Letter from Ernie O'Malley to Thomas MacGreevy. 1 May 1939.
Burrishoole
Newport
Co. Mayo.
Ireland.
1/5/39
Dear Tomás,
Thanks for your letter. We drank your health at Easter and I was in an unique position for conversationMacGreevy had a reputation as a excellent conversationalist.noteas I injured my hand on Easter Sunday and had to remain on here for two weeks. My brother, Cecil, who had come from London, happens to be a surgeon and so was able to improvise a pulley arrangement so that I could move in the bed. Its rowing does it. Yesterday was a glorious day here. I started off to explore the islands in my boat, the Walruss, visited old friends on Island MórA large island in Clew Bay, Co. Mayo, now uninhabited.note who had known me as a friend but on the way back the wind and tide were in my teeth and I reached home at midnight as if I had been just through a mangle.
I have succeeded in breaking the gramophone spring half an hour ago and I am derelict as I will have to wait until someone goes to Dublin for a restoration. Music means a great deal here. We have no wireless, the county [p.1 verso]ride their high and rather wooden horse, and our daily hour of records may begin or end a day.
To-day was again very warm. I have been burnt brick-red. I went up the river under the old bridge, then under another bridge where there are rapids to a wide lake beyond.O'Malley is probably referring here to the Burrishoole River adjacent to the O'Malley farm. It is a deep river that, except for a few tides each year, has water at low tide. note The mountains soft with a line one finds in Greek or in Japanese prints. Now it is late, the mountains have disappeared and the birds are lazily singing for bed: it is another world to the cockpit of Europe.
Helen persuaded me to go to Dublin as I had bought some material in Galway for a suit, and I went. I spent a few days in the National Library, came back with my material, as I had no time to see a tailor. I saw Jack Yeats, fell clear in love with a picture and felt I must have itOn 12 April 1939 Yeats wrote to MacGreevy: 'Ernie O Malley and his wife came here one day last week . . . and he bought an important picture of mine Death for Only One They saw it at last years Hibernian Academy and wished for it I am glad that they should have it. The painting is of a dead tramp lying on a headland with another tramp standing by w a dark sea and a dark sky.'note I was able to arrange payments over a long period. We had a very nice afternoon with him, he spoke of you kindly. He is very fine and we came away in a glow. Then I began to think of my commitment and had a shiver at the knees for some time, but I am very glad of my rashness. When I think of money I had saved up to build a small house or a place of my own going to pay off a form of blackmail, [gutteraly] spoken of as libelUpon the publication of On Another Man's Wound in late 1936, a libel suit was brought against O'Malley and his publishers by Joseph O'Doherty, formerly a member of the IRA in Co Donegal, for having made reference to an unnamed person whom Joseph O'Doherty claimed was himself. The trial was held in 1937 and the plaintiff was successful. O'Malley was hindered in his case in that he could not get witnesses to support his view of the facts as nearly 20 years had passed since the events described in the book and its publication. The consequence of the lost action was that O'Malley never wanted to publish again and intended not to hold many assets in his own name.note, I have less qualms.
I hope you hear some favourable news about your Yeats monograph.Ultimately published as Jack B. Yeats: An Appreciation and an Interpretation by Victor Waddington (Dublin, 1945) in conjunction with the opening of The National Loan Exhibition, a major retrospective of Yeats's work. note It would do you a [p.2 recto]great deal of good to have it definitely accepted. Could you please give me an idea of its length as I am writing soon to Houghton MifflinThe American publisher who brought out On Another Man's Wound under the title Army without Banners (1937)note in Boston and they, if not interested, may be able to suggest a publisher. Personally I don't think they publish such material but they are kindly, I find.
How did the Cezanne exhibition turn out?O'Malley is probably referring to an exhibition of 23 Cezanne paintings which opened at the Rosenberg and Helft Galleries in London on 18 April 1939. It was arranged by the Marquess Willingdon in commemoration of the centenary of the artist's birth. Proceeds from the exhibition benefited the rebuilding of St. George's Hospital. note I saw an exhibition of his two years ago, 1926, at the Musée de l'Orangerie. "Les grandes baigneiuers" has since gone to the United States from the Pellerin collection.A collection of Cezanne paintings belonging to Auguste Pellerin. Once considered one of the most substantial collections of Cezanne paintings in the world, it has since been auctioned in groups by Christie's of London.note The Pellerin has, I think, some of his best.
When in DulinDublin I called out to see Eileen McGrane, who is now in the
country. Helen had
designed some rooms and their fabrics for her. They look very well and
Eileen who has not too much
certitude on such matters is beginning to like them very much now. My pen is
acting in bad faith just now but it results from yesterday's excessive
galley work.
I have been translating Rainer-Maria Rilke's "Letters to a Young Poet" from the French, but recently Donagh MacDonagh, who has returned from America, told me that Auden is translating it for an American publisher. My book On Another Man's Wound notehas been translated into German since November last but the English publishers had not told me about it.On Another Man's Wound was first published in 1936 by the London publisher Rich and Cowan. It was translated into German by Karl Breuer and published by Alfred Metzner under the title Rebellen in Irland (1937).note Only when German officer wrote for my autograph did I find out! I suppose any stick is [p.2 verso]good enough to beat a comic with.
My brother has joined or is to join the Navy as a surgeon in case of war. I'm sure your A.R.P.Air Raid Protection Servicesnote work is interesting as it has to do with storage and protection. In April 1939 William Gibson, the Keeper of the National Gallery approached MacGreevy asking if he would consider volunteering with the Air Raid Protection Services to relocate paintings and other artwork from the National Gallery to a more secure location before the outbreak of war. MacGreevy agreed, and participated in drills throughout the spring and summer. In August 1939, he worked tirelessly in the evacuation of the art work to caves in Wales. The evacuation of the paintings, however, deprived MacGreevy of a major revenue stream, i.e. Lectures at the National Gallery This loss of income played a significant role in his decision to return to Dublin. See also MacGreevys letter of 9 February 1940. note Periodic debates come under weigh here as to whether glass should or should not be put on pictures. In this rather damp climate I do not know if moisture collects behind the glass, but our paintings are in rooms where coal and turf is burned. Perhaps you could advise me.
This German technique of tension is a new psychological factor. This war fought in peace conditions has some slight resemblance
to Old Chinese
Warfare where generals manoeuvred without coming to grips until a
conference was called at which one general explained to his [oppontent]opponent that he
was irreparably check-mated: whereupon the opponent surrendered.
Helen has had a slight operation and is now in Dublin. Cathal has a pet lamb two weeks old. He was out with me to shoot the rapids to the lake to-day. Have you written any poetry of late?
affectionately
Earnán.