National Stamp (50th Anniversary of the Death of Austin Clarke)

On March 14, we issue a special national or ‘N’ denomination stamp to mark the 50th anniversary of the death of Austin Clarke, a prolific poet, novelist, verse dramatist and reviewer.

Born in 1896, Clarke was considered to be one of the leading poets of his generation. He studied English language and Literature at University College Dublin, where he was tutored by two prominent national figures, Douglas Hyde and Thomas MacDonagh.

Clarke’s first poetry book, The Vengeance of Fionn, was published in 1917 to critical acclaim. Initially influenced by the romantic revival movement, his writing evolved over the years. His later poems scrutinised Church and State.

Our stamp’s main visual depicts Clarke in contemplation as he looks at the world around him – a common thread throughout his poetry, especially in his later years. The portrait is positioned within a ‘50’ motif to signify the anniversary and the relevance of his work a half-century on.

A bitmap filter enables Clarke’s use of complex patterns of assonance, consonance and half rhyme to be represented by mosaic dots. The stamp is available in sheets of eight.

Product code 2405N