About
Frank Ormsby's eighth collection, The Tumbling Paddy, is a rich and deeply evocative work. The poems move from Florence Court and the Marble Arch Caves in County Fermanagh to sharply observed glimpses of the animal world, from rural and urban landscapes to meditations on Parkinson's disease and the elusiveness of history. Throughout, Ormsby's voice is compassionate, wry and finely attuned to the spirit of place.
While researching Florence Court, he discovered references to Juggy, a woman described in the archives as an "imbecile" who once lived in a tree on the estate grounds. In these poems, Ormsby imaginatively restores her presence, recasting her as a kind of guardian spirit of the landscape. His deft handling of forms — including haiku, free verse, quatrain and villanelle — confirms his skill as a craftsman.
Frank Ormsby was born in Enniskillen and has long been recognised as one of Ireland's most distinctive poetic voices. A former editor of The Honest Ulsterman and a recipient of numerous literary awards, he has published widely over several decades.
Frank will be in conversation with his friend, the writer Malachi O'Doherty. Where Parkinson's may prevent him from reading, recordings of Frank's own voice will allow the poems to be heard.
