Irish Poetry

Who was Seamus Heaney? The Irish poet who won the 1995 Nobel Prize in Literature was born on a Co. Derry farm in 1939, the eldest of nine. Here is his life in order: Mossbawn, his brother Christopher and Mid-Term Break, Queen’s, Marie Devlin, Death of a Naturalist, the bog poems, Glanmore, Harvard and Oxford, Beowulf, the two-word Latin text he sent his wife before he died, his grave in Bellaghy and HomePlace, plus which of his poems to read first.

Your Weekly Dose of Irish – January 15th, 2025 This week’s edition features Christy Moore’s “Ride On,” Seamus Heaney’s stunning poem “Postscript,” and a peek into the legend of the …

While there might not be a specific historic Irish poem titled “Valentine’s Day Poem,” many Irish poets have written beautifully about love. One of Ireland’s most famous poets, W.B. Yeats, …

The full “May the road rise up to meet you” blessing, line by line, plus the Irish Go n-éirí an bóthar leat, how to say it, and the real story of where the verse comes from.

Happy New Year in Irish is Athbhliain faoi mhaise duit (AH-vleen fwee WASH-uh ghitch). The best-known Irish New Year blessing is “May your troubles be less, and your blessings be …

This post contains Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. “Seeing Things” is a profound collection of poetry by Seamus Heaney, a towering figure in …

Back with a wonderful Irish poem. This week, it is a piece that resonates with the warmth and depth of Irish culture. The poem Mossbawn: Sunlight is a tribute to …

When one thinks of poetry, laughter might not be the immediate reaction. However, as we delve into the visceral imagery of Seamus Heaney’s “The Grauballe Man”, we find there’s room …

Seamus Heaney’s “Punishment” from his “North” collection is a heartbreaking reflection on pain and revenge. It’s stirred by the tragic tale of a young girl’s ancient remains found preserved in …

Seamus Heaney’s poem “The Forge” is a beautiful exploration of the art of blacksmithing and the transformational power of labour. This poem, from Heaney’s second collection Door into the Dark …

Seamus Heaney’s best-known poems are Digging, Mid-Term Break, Blackberry-Picking and Death of a Naturalist, all from his 1966 debut, along with Clearances, Punishment and Casualty. He won the Nobel Prize …

The Ephemera poem is the last on my list of Irish love poems. I started with a list of 12 Irish love poems, and it has been fun learning and …

Back with another wonderful Irish love poem. Of course, Yeats had to be featured yet once again. This is a love poem of sorts, and I say that because there …

I’ve been sharing an Irish love poem every week, and the poem Scaffolding by Seamus Heaney is definitely worth its feature. ‘Scaffolding‘ is one of Seamus Heaney’s first-ever poems, written around the …

I am back with another wonderful Irish love poem. This week it is a great poem, Meeting Point by Louis MacNeice. And if that name looks familiar, you would be …