Seamus Heaney

This week's Desert Island Discs castaway is Seamus Heaney, a Catholic Ulsterman who has been acclaimed by many as the best Irish poet since Yeats. He was recently elected Oxford Professor of Poetry, and he'll be talking to Sue Lawley about his idyllic rural childhood as the eldest of nine children, his transition to university life and the sources of his poetic inspiration.

[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs]

Choices

1.

Castaway's favourite

Ludwig van Beethoven

String Quartet No. 13 in B flat major, Op. 130

Orchestra: Alban Berg Quartet

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2.

Joe Heaney

An Buinnean Bui

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3.

David Hammond

My Aunt Jane

4.

The Choir of Magdalen College, Oxford

O Lord Give Thy Holy Spirit

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5.

Jackie MacGowran

Malone Dies

6.

Veronica McSwiney

Nocturne No 1 in E Flat Major

7.

Franz Schubert

Piano Quintet in A major 'Trout'

Soloist: Elisabeth Leonskaja

Others who chose this artist

8.

John McCormack

Believe Me If All Those Endearing Young Charms

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Book

Ulysses by James Joyce

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Luxury item

Doc Marten boots

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