Mary Devenport O'Neill
Encyclopedia
Mary Devenport O'Neill was an Irish poet
and dramatist
and a friend and colleague of W. B. Yeats, George Russell
,and Austin Clarke
.
Devenport was born in Loughrea, Co. Galway, Ireland. She was a pupil of the Dominican Convent in Eccles Street, Dublin where her family moved after the death of her father, an R.I.C. sub-constable in Loughrea. From 1889-1902 she studied teaching at the Metropolitan College of Art now called National College of Art in Dublin. She published three verse plays,Bluebeard (1933),Cain(1945),and Out of The Darkness (1947). Her final play War, The Monster was performed by the Abbey Eperimental Theatre Company in 1949 but was not published. When she was fifty, she published a collection of poetry Prometheus and Other Poems (London: Jonathan Cape 1929) which comprises thirty-three lyric poems, four "dream poems," one long poem, and a verse-play. She published regularly in The Dublin Magazine
and contributed reviews to The Bell and The Irish Times
. Two of her plays were performed by Austin Clarke
's, Lyric Theatre Company and Devenport engaged in lengthy correspondence with him from 1929-1948 concerning the production of her work and combining choreography with verse for these productions. Bluebeard, a ballet based on her play, was choreographed by Ninette de Valois
as one of the final productions of the Abbey
school of ballet. Her work shows the influence of imagism and displays a modernist cynicism towards Revival themes. She refuses heroic imagery to adopt a feminist approach to masculine narratives. Her collection "Prometheus and Other Poems" was the first collection of poetry published by an Irish Poet, besides W.B.Yeats, which could be considered modernist. She is one of a small number of known early 20th century Irish modernist
women poets.
Her regular Thursday salon was attended by W.B. Yeats, AE, Austin Clarke
, Frank O'Connor
and other prominent Irish writers and artists. She had a reputation as a psychic and served as consultant to Yeats while he was working on his book A Vision.
She married in 1908 and her husband, Joseph O’Neill
was an Author and Permanent Secretary of the Department of Education. W.B. Yeats, in his role as a member of Seanad Éireann
, learned about the Irish education system from the O'Neills.
Irish poetry
The history of Irish poetry includes the poetries of two languages, one in Irish and the other in English. The complex interplay between these two traditions, and between both of them and other poetries in English, has produced a body of work that is both rich in variety and difficult to...
and dramatist
Irish theatre
The history of Irish theatre begins with the Gaelic Irish tradition. Much of the literature in that Celtic language was destroyed by conquest, except for a few manuscripts and fragments, such as the Book of Fermoy...
and a friend and colleague of W. B. Yeats, George Russell
George Russell
George Allen Russell was an American jazz pianist, composer and theorist. He is considered one of the first jazz musicians to contribute to general music theory with a theory of harmony based on Jazz rather than European music, in his book, The Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization...
,and Austin Clarke
Austin Clarke
Austin Ardinel Chesterfield Clarke, is a Canadian novelist, essayist and short story writer who lives in Toronto, Ontario. Born in St...
.
Devenport was born in Loughrea, Co. Galway, Ireland. She was a pupil of the Dominican Convent in Eccles Street, Dublin where her family moved after the death of her father, an R.I.C. sub-constable in Loughrea. From 1889-1902 she studied teaching at the Metropolitan College of Art now called National College of Art in Dublin. She published three verse plays,Bluebeard (1933),Cain(1945),and Out of The Darkness (1947). Her final play War, The Monster was performed by the Abbey Eperimental Theatre Company in 1949 but was not published. When she was fifty, she published a collection of poetry Prometheus and Other Poems (London: Jonathan Cape 1929) which comprises thirty-three lyric poems, four "dream poems," one long poem, and a verse-play. She published regularly in The Dublin Magazine
The Dublin Magazine
The Dublin Magazine was an Irish literary journal founded and edited by the poet Seamus O'Sullivan and published in Dublin by New Square Publications....
and contributed reviews to The Bell and The Irish Times
The Irish Times
The Irish Times is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Kevin O'Sullivan who succeeded Geraldine Kennedy in 2011; the deputy editor is Paul O'Neill. The Irish Times is considered to be Ireland's newspaper of record, and is published every day except Sundays...
. Two of her plays were performed by Austin Clarke
Austin Clarke
Austin Ardinel Chesterfield Clarke, is a Canadian novelist, essayist and short story writer who lives in Toronto, Ontario. Born in St...
's, Lyric Theatre Company and Devenport engaged in lengthy correspondence with him from 1929-1948 concerning the production of her work and combining choreography with verse for these productions. Bluebeard, a ballet based on her play, was choreographed by Ninette de Valois
Ninette de Valois
Dame Ninette de Valois, OM, CH, DBE, FRAD, FISTD was an Irish-born British dancer, teacher, choreographer and director of classical ballet...
as one of the final productions of the Abbey
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...
school of ballet. Her work shows the influence of imagism and displays a modernist cynicism towards Revival themes. She refuses heroic imagery to adopt a feminist approach to masculine narratives. Her collection "Prometheus and Other Poems" was the first collection of poetry published by an Irish Poet, besides W.B.Yeats, which could be considered modernist. She is one of a small number of known early 20th century Irish modernist
Modernist poetry
Modernist poetry refers to poetry written between 1890 and 1950 in the tradition of modernist literature in the English language, but the dates of the term depend upon a number of factors, including the nation of origin, the particular school in question, and the biases of the critic setting the...
women poets.
Her regular Thursday salon was attended by W.B. Yeats, AE, Austin Clarke
Austin Clarke
Austin Ardinel Chesterfield Clarke, is a Canadian novelist, essayist and short story writer who lives in Toronto, Ontario. Born in St...
, Frank O'Connor
Frank O'Connor
Frank O’Connor was an Irish author of over 150 works, best known for his short stories and memoirs.-Early life:...
and other prominent Irish writers and artists. She had a reputation as a psychic and served as consultant to Yeats while he was working on his book A Vision.
She married in 1908 and her husband, Joseph O’Neill
Joseph O'Neill (1886-1953)
Joseph O'Neill was an Irish novelist.O'Neill was born in the Aran Islands, County Galway, Ireland, in 1886. He became a school inspector and subsequently Secretary of the Department of Education in the newly formed Irish Free State...
was an Author and Permanent Secretary of the Department of Education. W.B. Yeats, in his role as a member of 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...
, learned about the Irish education system from the O'Neills.