Pat is a multifaceted artist - poet, playwright, writer and performer - from Dublin, with a unique imagination frequently flirting with the surreal. Perhaps his first move towards what would become an extraordinarily varied and creative life were the years he worked as a DJ on the national radio in the late 1960s. By this time, his love for words had already led him to writing plays for the radio, which were soon followed by plays staged in national theatres. Pat also performed his own poems for many years in venues across Ireland as well as in England, while writing columns in various Irish newspapers. His highly original TV shows for children - Pat's Pals, Pat's Hat and Pat's Chat - became hugely popular in the 1980s. He retired from public attention in the early 1990s to devote all of his time to writing poems and selling his books on the streets of Dublin. Pat's first collections of poems were brought out by different Irish publishing houses. In 1994, however, he founded his own publishing house: Willow Publications. After a near 25 years selling on the streets, Pat decided to retire from there too and, today, his time is spent reading, dreaming, writing poems, and looking after his cat, Marvin. 
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PAT, A FEW MILESTONES
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1942: Pat was born in Malahide, Dublin, on August 25th. At the age of only two months, he caught polio and has had to deal with its after-effects all his life 
1956: this is the year and for the very first time, Pat was given valium to deal with psychiatric troubles 
1960: Pat began his training as an insurance clerk in Dublin, where he graduated with distinction
1962-1963: he then went to England to work, but when he was offered a position as branch manager for an office in Wembley, he resigned and headed back for Dublin 
1963-1965: Pat gave up his career as an insurance clerk altogether and began to travel back and forth between England and Ireland, embracing the hippie movement but deeply confused and unhappy
1965: Pat was interned in a psychiatric hospital; it would be the first of many visits during which he was given EST (electroshock therapy)
1964/1965: it was about this time that Pat decided he would like to be on the radio. He listened to plays on a programme called 'mid-morning" for which different writers wrote 3-minute scripts. He sent a script, which was accepted and Pat read it on the radio. He continued with the short scripts until he wrote his first radio play: The Dark Days of Denny Lacey. 
1967: after another bout of psychiatric care, Pat spent 4 months in a holiday camp in Skerries. He got a job as a kitchen porter but the owner spied a young man who 'was not kitchen porter material' as Pat puts it himself. He was looking for someone to entertain 600 guests, and had noticed Pat's ability to captivate attention. This is when Pat realised he loved to perform on stage, with an audience. 
1968: Pat travelled to England, trying out venues there but it was "an awful experience" and he ended up working in a store in Liverpool  
​1969-71: back in Dublin, Pat worked as a DJ and had his own show - 'Saturday Spin' - on RTE
​1976: this was the year Pat was interned for the last time after having discovered the power of Gestalt Therapy
1977: Pat put together his first collection of poems which he called "You've Just Finished Reading This Title"
1978: he wrote a play for children "Rhymin' Simon", which was staged at the Abbey Theatre (Dublin), followed by a play for adults "Hisself" at the Peacock Theatre (Dublin). It was also at about this time that Pat wrote some episodes for Wanderly Wagon, a TV fantasy for children, full of characters and which was also very popular
1980s: the play "Rhymin' Simon" led Pat to TV where he created and hosted three shows for children - Pat's Pals, Pat's Hat and Pat's Chat (in that order). The shows were hugely popular across the country and are still fondly remembered by the generation of children who watched them
1980s - early 1990s: Besides his TV shows and writing newspaper columns, Pat performed his own poems in venues (art centres, university lecture halls, theatres, outdoor venues...) across Ireland and in England. During the summer months, he travelled across the country doing shows for children
1986: a first collection of poems was published by Rainbow Publications, Dublin
1990s: in the early 1990s, Pat withdrew from the media while continuing to perform his poems. It was during these years that he decided to sell his books on the streets of Dublin
1994: Pat founded his own publishing house, Willow Publications, and brought out "How Was It For You Doctor?"
1995: at about this time, Pat gave up performing altogether
1990-2015: Pat sold his books on the streets of Dublin
2015: Pat retired from selling on the streets
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POETRY

You've Just Finished Reading This Title
Rhyme Doesn't With ReasonUp The Leg of Your Jacket
Welcome to My Head (Please Remove Your Boots) (1986)
Salty Water (1988)
Scandal Sisters (1990)
How Was It For You Doctor? (1994)
Poems So Fresh And So New ...Yahoo! (1995)
If You Don't Tell Anybody I Won't (1996)
See Liz She Spins (1997)
Half A Hug (1998)
Beautiful Cracked Eyes (1999)
The Blue E-Tee Wet! (2000)
Do Lámh I Mo Bhrístí (2001)
The Frenchwoman and the Sky (2003)
Once Upon A 'hide (2004)
I'm Out Here (2005)
Can I Get in the Bath? (2007)
Once Upon A Wicked Eye (2008)
I Thought You Died Years Ago (2009)
Hitting Cows with a Banjo (2011)
Pawmarks on My Poems (2013)
Mise MacGiolla (2017) (in Irish)

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PLAYS
(Besides staged plays, Pat wrote many radio plays and short scripts - the list below is far from exhaustive)

Hisself (Play, Peacock Theatre, Dublin 1978 - this was Pat's very first play staged in a theatre)
Bats or Booze or Both (Dublin, Project Arts Centre, 1978?)
When am I Gettin' Me Clothes (Play, Peacock Theatre, Dublin 1978?) (Later adapted for radio play on RTÉ Radio 1)
The Case Against The Full Shilling (Gaeity Theatre, Dublin, 1986)

The Dark Days Of Denny Lacey (radio play, RTÉ Radio 1, 1965?)
She Came Up From The Sea (radio play, RTÉ Radio 1)
Fire Is Far Enough (radio play, RTÉ Radio 1)
Liffey Ever Is (radio play, RTÉ Radio 1)
Some Place In Between (radio play, RTÉ Radio 1)
All Day To Do It (radio play, RTÉ Radio 1)



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​NEWSPAPER COLUMNS (COLLECTIONS)

The Peculiar Sensation of Being Irish (short stories) (1995) 
Laugh Without Prejudice (short stories) (1996) 

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AUDIO CDs 

My Own Voice (2002) (CD of Pat reading his poems)
Let Me into Your Ear (2004) (CD of Pat reading more of his poems)

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FOR CHILDREN

Zany Tales (book of short stories)

Rhymin' Simon (play, Peacock Theatre,  Dublin, 1978)
Yeukface the Yeuk and the Spotty Grousler (play, Peacock Theatre, Dublin, 1978?)

Tell Me A Story Pat (audio tape)

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PAT'S TV SHOWS FOR CHILDREN
(shows created and hosted by Pat)

Pat's Hat (started ca. 1981)
Pat's Pals (started ca. 1984 )
Pat's Chat (started ca. 1987)