Irish playwright visits Dartmouth as Mongtomery Fellow

Posted 02/15/01

Irish playwright Tom Mac Intyre will give a free public reading of his recent works at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 21, in 105 Dartmouth Hall, as part of a Montgomery Scholar residency Feb. 18-25.

One of Ireland's most respected men of letters, Mac Intyre is a widely published poet, fiction writer and playwright who works both in English and Irish. The latest of his nine volumes of poetry, Tales of the Wandering Moon , was published in 2000. He also has written two volumes of short stories, a novel, a work of Irish history and a number of radio and television plays. His writing is recognized for its balance of Irish literary tradition with innovative contemporary theater.

Born in County Cavan, Ireland, in 1931, and son of schoolteacher parents, Mac Intyre received his undergraduate degree at University College Dublin. He is a member of Aosdana, the Irish Academy of Arts and Letters whose prestigious membership is by election. His plays have been produced in theaters throughout Ireland, including many at the National Theatre of Ireland.

After living and working at Oberlin College, the University of Michigan and in New York City, Mac Intyre now lives in County Cavan, where he writes and prepares for a national tour of his newest work, The Gallant Joe .

As a Montgomery Scholar, Mac Intyre also will meet with Dartmouth students in classroom and informal settings for discussions related to writing during his visit.

In addition, Sheep's Milk on the Boil, a play written by Mac Intyre, will be presented by the Dartmouth Department of Drama Feb. 15-25 at the Hopkins Center. Tickets are available at the Box Office, 646-2422.

The Montgomery Endowment brings to Dartmouth outstanding figures not only from the academic world but from nonacademic spheres as well. It was established in 1977 by the late Chicago attorney Kenneth F. Montgomery '25 and his wife, Harle, to "provide for the advancement of the academic realm of the college . . . making possible new dimensions for, as well as extraordinary enrichments to, the educational experience" at Dartmouth.