Background
He was born in Glasgow but brought up in Portstewart, County Londonderry in Northern Ireland.
He was born in Glasgow but brought up in Portstewart, County Londonderry in Northern Ireland.
He was educated at Clongowes Wood College, Queen"s College, Oxford and the University of Iowa International Writer"s programme. He later taught at Clongowes Wood College. He also worked as a teacher at Sandymount High School in Dublin, the University of Iowa and Ithaca College in Ithaca, New New York
He also taught in Germany and Spain.
He was elected a member of Aosdana in 1982.