Comments - The Incomparable Madge Herron - The Wild Geese2024-03-19T07:04:01Zhttps://thewildgeese.irish/profiles/comment/feed?attachedTo=6442157%3ABlogPost%3A216628&xn_auth=noHi Brenda, this is Ethna Herr…tag:thewildgeese.irish,2018-10-19:6442157:Comment:2364192018-10-19T10:42:30.570ZEthna Herronhttps://thewildgeese.irish/profile/EthnaHerron
<p>Hi Brenda, this is Ethna Herron, also Madge's neice. I met your father a couple of times, the first time, I think, was at Annie's funeral in Dublin (Annie was sister to Madge, Bridget and my father Connell), and then I think he came to my mother's 90th birthday party in Easbourne in 2006. Its nice to hear from you.</p>
<p>Patricia has now produced a second edition of Madge's biography. After the first edition a lot of people who had known Madge contacted her with poems she had given them…</p>
<p>Hi Brenda, this is Ethna Herron, also Madge's neice. I met your father a couple of times, the first time, I think, was at Annie's funeral in Dublin (Annie was sister to Madge, Bridget and my father Connell), and then I think he came to my mother's 90th birthday party in Easbourne in 2006. Its nice to hear from you.</p>
<p>Patricia has now produced a second edition of Madge's biography. After the first edition a lot of people who had known Madge contacted her with poems she had given them over the years, so there is now a complete anthology of Madge's poetry as an appendix to the book. It also includes a CD of Madge reading her poetry on BBC radio. It seems we have a distant relative in USA who has studied the geneology of the extended Herron family. He got in touch with Patricia and gave her new information about the family which is now also included in the new edition. If you email me at herralice@yahoo.co.uk I will pass your info on to Patricia and she will contact you about how you can purchase the book.</p>
<p>Hope your family are all well. Give them my best regards.</p>
<p>Looking forward to hearing from you, Ethna x</p> I would like to get a couple…tag:thewildgeese.irish,2018-10-14:6442157:Comment:2357952018-10-14T23:48:55.884ZBrenda D'Arcyhttps://thewildgeese.irish/profile/BrendaDArcy
<p>I would like to get a couple of copies of her book. She's my great Aunt. My grandmother Bridget and Madge are sisters. My father Hugh visited her when she was alive and took her ashes back to Fintown. My email is Brechelsea@gmail.com. </p>
<p>I would like to get a couple of copies of her book. She's my great Aunt. My grandmother Bridget and Madge are sisters. My father Hugh visited her when she was alive and took her ashes back to Fintown. My email is Brechelsea@gmail.com. </p> Great to hear from you Ethna.…tag:thewildgeese.irish,2018-03-25:6442157:Comment:2302642018-03-25T15:09:34.246ZColm Herronhttps://thewildgeese.irish/profile/ColmHerron
<p>Great to hear from you Ethna. You told me in Hammersmith that you were planning to go and see as much of the world as you could. I hope it went well.</p>
<p>I had a great time looking at the videos. Thanks! I knew about Patricia's book from Danea Herron who is married to my nephew Jim. Danea is the daughter of a very special poet Frank Harvey whom I got to know around the time I published For I Have Sinned. …</p>
<p>Great to hear from you Ethna. You told me in Hammersmith that you were planning to go and see as much of the world as you could. I hope it went well.</p>
<p>I had a great time looking at the videos. Thanks! I knew about Patricia's book from Danea Herron who is married to my nephew Jim. Danea is the daughter of a very special poet Frank Harvey whom I got to know around the time I published For I Have Sinned. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Harvey_" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Harvey_</a>(poet) Frank told me that he corresponded with Madge for years and the relationship only ended when Madge took umbrage at something he wrote in a letter to her (he had no idea what offended her). He dedicated one of his poems in Collected Poems to her. He gave me photocopies of a couple of her letters to him. Fascinating. Frank died at the end of 2014.</p>
<p>Do you do any writing yourself? I've read Ita's short stories but not her novels. She's so talented. I was sorry to hear about her husband's death a good few years back. David was an amazing man, so erudite and versatile. I used to look forward to his New Irish Writing in the Irish Press every Saturday. Great stimulus.</p>
