Northern Ireland

Seamus Heaney photo sparks debate over where it was taken

Seamus Heaney taught in St Thomas's Secondary School in the early 1960s
Seamus Heaney taught in St Thomas's Secondary School in the early 1960s Seamus Heaney taught in St Thomas's Secondary School in the early 1960s

A photograph of Nobel laureate Seamus Heaney in west Belfast has sparked debate about where it was taken.

The celebrated Co Derry poet taught at St Thomas's Secondary Intermediate School in Ballymurphy in the early 1960s.

A photo of the writer was submitted to a new project on the history of the Upper Springfield area.

Organisers believe it may have been taken near the school but several people who attended St Thomas's have said they do not recognise the street.

The photo was taken for a Vogue article written by Heaney’s future sister-in-law, the author Polly Devlin.

The striking image will form part of the project about Upper Springfield.

Youth and community organisation Glór na Móna, based in Ballymurphy, has received lottery funding to document the area's history.

The group's director, Feargal Mac Ionnrachtaigh, said the project aims to hold a lecture about Heaney's connections with the area.

The initiative will also include other community lectures, the creation of up to six short documentaries and a photographic exhibition.

A website to showcase images of the area will be put online in the new year. It also aims to publish audio interviews about Upper Springfield's residents and its history.

Many people in the area have scoured old albums to find photographs for the project.

Images include one of Mother Teresa, whose Missionaries of Charity order worked in the Ballymurphy area for several years in the early 1970s.

Mr Mac Ionnrachtaigh said the project will offer people training in digital archiving and oral history gathering to help build a comprehensive archive.

"We will also be developing and producing a series of short documentaries that chart different aspects of this eclectic and fascinating community history," he said.

University of Ulster Emeritus Sociology Professor Bill Rolston said the project means that the history of the area will not be lost.

"This is a fantastic project that has the capacity to empower the local community to chart, explore and disseminate their own history from below," he said.

For more information on the project visit www.glornamona.com or telephone Glór na Móna on 02890 234442.