The President of Ireland

04/08/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/08/2021 02:25

Statement from President Higgins on the death of Denis Donoghue

Statement from President Higgins on the death of Denis Donoghue

Date: Thu 8th Apr, 2021 | 09:07

'Students on both sides of the Atlantic will have learned with sadness of the death of Denis Donoghue, University Professor, writer, literary critic and distinguished academic in Ireland and the United States.

An authority on Irish and American literature in their fullest sense, Denis Donoghue was one of the foremost experts on the literary legacies of Ireland, the United States, and England.

A prolific author who published almost forty books of literary criticism, he was a charismatic lecturer. His lectures, being ruminations of such depth, reference and reflection across such a wide canvas were events in their own right. Students and fellow academics would speak of 'being present' for those impressive intellectual excursions.

In his critical work, he explored themes of imagination, culture and a writer's ability to transform experiences, both real and imaginary, into words that not only move the reader but have the power to create in their usage and method new realities and new possibilities.

Sabina and I send our deepest condolences to his wife Melissa, his children and family members, and to his wide circle of friends.'