<p>Paul Greengrass read my novel Further Adventures of James Joyce early last year and told me he loved it - "absolutely wonderful and bold" he called it. No commitment from him about adapting it for the screen though but he did say he'd like to think he could "find something down the line." Even if nothing comes of that his email spurred me to write another novel which I should have out later this year. We all live in hope!</p>
<p>My email address is colmherron@hotmail.com I'd be delighted to hear from you if you ever feel like emailing me. But please don't feel obliged.</p>
<p>Best,</p>
<p>Colm</p> Hi Colm
This is Ethna Herron!…tag:thewildgeese.irish,2018-03-25:6442157:Comment:2300972018-03-25T09:37:27.987ZEthna Herronhttps://thewildgeese.irish/profile/EthnaHerron
<p>Hi Colm</p>
<p>This is Ethna Herron! I well remember the evening we met at the Irish Centre in Hammersmith and glad to see you have continued with your writing. I hope you and your family are well. </p>
<p> I see you came across the biography of my aunt Madge Herron. The book, <span>Madge: Portrait of a Donegal Actress and Poet, </span>was written by my sister Dr Patricia Herron and is the only biography of Madge. The book was launched twice in 2016, firstly in Fintown, Donegal, and later…</p>
<p>Hi Colm</p>
<p>This is Ethna Herron! I well remember the evening we met at the Irish Centre in Hammersmith and glad to see you have continued with your writing. I hope you and your family are well. </p>
<p> I see you came across the biography of my aunt Madge Herron. The book, <span>Madge: Portrait of a Donegal Actress and Poet, </span>was written by my sister Dr Patricia Herron and is the only biography of Madge. The book was launched twice in 2016, firstly in Fintown, Donegal, and later at the Irish Centre in Camden near where Madge lived for most of her life in London. Many of Madge's obituaries had errors, particularly regarding her early life. My father was a few years older than Madge, and fortunately, before he died, he made a recording about his (and Madge's) early life in Donegal. Patricia was able to draw on this to give a more accurate portrayal of her early life. A few points: Regarding the mental health of her father - the father was a tailor, an alcoholic and reckless with money. It is doubtful that he ever had a medical diagnosis of mental illness and it is more likely that an amateur diagnosis came from his family who were greatly disadvantaged by his irresponsible behaviour and drunkeness. Madge was not a London bag lady, she was caretaker of a building in Kentish Town and lived on the premises, but she may have looked like a bag lady!</p>
<p>I have attached a few videos of the book launch in Camden. In the first video, Patricia gives a very good introduction to the book and is worth watching.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhul6ZJ11RI&list=PLYkLeHR6Vqibd5FrL5EzIQmeWwtpnGLRw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Madge Herron Book Launch</a></p>
<p>Best wishes</p>
<p>Ethna</p>
<p></p>
<p></p> Thanks John. Madge was a plea…tag:thewildgeese.irish,2017-05-22:6442157:Comment:2173622017-05-22T08:37:40.922ZColm Herronhttps://thewildgeese.irish/profile/ColmHerron
<p>Thanks John. Madge was a pleasure to study and write about.</p>
<p>Thanks John. Madge was a pleasure to study and write about.</p> A great story about an even g…tag:thewildgeese.irish,2017-05-21:6442157:Comment:2174162017-05-21T19:54:36.255ZJohn Anthony Brennanhttps://thewildgeese.irish/profile/johnABrennan
<p>A great story about an even greater character.</p>
<p>A great story about an even greater character.</p> To Gerry Ryan
Ger, I found di…tag:thewildgeese.irish,2017-05-11:6442157:Comment:2166942017-05-11T11:26:01.519ZColm Herronhttps://thewildgeese.irish/profile/ColmHerron
<p>To Gerry Ryan</p>
<p>Ger, I found discrepancies re Madge's DOB. The Guardian, Gerry Moriarty (Irish Times), Irish Post and Camden Review all give 12 December 1915 while Irish Writers Online (a compendium of Irish writers) and Billy Mills in his Elliptical Movements blog give 3 September 1916. As far as I remember they all give the same date of Madge's death. Her age would depend on which version you go with.</p>
<p>To Gerry Ryan</p>
<p>Ger, I found discrepancies re Madge's DOB. The Guardian, Gerry Moriarty (Irish Times), Irish Post and Camden Review all give 12 December 1915 while Irish Writers Online (a compendium of Irish writers) and Billy Mills in his Elliptical Movements blog give 3 September 1916. As far as I remember they all give the same date of Madge's death. Her age would depend on which version you go with.</p>