Top 100 Irish Poems Ranked And Analysis Of Each Poem

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Love Irish poems? Well, thanks to the Irish Times, I have a list of Ireland’s top 100 Irish poems for you today.

Every week I will be picking a random Irish poem and writing a little bit about it, along with the Irish poem itself. 

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1–10 · 11–20 · 21–30 · 31–40 · 41–50 · 51–60 · 61–70 · 71–80 · 81–90 · 91–100 · By poet

Ireland’s Top 100 Favourite Irish Poems

Poems 1 to 10

1. The Lake Isle of Innisfree, by W. B. Yeats
2. He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven, by W. B. Yeats
3. Mid-Term Break, by Seamus Heaney
4. The Song of Wandering Aengus, by W. B. Yeats
5. On Raglan Road, by Patrick Kavanagh
6. Easter, 1916, by W. B. Yeats
7. When You are Old, by W.B. Yeats
8. Canal Bank Walk, by Patrick Kavanagh
9. Stony Grey Soil, by Patrick Kavanagh
10. The Stolen Child, by W. B. Yeats

Poems 11 to 20

11. An Old Woman of the Roads, by Padraic Colum
12. In Memory Of My Mother, by Patrick Kavanagh
13. Sailing to Byzantium, by W. B. Yeats
14. The Wild Swans at Coole, by W. B. Yeats
15. The Deserted Village, by Oliver Goldsmith
16. The Ballad of Reading Gaol, by Oscar Wilde
17. September 1913, by W. B. Yeats
18. Digging, by Seamus Heaney
19. A Christmas Childhood, by Patrick Kavanagh
20. The Wayfarer, by Padraic Pearse

Poems 21 to 30

21. Advent, by Patrick Kavanagh
22. I See His Blood upon the Rose, by Joseph Mary Plunkett
23. The Great Hunger, by Patrick Kavanagh
24. Thomas McDonagh, by Francis Ledwidge
25. The Mother, by Padraic Pearse
26. The Planter’s Daughter, by Austin Clarke
27. Caoineadh i Laoghaire, by Eibhlin Dubh Ni Chonaill
28. Among Schoolchildren, by W. B. Yeats
29. The Second Coming, by W. B. Yeats
30. Inniskeen Road, July Evening, by Patrick Kavanagh

Poems 31 to 40

31. Lines Written on a Seat on the Grand Canal, Dublin, `Erected to the Memory of Mrs Dermot O’Brien’, by Patrick Kavanagh
32. An Irish Airman Foresees his Death, by W. B. Yeats
33. Clearances, by Seamus Heaney
34. Epic, by Patrick Kavanagh
35. Another September, by Thomas Kinsella
36. The Lost Heifer, by Austin Clarke
37. A Disused Shed in Co Wexford, by Derek Mahon
38. June, by Francis Ledwidge
39. Snow, by Louis MacNeice
40. Personal Helicon, by Seamus Heaney

Poems 41 to 50

41. Mise Raifteirí an File by Antoine Ó Raifteirí
42. Mirror in February, by Thomas Kinsella
43. Cuirt a Mhean Oíche by Brian Merriman
44. Cill Chais, by Aodhagán Ó Rathaille(A poem in Irish)
45. The Fiddler of Dooney, by W. B. Yeats
46. The Blackbird of Derrycairn, by Austin Clarke
47. Blackberry-Picking, by Seamus Heaney
48. Spraying the Potatoes, by Patrick Kavanagh
49. The Workman’s Friend, by Flann O’Brien
50. Anois Teacht an Earraigh by Antoine Ó Raifteirí(Spring is now coming)

Poems 51 to 60

51. The Circus Animals’ Desertion, by W. B. Yeats
52. The Fisherman, by W. B. Yeats
53. Ecce Puer, by James Joyce
54. Incantata, by Paul Muldoon
55. Cúl an Tí By Seán Ó Ríordáin – Irish And English Version
56. To a Child Dancing in the Wind, by W. B. Yeats
57. The Tower, by W. B. Yeats
58. Night Feed, by Eavan Boland
59. She Moved Through the Fair, by Padraic Colum
60. Death of a Naturalist, by Seamus Heaney

