Francis Duggan, Poet

Francis DugganIn Penshurst lives a poet
Francis Duggan is his name
he posts work on the internet
as well as earning local fame
.
his birth place was in Ireland
now he calls Australia home
every day writes rhyming verse
in lyrical traditional form
.
his themes range from bird and tree
through to complex human nature
soul sees both beauty and misery
sympathises with living creature
.
he wrote a wonderful anthology
called ‘Songs of Sherbrooke’
exploring many aspects of life
examines closely cranny and nook
.
if there’s something that you want
to know about life down-under
follow Frank’s heart, see through
poet’s eyes world full of wonder

by Lee Emmett, Australia

—-

(1946 – Present) I have been penning stuff since 1973 have written up to nine thousand individual pieces which can be seen on various online poetry sites, I was born and raised in Claraghatlea, Millstreet Co Cork Ireland and I have been living in Victoria Australia for the past twenty three years (since 1989) – Francis Duggan.

—-

Contact Francis: <email>

18 thoughts on “Francis Duggan, Poet”

    1. I have a research thesis on Sir Francis Duggan as “expression of racism in his poetry”.
      may get a chance to speak to him in order of helping me out. I’m from Pakistan.

      1. hi Michael,

        I am very grateful you are willing to reply to my message.
        I could find Francis Duggan’s poems a lot at the address above. but I do not get any information about the biography of Francis Duggan and not even his picture. Could you plese giving me some more informations about him if you don’t mind. well, maybe I will ask him himself when I’m ready ask.

  1. hi Michael,

    I am very grateful you are willing to reply to my message.
    I could find Francis Duggan’s poems a lot at the address above. but I do not get any information about the biography of Francis Duggan and not even his picture. Could you plese giving me some more informations about him if you don’t mind. well, maybe I will ask him himself when I’m ready to ask.

    1. No that’s not him Maula (it’s Fr.Declan O’Connor and Mr Doody from Kingdom Catering) i don’t have a picture of him or bio info on him other than. unless someone else gives you the information, you’ll have to ask him himself.

  2. hey this is honey and i would like to know more about the poems francis writes. Like “Racism Is Around Me Everywhere.” i would like to know how u found the inspiration to write that poem???

    1. The poem referred to in the previous comment is this one by Francis Duggan:

      Racism Is Around Me Everywhere

      Of human ignorance I am almost in despair
      For racism is around me everywhere
      But like they say sheer ignorance is bliss
      Just like Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss.

      Some people carry their honour in a flag
      And of their Nationality they brag
      They feel superior and they differentiate
      And against those who are different they discriminate.

      So many people still judged by their race
      For such there never ought to be a place
      ‘A fair go’ those untruthful words I do recall
      There is no such a thing as a ‘fair go for all’.

      Though we live in a so called democracy
      Of racism we never will be free
      They judge you by where you come from and the colour of your skin
      For many equality and respect seems impossible to win.

      It’s been awhile since the days of Martin Luther King
      His name to it has a familiar ring
      If against racism he did not choose to strive
      Today the great man he would be alive.

      So many holding the reins of power not spiritually aware
      And racism is around me everywhere
      And racism only leads to division and war
      Just goes to show how ignorant some are.
      by Francis Duggan

      ———–

      Indeed a Speech Choir from the Phillipines (I think) recited the poem with some acting and have put it on youTube, see below:

  3. I went to see life in the big World out there
    To join in the swollen ranks of the those from elsewhere
    But since the biological clock it has become my foe
    And i am no better off now than i was years ago

    For my lack of success i only have myself to blame
    Though it feels heartening to me that i will not die in shame
    And though the thought of death is a thing i do fear
    Of any wrongdoing to others my conscience is clear

    Of the home of the badger and brown river trout
    My journey in life has taken me far south
    To the place of the black wallaby, emu, koala and grey kangaroo
    And the white long billed corella and the yellow tailed black cockatoo

    Yet i envy the stay at home people and their strong sense of place
    In familiar surroundings every challenge in life they do face
    Quite happy to live where they are well known
    The individuals referred to as one of our own

    My journey in life has me far away
    From where i first looked on the bright lamp of day
    Where old Clara Mountain does ever look down
    On the green countryside just west of Millstreet Town.

