30.08.2013
Expressing his deep sadness at the death of Seamus Heaney, the NUI Chancellor Dr Maurice Manning said that ‘with his death, Ireland and the world have lost a truly great poet, a great citizen and a person of immeasurable humanity and charm. The “squat pen” that Seamus took up early in place of the spade of his father and grandfather has dug deep, rich, lasting furrows in the field of world poetry. With each successive volume, Heaney’s assured voice gave expression to the Irish sensibility, the Irish landscape and the complexities of life on the island. But while deeply rooted in the local, Heaney’s world view, human sympathies and profound insights were international. His poetic genius reached out across the globe and inspired many. A great voice has now been silenced. We mourn his loss and extend all our sympathies to his wife Marie and his family.’
In 1989, the National University of Ireland conferred Seamus Heaney with the honorary degree of Doctor of Literature.
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