Gathering in the Seanad Chamber where Yeats contributed to parliamentary debates, artists, public figures and relatives of the great poet and dramatist took part in an event marking the centenary of the awarding of the Nobel Prize in Literature to Yeats in 1923 and his contribution to the public and political life of the new Irish State.
In December 1922, when he was established as one of Ireland’s most renowned poets, William Butler Yeats was offered a nomination to the Seanad in the newly independent Ireland’s fledgling Oireachtas. Soon after taking up his post as a Senator, Yeats was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature and, unusually among its recipients, wrote some of his greatest works after the award, concurrent with his time as a Senator.
How can we know the dancer from the dance?
Among School Children
Yeats received the news of his Nobel Prize in Literature award in November 1923, and it would be conferred in Sweden a month later. In his citation, the Nobel Prize chair described Yeats as "the interpreter of his country" while Yeats described the prize as "Europe’s welcome to the Free State".
What is life but a mouthful of air?
The King of the Great Clock Tower
To mark the 100th anniversary of the Nobel Prize award, the current Cathaoirleach, Senator Jerry Buttimer, hosted a special event in the Seanad Chamber in Leinster House.
Speakers and attendees at the "Smiling public man" event in the Seanad Chamber
The Cathaoirleach said of Yeats:
W.B. Yeats is recognised as one of Ireland’s greatest poets, but what is lesser known is that he was also an outspoken member of Seanad Éireann.
As a Senator, he was a frank contributor to debates. This included a motion on returning paintings from the Hugh Lane Collection from Britain to Ireland and objecting to the use of the Irish language in parliamentary proceedings when it was not widely understood amongst its members. He was also a vociferous critic of the law that prohibited divorce in Ireland, arguing that it would alienate Protestants and create a barrier between the South and the North.
The Cathaoirleach reads an excerpt of debate originally spoken by Senator W.B. Yeats
Invited guests included Caitríona and Siobhán Yeats, granddaughters of W.B. Yeats; Susan O’Keeffe, former Senator and director of Yeats Society Sligo; Adam Hanna of University College Cork and invited public representatives and other guests.
The Cathaoirleach pictured with Siobhán and Caitríona Yeats, granddaughters of W.B. Yeats, beside a photo of their father, former Cathaoirleach Michael Yeats
Speaking at the event, Cathaoirleach Jerry Buttimer said: “With his profound understanding of the human condition, Yeats used his poetic sensibility and passion to inform his work as a Senator, and to contribute to the public and political life of our State."
An aged man is but a paltry thing,
A tattered coat upon a stick, unless
Soul clap its hands and sing,
Sailing to Byzantium
The Cathaoirleach also spoke of Seanad Éireann’s collaboration with the National Library of Ireland on the "Yeats Nobel Centenary" series of short videos, produced by the Oireachtas broadcasting unit, running on NLI and Oireachtas social media channels and on Oireachtas TV.
A collaboration between Seanad Éireann and the NLI, the "Yeats Nobel Centenary" series is a collection of 12 short videos featuring readings of a selection of Yeats’s poems and excerpts from his Seanad speeches.
One of the videos in the Yeats Nobel Centenary series, performed by FELISPEAKS
Readers of pieces for the series include current and former Senators, past winners of the NLI’s Poetry Aloud poetry speaking competition for schools and and others across the cultural spectrum with a link to W.B. Yeats.
- Watch the Yeats Nobel Centenary video series from the National Library of Ireland
- Read about W.B. Yeats at the Dictionary of Irish Biography