Speech at the launch of Il Tradimento e Altre Poesie A translation into Italian of a collection of his poems: The Betrayal; Season of Fire; An Arid Season
Villa Spada, Rome, 17th June 2015
Thank you, Ambassador McDonagh, for your kind introduction and to you and Mary for your hospitality today.
It is a great pleasure for Sabina and I to be with you today in Rome, in the historic surroundings of the Villa Spada. During my last visit to Italy in 2013 I sensed first-hand the palpable warmth that characterises the Irish–Italian relationship and I am delighted that this sense has been confirmed so strongly on this visit.
I was delighted to meet with President Sergio Mattarella this morning. We both agreed that the relationship between our countries and our peoples is exceptionally good, including our work together as partners in the European Union, and we noted in a particular way that respect and admiration for each other’s cultures is at the heart of our friendship.
I was also delighted to visit Milan EXPO 2015 yesterday. The organisation and creativity of EXPO is a credit to Italy and Ireland’s participation symbolises well the importance of the relationship between our countries, and the ease of its expression.
There have been contacts between Ireland and Italy since the earliest times. One only has to think, for example, of St. Columbanus, who founded the monastery at Bobbio and died there 1400 years ago this year. Then too, in different circumstances, Rome offered refuge to many of the Wild Geese, several of whom, including The Great O’Neill, have their final resting place just a few hundred metres from here in the Church of San Pietro in Montorio.
Today the cultural links between our peoples are perhaps stronger than ever, and are continually being deepened. The first Italian branch of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann was launched last year and there have since been two successful fleadhs here celebrating Irish traditional music as well as the Irish language.
Then also, as part of Irish Design 2015, there was a flagship exhibition at Milan Design Week showcasing the best in Irish design.
In 2015 too, Ireland participated in the 56th Venice Art Biennale, presented the 8th Edition of the Rome Irish Film Festival, and celebrated Yeats150 with an international academic conference and, to touch on a more delicate cultural link, played Italy on the rugby field in Rome.
However, one cannot speak of the deep cultural links between Ireland and Italy without mentioning James Joyce, who found artistic freedom and inspiration in Trieste where he wrote Ulysses. Ulysses, of course, portrayed Dublin on 16 June 1904, exactly 111 years yesterday. The Italian novelist, Italo Svevo, described Ulysses as “a piece of Ireland ripened under our sun”.
As many of you know, Professor Enrico Terrinoni, whose translation we celebrate today, won the “Premio Napoli” in 2012 for his translation of Ulysses into Italian, and I know we all look forward to his forthcoming translation of Finnegan’s Wake – a feat of bravery and ambition for which I applaud him!
It is a source of pleasure and pride that Italy, with its unique wealth of cultural and artistic heritage, has such a strong appetite for Irish culture and I am very conscious that the launch of Il tradimento e altre poesie, the translation into Italian of a book of my poetry, is a tribute from a scholar, translator and publisher for whom I have the greatest respect.
May I thank and pay the warmest tribute to Professor Terrinoni. To translate poetry into another language one needs to be more than a translator. One needs to be a poet. I also want to thank the publishing house of Pietro Del Vecchio Editore represented here today by Pietro Del Vecchio and its chief editor, Paola Del Zoppo.
I would like to thank the Irish Embassy in Rome and all of you who in so many ways help a green light to burn brightly in Italy.
Grazie mille.
Go raibh míle maith agaibh.