2024 Obit: Fred Johnston of Parson's Hat

Subject: RE: Obit: Fred Johnston of Parson's Hat
From: Felipa
Date: 20 Sep 24 - 09:26 AM

Martin Conneely comment on Facebook -
"Small correction: Picture of a Girl in a Spanish Hat is a novel."

Subject: Obit: Fred Johnston of Parson's Hat
From: Felipa
Date: 20 Sep 24 - 09:24 AM

https://www.facebook.com/poetryireland.eigseeireann/posts/pfbid0md44aHW8KrXALZ1KLo9nr9UrgnMjt1b4jZG2jNravmtHRy32c2BccsMSoA3BcDscl
Hugh McFadden, a friend and fellow poet, remembers Fred Johnston:

The poet, novelist, literary critic, short story writer, and musician Fred Johnston (1951-2024), was born in Belfast to a Catholic mother from Dublin, who was an admirer of Michael Collins, and to a Methodist father from Belfast who was both a Unionist and a trade unionist. The family emigrated to Toronto when Fred was a child, but returned seven years later to live in Belfast where he was educated at St Malachy's College: his English teacher there was the late poet Conleth Ellis.
On leaving school, Fred moved to Dublin and joined The Irish Press group as a journalist, working on The Evening Press for several years. In 1974, he was a co-founder (with Neil Jordan and Peter Sheridan) of the Irish Writers' Co-operative, whose imprint was Co-op Books, before moving to Galway in 1978. There, he was instrumental in founding the Cúirt International Festival of Literature, and in 1979 published his first poetry collection, Life and Death in the Midlands, and a collection of short stories, Picture of a Girl in a Spanish Hat. In all, he published nine collections of poetry, three novels, three volumes of short stories, and a play. He wrote and reviewed for a wide range of magazines, including Poetry Ireland Review, Books Ireland, and Cyphers.

In the 1990s he formed an Irish traditional folk group, Parson's Hat, which released two albums: Cutty Wren and The Better Match. He also recorded two solo albums. In 2005 he founded the Western Writers' Centre, Ionad Scríbhneoirí Chaitlín Maude (The Caitlín Maude Writers' Centre), which organises the Gort Literary Festival. His many awards include The Hennessy Literary Award in 1972 and, in 2000, the Prix de l'Ambassade Translation bursary for translating the French poet Michel Martin into English.

Fred Johnston, who died in Galway on Monday 9th September last, was a multi-faceted and talented personality who made a significant contribution to poetry and literature in Ireland, and particularly to the arts scene in Galway, for more than forty years.