Dear Gown,
I read with interest your article ‘The Poet didn’t know it’ (14th December 2009). As an alumnus of Queen’s I am concerned that the University is in danger of seeming to snub Seamus Heaney. I am sure that would not be their intention.
But, never mind whether the original Seamus Heaney library reopens bearing the same name or not, what about naming the magnificent new Library in Seamus Heaney’s honour? As far as I know, the original intention was to name the new Library after the businessman Sir Anthony O’Reilly but that that plan was abandoned. What better choice of name then, for a library in need of a meaningful identity, than ‘The Seamus Heaney Library’?
Seamus Heaney possesses all the attributes one would expect from the named one, in abundance: winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature (1995), Foreign Member of The American Academy of Arts and Letters, Commandeur de L’Ordre des Arts et Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture to name but a few of the accolades he has been granted; a man of international renown and academic brilliance; an alumnus and past lecturer at Queen’s; but best of all native born and bred.
I’m just hoping that the University is saving such a naming as a wonderful surprise for Seamus. It would be right and fitting.
Poetry Loving Alumnus
Im fed up hearing about seamus heaney to be honest! His poetry is outdated and hes hardly in with our generation. He has many awards, indeed and fair play but for gods sake is their anyone else out there who is worth naming it after? What about David Ervine or Liam Neeson Library? Something with a bit of spice or pezazz not the potato loving dirty aul man! We should name it after someone who actually contributed to the society we live in…..Keith Gillespie? David Healy? Shay Given Library! now theres a crackin name! Or we could rotate it on a yearly basis for the highest achieving student????
Seamus Heaney is a literary giant with a major connection to the University – of course it’s appropriate to name a landmark campus building after him. The University is, after all, a seat of learning first and foremost.
The suggestion to name the library after a footballer who can’t get into the Sunderland starting line-up for a Carling Cup tie is hilarious, by the way.
Of course, naming an airport after a drunk, racist wifebeater…..that would be a wonderful way of showcasing our city!
David Healy??? Shay Given????
As the young ‘uns say these days – laughing my actual ass off.
Just like they’re dumping their lecturers, Queen’s have dumped Seamus. And it’s a disgrace.
“We should name it after someone who actually contributed to the society we live in…..Keith Gillespie? David Healy? Shay Given Library”
I really had to laugh at this line. In what way have these three contributed to our society to warrant a Library named after them? Never mind have any links with QUB itself.
P.s. I always read the Gown because its always a good read. Keep it up and I enjoy reading the first edition of the second semester.
It is a disgrace that Seamus Heaney was not notified about the library. It is incredibly insulting and rude and Queen’s should be ashamed!
I was joking about shay given etc… they should name it the Morrisey Library after Sinead Morrisey who is quite a young writer/poet in the University. She also takes classes for creative writing module and has won many prizes. As for Heany, his time is up. Out dated and boring! Fed up hearing his name at every event.
If you think that Seamus Heaney is outdated and boring, then you must not understand much about contemporary poetry. His work is incredibly far reaching and to dismiss it as dull is rather foolish. He has a noticeable influence on almost every contemporary Irish poet.
Sinead Morrissey is not the only poet currently working at the university, Leontia Flynn and Medbh Mc Guckian are two notable examples of contemporary poets at the School of English, in addition to the possibly more “famous” Ciaran Carson, and there are other distinguished writers such as the novelist Glenn Patterson.
Whilst it was a little strange that Heaney was not informed of the change of library, once again The Gown sensationalised the story and used it to attack the University. And the suggestion about naming a corridor in the new library (by I believe it was Barry Duffy?)is, quite frankly, rather insulting both to Henaey himself, but also to the honour of having something named after him. Simply transferring the name from the old library is not an option and it would be foolish to suggest.
By not naming the Library at all, it is simply known as Queen’s own library, and I don’t see why this is such a problem.
@ A.
“once again The Gown sensationalised the story and used it to attack the University”
How did we sensationalise the story? Feel free to attack the substance of the article, without bandying around cheap cliched slurs against the paper. Don’t you think it gives a certain insight into the bizarre mentality of the university’s management? That it’s odd they’d think enough of Heaney to have him talk turkey with wealthy grandees to raise money, but wouldn’t think it prudent to tell him they’ve done away with a library ostensibly established in his name? That perhaps this reflects the university management’s apparent money and PR-obsessed way of operating a place of learning?
A sensationalised story would involve some distortion of the facts, or a twisting of events to embarrass Queen’s and give ourselves a wee bit of publicity. Funnily enough, the Registrar’s office, after repeated attempts, would not comment on the matter, or indeed Heaney’s remarks.
I agree with ye though that the corridor idea is bollocks, and that suggesting Heaney is dull or irrelevant is silly. He’s a legend, an inspiration, and is an internationally successful, intellectually credible, household name QUB alumnus. And there’s not many of them.
@News Editor
I found the general tone of the article was a little too “scandalous”. Whilst I don’t have a copy of the current issue here, I recall thinking that the way it was written suggested that the paper was more interested in the University’s mistake of not notifying Heaney than what he actually had to say. To have the opportunity to interview such an (in your own words) “intellectually credible, household name QUB alumnus” is an honour for the paper, and I was just disappointed that the majority of the article was preoccupied with the issue of the library, rather than asking him anything more relevant to his visit to Queen’s. It is interesting that the university did not inform him, but I feel that the wordspace could have been put to better use. That said, I have no doubt that now at least one person at Queen’s is feeling embarrassed with regards the handling of closing of the Heaney library, and quite right too.
On your other point, the paper has, in my opinion, undoubtedly sensationalised stories in the past- one that immediately springs to mind is the “lack of community” article and the associated stories, but that is an entirely different issue, and I apologise for my “cheap clichéd slurs” with regards the Heaney story in particular.
Hah! So refreshing to see that the depths of ignorance have not yet been plumbed. When did we last hear Shay Given and David Healy rushing to the barricades to defend and support higher education?
Anyway – didn’t we tick that particular box with the George Best Belfast City Airport??
Liam Neeson – the boy done good – for a jobbing actor – but we are still waiting to hear of any awards from his peers. I don’t think his mantleshelf is groaning with Oscars or Golden Globes.
Of course – setting aside any unintended insults – the name of Seamus Heaney is more deserving of adorning one of the emblematic buildings of this (or any other) university than the string of previous Vice Chancellors – Sir Eric Ashby; Sir David Keir; Sir Michael Grant; and Professor Peter Frogatt; for example.
His name his miles more illustrious than the erstwhile ‘Sir’ Anthony O’Reilly. So – come on Queen’s – do yourselves a favour and walk the talk. Support erudition and not bureaucracy; support learning and not commercialism.
In a hundred years I doubt people will be asking ‘Seamus Heaney – who he?’
Could the same be said of Healy, Given, Neeson – or even Mickey Harte?
@A
Wordspace could have been put to better use?
I don’t think so.
No other publication at Queen’s would have drawn attention to the “poet not knowing” disgrace.
If you wanted “Back in my day at Queen’s…” you should have attended the ‘out to lunch’ event with William Crawley, or read ‘Queen’s Noq’ or ‘The Graduate’ or similar.
They’ll give you a glowing ‘QUB loves Heaney’ lovey dovey, wishy washy, fluffy mac fluffy article.
Good on Gown for drawing attention to this. I thought it was as funny as. Well, not funny for Heaney, but just the thought of QUB bigwigs seeing it, and thinking… “F * * K, THOSE GOWN FECKERS.”