Madam, - I must concur with Liam O'Meara (February 25th) in his praise of Wesley Boyd's article on Francis Ledwidge (An Irishman's Diary, February 12th). It was indeed a very sensitively written piece.
I would deny, however, that Ledwidge was virtually forgotten until a decade ago. In 1962 a commemorative bronze plaque by the famous Cork sculptor Seamus Murphy R.H.A. was erected on the bridge in his native village of Slane, Co Meath, by the local guild of Muintir Na Tíre. Many poets and writers of the day, including Alice Curtayne, attended the unveiling of this plaque. Perhaps this was the catalyst, as in 1972 Alice Curtayne published her acclaimed biography Francis Ledwidge, a Life of the Poet and followed this in 1974 with Francis Ledwidge: Complete Poems.
Then in 1980, when the poet's cottage came on the market, a small group of people came together (The Ledwidge Cottage Museum Committee) organised funding and bought it. They restored the home and opened it to the public as a museum, displaying memorabilia of Ledwidge's life, including copies of his letters and poems. It is open all year round and stands as a monument to his memory. The committed also hold a commemorative day of poetry, music and song every year on the last Sunday in July: "Ledwidge Day".
As Wesley Boyd wrote, the Anthem for Doomed Youth exhibition in London honours 12 soldier poets of the first World War. Jon Stallworthy, former professor of English Literature at Oxford University, has written a wonderful book (also entitled Anthem for Doomed Youth) in conjunction with the exhibition. It tells the life stories of the 12 poets and includes selections from their best work. Baroness Blackstone, the British Minister for Arts, said in her opening address at this exhibition that teachers and pupils studying the war poets would use Stallworthy's book. Sadly for our young people, while their fellow students in Britain are enjoying the works of Francis Ledwidge, they have been deprived of this pleasure because his poetry has been removed from the Leaving Certificate syllabus.
Despite numerous requests to the Department of Education this situation to date has not been changed. - Yours, etc.,
ROSEMARY YORE, Francis Ledwidge Museum, Slane, Co Meath.