    “I Went To See Life” is by Francis Duggan
    http://francisrhymer.blogspot.ie/2014/12/i-went-to-see-life.html

    (mdc)

  4. Of the hard ways of life of i have come to know
    Far south of where old River Finnow does flow
    In the old rushy fields by the Town of Millstreet
    The scenic countryside where the waterways meet

    That time is our master none ought to deny
    On looking back the years the Seasons do fly
    In ten years from now if living i will be an old man
    And close to the end of my given time span

    In the quiet of a Summer twilight in a field by the River Finnow
    In fancy i can hear the soft lowing of a cow
    Under a darkening sky just after sundown
    In the beautiful countryside near Millstreet Town

    The past may be gone but the memories remain
    Of a mottled brown lark singing in the gray clouds of rain
    Above Matty Owens bog in the gloam of the day
    In the cool of the evening in the prime of the May

    My journey in life it has brought me far south
    Of the home of the badger and the brown river trout
    But good memories of what was today i retain
    When in fancy i walk in the old fields again.

    “Of The Hard Ways Of Life” is by Francis Duggan
    http://francisrhymer.blogspot.ie/2015/03/of-hard-ways-of-life.html

    (added by mdc)

  5. I went to school with francis duggan & was a close neighbour of his, Love to hear from him as I haven’t seen him for many years.

    Denis Murphy.

  6. The bug of the wander it had bitten me
    Beyond Clara Mountain there were places for to see
    The Boggeragh hills in their white hats of snow
    And Finnow in brown flood waters bank high in the old fields did flow

    The cattle in the farm sheds were bellowing for silage or hay
    On that bleak and that wintery December day
    A cold wind driven rain it was drizzling down
    As i boarded the Rosslare bus in Millstreet Town

    To the boat that take migrants from Hibernia’s shore
    On a journey that many had been on before
    The lure of the wander lures many away
    From the place where they first looked on the lamp of day

    Though sometimes i feel nostalgic for the long gone years
    For what used to be i have shed my last tears
    All we have are our memories of Seasons long gone
    But the now is all that does matter and life does go on

    I do sort of envy those at home happy to stay
    Who never yearn to travel to Lands far away
    But how boring we would be for want of a better name
    If in our thinking and interests we all were the same

    The past may be gone but the memories of it remain
    And in fancy i often visit Duhallow again
    When the old fields are in their wildflowers of the May
    And the hawthorns are cloaked in their blooms of white to gray

    Far south of where mine used to be a known face
    I am just a fellow from another place
    But despite my years of absence from there it does seem to me
    That a fellow from Millstreet is all i can be.

    “A Fellow From Millstreet” is by Francis Duggan
    http://francisrhymer.blogspot.ie/2015/05/a-fellow-from-millstreet.html

    (added by mdc)

  7. If ever i go back to Millstreet any stories of personal success i do not have to tell
    Since on my journeys south of Claraghatlea i have not done financially well
    And those with heaps of money are admired and looked up to in Millstreet as well as everywhere
    One of the main reasons many young people do migrate to try their luck in the big World out there

    I may be quite low in finances but i am quite wealthy in another way
    I feel privileged by the natural beauty that is all around me every day
    It may be Winter in the Moyne Shire but clusters of yellow blossoms on every wattle tree
    In coastal south west Victoria in every Season there is natural beauty for to see

    But here i will always be a migrant where time has left me looking older and gray
    Though here i feel inwardly contented and here i feel happy to stay
    For as long as the urge is not in me for to move on to another place
    Though here i am a stranger to many and mine is not a recognized face

    Here i often see emu and koala, echidna, wallaby and gray kangaroo
    And long billed corella and crimson rosella and the big dark brown parrot yellow tailed black cockatoo
    And the migratory cattle egrets as white as the new fallen snow
    In July and August amongst the herds eating insects disturbed by them grazing my wonder of Nature only does grow

    If ever i go back to Millstreet i can only tell of the natural beauty i have seen
    In my travels in south eastern Australia where the landscape is not always green
    Though i could not tell them of any financial successes with my words why should i deceive
    But wealth it does have many faces at least this is what i believe.

    “If Ever I Go Back To Millstreet” is by Francis Duggan

    http://francisrhymer.blogspot.ie/2015/08/if-ever-i-go-back-to-millstreet.html

    (added by mdc)

  8. Hello,
    I was hoping that someone would know when “Ned Kelly” by Francis Duggan was first released/published.
    Thank You.
    Lauren

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.