Onwards and Upwards

The author started writing poetry when he was 16 although these were related more to his youthful, personal world view at that time. A travelled more and experienced different cultures and their situational needs his poems incorporated wider social, historical, spiritual and environmental themes reflecting his broadening vision.

Onwards and Upwards is the first of three volumes of poems written either directly about Celtic figures or with Celtic themes and imagery in their content. These include earlier poems dating back to 1995 such as "Na Laethe Bhi," a lengthy Celtic myth about three young princes and the first of the Northumbrian poems, "Holy Island" both of which feature in the later volumes, Volume Two and the Longer Celtic poems.

Although many of the poems are clearly historical and in many cases highlighting the characters and lives of some of the early Irish saints, some have also been written during or following his visits to Ireland especially to County Cork where the author has distant family origins and thus have a more current and personal flavour to them. Like many of the early Celts the author's love of the natural world, and land and seascapes is apparent in many of the shorter poem so bird species and locations are evident in these works.

Volume One commences with poems about Columcille (Columba), Kevin and Brigid, then moves on to Columcille's arrival in Alba (Scotland), features something of their daily environment and culture, and finally progresses to include several poems about contemporary Ireland before ending with a series of proverbial reflections which has elements of the thinking and outlook of the early North African Desert Fathers.

While the author maintains that poetry is for pleasure he hopes that the reader will gain insights into the history of the Christian Celtic culture of that era and the significance of their distinctive lifestyle at that time.