Poet sees funny side of reports he is dead
Saturday March 07 2009
Poet Anthony Cronin tried to see the funny side to two newspaper reports which declared he was a dead man.
The distinguished literary figure was unhappy that the reports may have given certain individuals a reason to be cheerful.
He told the Herald he was surprised to learn that he was twice mentioned in stories in the Irish Daily Mail in recent days as "the late Anthony Cronin".
He returned to Ireland from a lecture trip to Africa to discover the Mail had referred to him as "late" in a story about a sale of artworks belonging to the late Charles Haughey. It reported that a portrait of "the late" writer was sold by the Haughey family last year for €40,000.
In a follow-up story the next day, he was again referred to as the late Anthony Cronin.
"I'm rather annoyed as there is a number of people who would be sure to wish that it is so!" he quipped.
"It annoys me to think it would give them even temporary gratification."
aokeefe@herald.ie
- Alan O'Keeffe
