Anam Cara

A

CKNOWLEDGEMENTS

THE QUESTION OF BEAUTY HAS FASCINATED ME FOR A LONG TIME. Many friends have helped me in the research for this book. I became acquainted with the depth of the beauty theme in the philosophical tradition through the mind-shaping lectures on Greek philosophy of the late Professor Dr Gerard Watson at Maynooth University. Dr P.J. McGrath’s lectures in philosophy opened up the wonder, light and clarity that the beauty of thought could hold. Dr Noel Dermot O’Donoghue’s work in mystical theology exposed the threshold where the mountains soared from the foothills. For his illumination of the world of medieval aesthetics I am indebted to the wonderful books of Umberto Eco. For insights into Beethoven, I am indebted to the work of J.W.N. Sullivan. Bryan Magee’s book on Wagner is wonderful. In researching the theme of colour, I learned a lot from the books by Philip Ball and John Gage; Victoria Finlay’s book on colour is rich in imagination, adventure and insight. The Letters of Keats were a constant inspiration, as were frequent visits to the Thought-Cathedral of Meister Eckhart. I learned about music therapy from Rachel Verney, a gifted music therapist. Tom Kenny of Kenny Art Galleries told me the story about ‘Teannalach’. The phrase ‘Fáilte roimh thorann do chos, ní amháin thú fhéin’ I got from Lelia Doolan; the translation is Bob Quinn’s.

I would like to thank Brenda Kimber, my editor at Transworld; she has been so encouraging, caring and rigorous. Kim Witherspoon has been wonderful in ‘watching over’ everything; I am grateful for her care and clarity. Dr Lelia Doolan did a trenchant critique of the manuscript several versions ago; I am grateful for her friendship and the generosity of her beautiful mind. I thank Dr John Devitt of Mater Dei for his critique and the inspiration of his erudition. Professor Laurie Johnson of Hofstra University read the manuscript several times and offered challenging criticism. I am deeply grateful to the poet David Whyte for our friendship and great conversations, and to the priest-poet Pat O’Brien for his friendship, generosity and inspiration. I was privileged to have great discussions about beauty and architecture with Jennifer Vecchi; I am deeply grateful for her friendship and inspiration, and that she introduced me to the work of Santiago Calatrava. Fr Martin Downey loved the topic from the beginning and gave great encouragement. I wish to thank my friends Anne and Sheila O’Sullivan and Ethel Balfe, who gave me constant support and encouragement; Ethel accompanied this journey of words from its first meanderings and kept the way lit. I thank Barbara Conner for all her wonderful work and for her care, friendship, wisdom and intuition. The artist Loretta Roome inspired me with her beautiful imagination and mystical heart. I thank the poet Nöel Hanlon for her love and the grace of illumination – there all the days. My dear friend Ellen Wingard entered into the soul of this book with the finesse and depth of her aesthetic sense; her love and care is a radiance and shelter. Near the end Kathleen Duffy arrived and helped gather it all over the threshold. I wish to thank my family, especially my mother, Josie. When someone asked her a few months ago how I was, she said: ‘Beauty has him nearly killed.’ My father Paddy and my uncle Pete introduced me to the beauty of landscape, the beauty of work and the beauty of spirit; memories of them are icons that keep the heart bright. The first story in the book happened on Loch Corrib with my great old friend, the late Joe Pilkington; we all miss him yet he continues to surprise us with presence. During the writing of this book, my friend Donie Lynch passed away; he was an ‘undercover mystic’, a beautiful outsider who offered sanctuary when the mind hurt. Tony O’Malley, the great Irish painter, died too; his work testifies to a lifetime dedicated to the passionate and careful evocation of beauty. I give thanks for friends and their secret crochet of prayer that keeps all the spaces between luminous. A final pagan thanks to the mountains of the Burren and Conamara and a salute to the Atlantic Goddess!