John Montague at 80

The poet John Montague is 80 on Saturday, and yesterday's Irish Times had a page-length article about him by fellow poet Thomas McCarthy, who wrote:-

His energy, power and belief in the poet’s vocation grows in intensity with every passing year. Along with that energy is a familial delicacy, an ability to capture microcosms of love.

Read McCarthy's full article here. It quotes in full two of the poems from the Leaving Certificate selection (Montague is on the rota for this year), 'The Same Gesture' and 'All Legendary Obstacles'.