universities are...
, and reelected in 1977 to serve until 1981. As a senator he spoke for the arts and culture, and was notably active in the opposition to the development of Wood Quay
Wood Quay
Wood Quay is a riverside area of Dublin that was a site of Viking settlement. Dublin Corporation acquired Wood Quay gradually between 1950 and 1975, finally announcing that it would be the location of their new offices. Finds made during the initial excavation of the site led to a massive, but...
, a 900-year old Viking
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
settlement in Dublin.
In 1983, he was appointed to the Board of the Abbey Theatre (the Irish national theatre), and in 1985 was appointed Chairman. He was Chairman of the Yeats International Summer School from 1978 to 1981 and subsequently founded the Yeats Winter School and the Joyce Summer School at Newman House.
Gus Martin died on the 16 October 1995, aged 59. At the time of his death he was working on a biography of the Irish poet, Patrick Kavanagh
Patrick Kavanagh
Patrick Kavanagh was an Irish poet and novelist. Regarded as one of the foremost poets of the 20th century, his best known works include the novel Tarry Flynn and the poems Raglan Road and The Great Hunger...
. He is succeeded by his wife, Claire and by his four children, Breffni, Grainne, Niamh and Aengus.
Published works
His literary works include:- An Anthology of short stories for Intermediate Certificate (1967), editor;
- Introducing English: An Anthology of Prose and Poems (Dublin: Gill & Macmillan 1970), editor;
- Winter's Tales from Ireland (Dublin: Gill & Macmillan 1970), editor;
- James Stephens, The Charwoman's Daughter (1972), introduction;
- James Stephens: A Critical Study, (Dublin: Gill and Macmillan 1977);
- ‘Eusebius McGreal’, Third Degree, 1, 2 (Dublin 1977);
- Anglo-Irish literature (Department of Foreign Affairs, 1980);
- Mary Lavin The House in Clewe Street, (London: Virgao Press 1987), afterword;
- W. B. Yeats, Collected poems, (London: Arena 1983, 1990) editor and introduction;
- The Genius of Irish prose [RTE Thomas Davis Lects.] (Mercier/RTÉ 1985);
- James Joyce : the artist and the labyrinth (1990), editor;
- Friendship (Dublin: Ryan 1990);
- The Collected Prose of James Clarence Mangan: Prose, 1832-1839 by James Clarence Mangan, Martin Van De Kamp, Jacques Chuto, and Augustine Martin (published post-humously in May 1997).
An anthology of his essays was published posthumously: Bearing witness: essays on Anglo-Irish edited by Anthony Roche (1996)