Includes bibliographical references and index.

Over forty-five years have elapsed since Derek Mahon announced his arrival at the forefront of Irish literary life with the release of Night-Crossing, but he remains an elusive figure.
In the first comprehensive biography of Ireland's greatest living poet, Stephen Ennis uncovers a remarkable personal story.
Here he establishes the life circumstances which stimulated or provoked Derek Mahon into poetic response, detailing for the first time his troubled upbringing in Belfast, his youthful suicide attempt and his decades-long struggle with alcoholism. He sets Mahon's poems against these personal struggles and in doing so reconnects the work to the life while also making a compelling case for the restorative power of art. - Book cover.