Lament for the St. Oliver
Aran Island poet Stephen Gilbert Dirrane (born 1932) recites his own poem commemorating the Aran fishing boat St. Oliver.
On the night of September the 17th 2004 the M.F.V. St.Oliver was wrecked on Duck island near Carna in Connemara. Lost that terrible night were two of Stephen’s neighbours, John Dirrane and Michael Faherty. Also lost were boatbuilder Josie Connolly from Glinsk and a teenage boy, Michael Mullin, from Moyard.
Stephen is one of the best known Aranmen alive as his guest house and restaurant,Gilbert Cottage, at Oatquarter ( Fearann an Choirce) , was of international renown. The number of celebrities who stayed and dined there is endless. Although now retired, Stephen and his faithful dogs are still visited by many old friends who enjoyed his hospitality down through the years. Click Here
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Bás Mac an Rí (Death of Michael King)
Aran island poet Stiofán Ó Direán (Stephen Gilbert Dirrane) recites his own poem ,”Bás Mac an Rí”.
Micheál Mac an Rí was the island blacksmith and a brother of the star of Robert Flaherty’s “Man of Aran”, the late Tiger King. This is one of the many poems Stephen has composed over the years most of which are triggered by Island events. This poem is a tribute to the late Micheál who was the last working native blacksmith on Árainn, the biggest of the Aran islands. Click Here
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The Galway Review 