 The breakdown of his marriage and his nerves, and the murder of a close friend, Gerry McLaughlin, ensued, as did his edited collection of poetry by his contemporaries surrounding the topic of the troubling times in Northern Ireland, "The Wearing of the Black".In the early 1970s, he met poet Gerald Dawe with whom he met regularly, corresponded, and later acted as mentor.Dawe published a steady stream of poetry and other pieces, and still resides in Belfast.