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BBC Radio 4 Extra

Poetry Extra

Factual: Arts, Culture & the Media

Weekly opportunity for listeners to revisit the riches of the BBC radio poetry archive

A brand new poetry slot on Radio 4 Extra gives listeners a weekly opportunity to revisit the riches of the BBC radio poetry archive

Poetry Extra: The Poetry of Aran

11/03/2018

The Poetry of Aran

BBC Radio 4 Extra - Poetry Extra, The Poetry of Aran

Poet Daljit Nagra explores why generations of writers have been drawn to Aran.

4 Extra Debut. Poet Daljit Nagra introduces The Poetry of Aran in which he explores why generations of writers have been drawn there. From December 2011.

Poet Daljit Nagra revisits the BBC's radio poetry archive with 'The Poetry of Aran'. 

For centuries The Aran Islands, three limestone rocks of the west coast of Ireland, have been an inspiration to writers, artists and intellectuals, in search of an authentic Irish experience.

As the future of the Irish language in Ireland is far from secure, Daljit visits the islands where Irish is still the first language, and explores their rich poetic heritage.

He speaks to the poet Seamus Heaney about why he wrote three poems about the Aran Islands in his first collection and Heaney reads some poetry in Irish for the first time around 40 years; Daljit also visits the cottage where Anglo-Irish playwright John Millington Synge wrote his influential journal of island life - a mouthpiece for the Gaelic-seeking spirit of the Irish literary revival.

We also hear from a local poet who continues the tradition of oral poetry on the islands; and explore the life of one of the key modern, Irish language poets, Máirtín Ó Direáin, who took his inspiration from his birthplace on Aran.

Producer: Jo Wheeler

A Just Radio production for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in 2011.

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