Patrick MacGill

Patrick MacGill (24 December 1889 - November 1963) was an Irish poet, journalist, and novelist, known as "The Navvy Poet".

Life
MacGill was born in Glenties, County Donegal, to a peasant family.

He left home at 9 years and wandered through Ireland and Scotland, living variously as a tramp, a farm hand, a street sweeper, and a railroad navvy.

He reportedly was inspired to write poetry by reading Rudyard Kipling's Barrack-Room Ballads in his teens. At 19 he self-published his first book, Gleanings from a Navvy's Scrapbook, a mixed pamphlet of prose and verse that he hawked to railroad passengers in his spare time, ultimately selling 8,000 copies.

He then briefly worked as a journalist for the London Daily Express, whose editor had "read the Gleanings, was struck by their originality, looked him up, and gave him work." However, reportedly disliking the routine, he soon turned to free-lancing, publishing two autobiographical novels (Children of the Dead End and The Rat Pit), and a collection of verse, Songs of a Navvy.

During World War I, MacGill served with the London Irish Rifles (1/18th Battalion, The London Regiment) and was wounded at the Battle of Loos on 28 October 1915.

Recognition
A statue in his honour is on the bridge where the main street crosses the river in Glenties.

An annual literary summer school is held in Glenties in mid July each year in his honour.

In early 2008, a docu-drama starring Stephen Rea was made about the life of Patrick MacGill. One of the film's locations was the boathouse of Edinburgh Canal Society at Edinburgh on the Union Canal, and one of its rowing boats.

Poetry

 * Gleanings from a Navvy's Scrapbook (mixed poetry & prose). Greenock, Scotland, UK: privately published, 1911.
 * Songs of a Navvy. Windsor, UK: privately published, 1911.
 * Songs of the Dead End. London: Year Book Press, 1913.
 * Soldier Songs. London: Herbert Jenkins, 1917; Toronto: William Briggs, 1917; New York: E.P. Dutton, 1917.
 * Songs of Donegal. London: Herbert Jenkins, 1921.
 * The Navvy Poet: The collected poetry of Patrick MacGill. London & Dover, NH: Caliban Books, 1984; Dingle, Co. Kerry, Ireland: Brandon, 1984.

Novels

 * Children of the Dead End: The autobiography of an Irish navvy. London: Herbert Jenkins, 1914; New York: E.P. Dutton, 1914.
 * The Rat-Pit. London: Herbert Jenkins, 1915; New York: Doran, 1915.
 * The Brown Brethren. London: Herbert Jenkins, 1917; New York: Doran, 1917.
 * The Dough-boys. New York: Doran, 1918; London: Herbert Jenkins, 1919.
 * Glenmornan. New York: Doran, 1918; London: Herbert Jenkins, 1919; London & Dover, NH: Caliban Books, 1983.
 * Maureen. London: Herbert Jenkins, 1920; New York: R.M. McBride, 1920.
 * Fear!. London: Herbert Jenkins, 1921.
 * Lanty Hanlon: A comedy of Irish life. London: Herbert Jenkins, 1923; New York & London: Harper, 1923;
 * Moleskin Joe. London: Herbert Jenkins, 1923; New York & London: Harper, 1923; London & Dover, NH: Caliban Books, 1983.
 * The Carpenter of Orra. London: Herbert Jenkins, 1924.
 * Sid Puddiefoot. London: Herbert Jenkins, 1926.
 * Black Bonar. London: Herbert Jenkins, 1928.
 * Tulliver's Mill. London: Herbert Jenkins, 1934.
 * The Glen of Cana. London: Herbert Jenkins, 1934.
 * The House at the World's End. London: Herbert Jenkins, 1935.
 * Helen Spenser. London: Herbert Jenkins, 1937; London & Dublin: Mellifont Press, 1945.

Play

 * Suspense: A play in three acts. London: Herbert Jenkins, 1930.

Non-fiction

 * The Autobiography of a Navvy. London: Herbert Jenkins, 1914.
 * The Amateur Army. London: Herbert Jenkins, 1915.
 * The Great Push: An episode of the Great War. London: Herbert Jenkins, 1916; New York: George H. Doran, 1916; New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 1916; London & Dover, NH: Caliban Books, 1984; Dingle, Co. Kerry, Ireland: Brandon, 1984.
 * The Red Horizon. London: Herbert Jenkins, 1916; New York: Doran, 1916; New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 1916; London & Dover, NH: Caliban Books, 1984; Dingle, Co. Kerry, Ireland: Brandon, 1984.
 * The Diggers: The Australians in France. London: Herbert Jenkins, 1919.
 * Rifleman MacGill's War: A a soldier of the London Irish during the Great War in Europe: Including 'The amateur army', 'The red horizon', The great push'. Driffield, UK: Leonaur, 2007.

Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.