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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1942 1956 1960 1962-1963 1963-9165 1965 1964-1965 1967 1968 1969-1971 1976 1977 1978 1980 1980-1990s 1986 1990s 1994 1995 1990-2015 2015 |
A FEW MILESTONES BORN in Malahide, Dublin, on August 25th. At the age of only two months, he catches polio. encounters his first psychiatric troubles BEGINS training as an insurance clerk in Dublin, where he graduates with distinction LEAVES for England, but when he is offered a position as branch manager for an office in Wembley, he resigns and heads back for Dublin GIVES up his career as an insurance clerk, travels back and forth between England and Ireland, embracing the hippie movement INTERNED in a psychiatric hospital; the first of many internments during which he is given EST BEGINS writing for RTE. Sends a script into MID-MORNING, a programme which broadcasts 3-minutes scripts by different authors. Pat continues with short scripts until he writes his first play: The Dark Days of Denny Lacey AFTER another bout of psychiatric care, Pat spends 4 months in a holiday camp in Skerries. He gets a job as a kitchen porter but the owner spies a young man who 'is not kitchen porter material'. Searching for someone to entertain 600 guests, he notices Pat's ability to captivate attention. Pat's love for performing on stage dates back to these days. TRAVELS to England where he tries out venues but it turns out to be "an awful experience" and he ends up working in a store in Liverpool BACK in Dublin, Pat works as a DJ and has his own show - 'Saturday Spin' - on RTE INTERNED for the last time after discovering the power of Gestalt Therapy PUTS together his first collection of poems which he calls "You've Just Finished Reading This Title" WRITES a play for children "Rhymin' Simon", which is staged at the Abbey Theatre (Dublin), followed by a play for adults "Hisself" at the Peacock Theatre (Dublin). It is at about the same time that Pat writes several episodes for Wanderly Wagon, a popular TV fantasy for children THE play "Rhymin' Simon" leads Pat to TV where he creates and hosts three shows for children - Pat's Pals, Pat's Hat and Pat's Chat (in that order). The shows are hugely popular across the country BESIDES his TV shows and newspaper columns, Pat performs his own poems in venues (art centres, university lecture halls, theatres, outdoor venues...) across Ireland and in England. During the summer months, he travels across the country doing shows for children A FIRST collection of poems is published by Rainbow Publications, Dublin WITHDRAWS from the media while continuing to perform his poems. In 1995, he begins selling his books on the streets of Dublin FOUNDS his own publishing house, Willow Publications, and brings out his first book "How Was It For You Doctor?" GIVES up performing altogether SELLS his books on the streets of Dublin RETIRES from selling on the streets |
BOOKS OF 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)
In Dublin They Really Tell You Things (2022)
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)
NEWSPAPER COLUMNS (COLLECTIONS)
The Peculiar Sensation of Being Irish (short stories) (1995)
Laugh Without Prejudice (short stories) (1996)
NEWSPAPER COLUMNS (COLLECTIONS)
The Peculiar Sensation of Being Irish (short stories) (1995)
Laugh Without Prejudice (short stories) (1996)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
