I have had extensive correspondence over the years with people who really knew Patrick Kavanagh.

I can state with certainty that nobody who actually knew him ever liked him.

the barmen , in the few pubs where he was still allowed to be served, may have been entranced by his fame, but the neighbours and locals in Dundalk who had to put up with his quirks and peccadilloes were less besotted.

from what I can gather from the people who knew him, he appears to have been an extremely egotistical, selfish, and uncaring person, and I now believe that the words of Raglan Road should be analysed with this in mind.

this of course , does not detract one whit from the fact that Raglan Road is the most wonderful poem ever written in the English language.

weird ..