Balancing Music, Family, and Words: Daithí Kearney’s Story

Daithí Kearney grew up in southwest Ireland before going to university in Cork. As a boy, he enjoyed music and dance and gained a lot of experience in the theatre. These remained important to him at university and still have to this day. After qualifying as a teacher of English and Geography, he completed a PhD and quickly gained a position as a lecturer in music at Dundalk Institute of Technology on the east coast. Here, he met his now wife. They have two wonderful sons.

This rich blend of personal, academic, and professional experiences helped shape Daithí Kearney's creative voice—not only as a performer and educator but also as a writer. Naturally, one might wonder where his journey with writing began.

Q: What first inspired you to write?

A: As a child, I wanted to write stories. I was inspired by Enid Blyton and Michael Morpugo, in particular. As a teenager I wanted to write songs, which were often a simplistic confusion between folk music, pop, and rock that were rarely shared. In my twenties, I made my first, occasional efforts at poetry with no fixed inspiration. When I became a teacher, I found myself enjoying poetry in a new way, but it was not until I met my wife that I began writing regularly. She was my first inspiration. As I settled into my new home, the surrounding area became another layer of inspiration, which was then supplemented by my experiences of fatherhood. I later found the process of writing poetry a great way to focus on challenges in my life and to formulate my own understanding of political and social issues. I find writing to be a wonderful, reflective practice that brings me peace and joy, even if the end product is less than perfect.

Q: What books or authors have influenced you?

A: I have found myself returning to Irish poets and, sometimes, the poets that inspired them. Patrick Kavanagh and Séamus Heaney are relatively local to me now and I find that their poems still resonate with my experiences in the present. Like Heaney, I enjoy the poetry of William Wordsworth, but I was also inspired by William Blake, whom I studied at University. More recently, I have become fascinated with the poet Francis Ledwidge, who was local to this area. Alice Curtayne's Francis Ledwidge: A Life of the Poet (1972) opened my mind to all that he achieved before his death in World War I, shortly before his 30th birthday. I have recently enjoyed the books of Manchán Magan, who has delved into Irish folklore and beliefs with a particular (and accessible) focus on the Irish language. There are a myriad of (mostly) Irish songwriters who have also influenced my creative process, and, despite this apparent emphasis on Irish artists, I enjoy experiencing and learning about other cultures. Nevertheless, a few lines from The Tailor and Ansty by Eric Cross (1942) perhaps influence my philosophy: "People travel much oftener and much farther and know less. They go journeys too quickly, and see and hear nothing. They are mad to be where they are not. They neither learn anything at home nor on their journeys. The old people stayed at home and journeyed round their own doorsteps, until they came to know their own place thoroughly. If a man knows his own doorstep well, he knows a deal about the world already."

Q: What's the best advice you've ever taken as a writer?

A: Let it out there! I was once (kindly) reprimanded by a friend for not sharing my creativity: "What good is it if nobody else can see or hear it?." Accepting the value of the creative process for me and how much I value what I create, I recognise that there is a second life once I release my work, and that I can be selective in what I release. Hearing back from people who have read my work has provided further motivation to continue. At first, I shared my work with another poet who provided some sage advice, giving me pointers on how to develop or things to consider when editing. Then I looked at some lit mags—of which there are many. Even if my poems are not published, editors are reading them, and that is something to be proud of.

Q: How do you overcome writer's block?

A: I try not to worry about it, and I’ve been lucky that inspiration often comes when I’m not trying. I make an effort to write regularly and always have a few notes saved on my phone—ideas that might never germinate into anything more. I find that getting out for a walk gives me the space to let my mind catch up with itself; if we are too caught up in routine, we don't allow time for creativity to develop. I don't pressure myself to write to a theme or prompt, but if an idea comes in the moment, I try to follow it through for a few minutes and let it breathe.

Q: How do you deal with rejection? What advice do you have for other writers?

A: So many editors have well-written rejection responses that acknowledge much rejected material has merit, but they must make a selection. I may not always agree with their selection, but I appreciate the challenge that they face. Many of my published poems were rejected more than once before finding a home, and when they are published, the rejections heighten the achievement of the acceptance. I still value the poems that remain unpublished. Ultimately, while sharing your work is a great (and brave) thing, it remains yours, and if you like it, rejection should not change how you feel about it.

Q: Have you ever written something you were afraid to share? What helped you release it?

A: Sometimes I consider what the poem reveals about me or those I care about; if it feels too personal, I will not share it. I sometimes wonder what my writing says about me, and whether it will prompt

critical feedback. For example, I had written a song that had overt political meaning, but I realised that I believed in what I had written and that the message was important. That belief persuaded me to share it, and I found a receptive audience.

Q: Do you tend to write about one subject or theme or many? What are they?

A: As a writer, I'm probably a little conservative and old-fashioned, following paths trodden by many poets of previous generations. Nature, landscape, and related folklore are a few broad themes. My family inspires another aspect of my writing. A third comes from everyday experiences (which sometimes overlap with the first two). I think my interests in music, folklore, and geography are evident in all of my poems.

Q: What's a fun fact about you that most readers wouldn't guess or know?

A: As a musician, I have performed all over the world—from The White House in Washington, D.C. to the Teatro Teresa Careño in Caracas, Abbey Theatre in Dublin to the Great Wall of China, and in many other places.

Q: What projects are you currently working on?

A: I would love to focus on publishing my first collection. I enjoy submitting poems to various publications, but I think it would be especially rewarding to compile my own. I have begun doing this, categorizing what I have written and trying to establish a unified collection. Alongside this, I continue to publish research papers in academia and have started exploring poetry as a method in that work, including poems in some of my academic writing on music and dance.

Q: Why are art and its history important?

A: Art and its history inspire us, teach us values, and remind us of both good and evil across many civilizations. While it is so much more, the aspect of enjoyment cannot be forgotten—and if art brings people joy, it should be valued for that. Like other artists who 'stand on the shoulders of giants,' I’ve often written poems in response to learning about other artists, from Michelangelo to traditional dancers in my local area. Although art has benefitted from the support of wealthy patrons, it has also emerged among the poorest individuals. It reflects, questions, answers, and shapes our understanding of the world—enriching society and challenging established hierarchies. To be creative is a truly wonderful thing.

Find Daithí on x @dceol and on Facebook at https://m.facebook.com/alouthlilt/.