Poems 61 to 70

61. Requiem for the Croppies, by Seamus Heaney
62. Autumn Journal, by Louis MacNeice
63. Dublin, by Louis MacNeice
64. Dark Rosaleen, by James Clarence Mangan
65. The Meeting of the Waters, by Thomas Moore
66. Bean Sleibhe ag Caoineadh a Mhac, by Padraig Mac Piarais
67. The Ballad of Father Gilligan, by W. B. Yeats
68. Red Hanrahan’s Song about Ireland, by W. B. Yeats
69. The Fairies, by William Allingham
70. Pangur Ban, Anonymous

Poems 71 to 80

71. Follower, by Seamus Heaney
72. Padraig Ó Conaire, Gaelic Storyteller by F.R. Higgins
73. To My Darling Daughter Betty, by Tom Kettle
74. The Fool, by Padraic Pearse
75. The Splendour of God, by Joseph Mary Plunkett
76. Sheep and Lambs, by Katharine Tynan
77. Broken Dreams, by W. B. Yeats
78. Down by the Sally Gardens, by W. B. Yeats
79. Under Ben Bulben, by W. B. Yeats
80. Valparaiso, by Padraig de Brun

Poems 81 to 90

81. A Cradle Song, by Padraic Colum
82. A Drover, Padraic Colum
83. Woodman, Patrick Deeley – Poem not available online 
84. Christmas Day, Paul Durcan
85. Going Home to Mayo, by Paul Durcan
86. Death of an Irishwoman, by Michael Hartnett
87. Postscript, by Seamus Heaney
88. Station Island, by Seamus Heaney
89. Father and Son, by F.R. Higgins
90. For Rita With Love, by Pat Ingoldsby

Poems 91 to 100

91. Pegasus, by Patrick Kavanagh
92. An Bonnan Bui, by Cathal Bui Mac Giolla Ghunna
93. ‘Tis the last rose of summer, by Thomas Moore
94. An tEarrach Thiar, by Máirtín Ó Direáin
95. Oíche Nollag na mBan, by Seán Ó Ríordáin – English translation: The Night Of Women’s Christmas.
96. Mise Éire – I am Ireland By Pádraic Mac Piarais
97. The Host of the Air, by W. B. Yeats
98. Leda and the Swan, by W. B. Yeats
99. A Prayer for my Daughter, by W. B. Yeats
100. All Legendary Obstacles, by John Montague

The top 100 Irish poems by poet

Three poets account for nearly half the list. If you want to read one poet properly, start here, and see my guide to the 10 best Irish poets for who they were.

W. B. Yeats (25)

• The Lake Isle of Innisfree (no. 1)
• He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven (no. 2)
• The Song of Wandering Aengus (no. 4)
• Easter, 1916 (no. 6)
• When You are Old (no. 7)
• The Stolen Child (no. 10)
• Sailing to Byzantium (no. 13)
• The Wild Swans at Coole (no. 14)
• September 1913 (no. 17)
• Among Schoolchildren (no. 28)
• The Second Coming (no. 29)
• An Irish Airman Foresees his Death (no. 32)
• The Fiddler of Dooney (no. 45)
• The Circus Animals’ Desertion (no. 51)
• The Fisherman (no. 52)
• To a Child Dancing in the Wind (no. 56)
• The Tower (no. 57)
• The Ballad of Father Gilligan (no. 67)
• Red Hanrahan’s Song about Ireland (no. 68)
• Broken Dreams (no. 77)
• Under Ben Bulben (no. 79)
• The Host of the Air (no. 97)
• Leda and the Swan (no. 98)
• A Prayer for my Daughter (no. 99)
• Down by the Sally Gardens (no. 78)

Patrick Kavanagh (12)

• On Raglan Road (no. 5)
• Canal Bank Walk (no. 8)
• Stony Grey Soil (no. 9)
• In Memory Of My Mother (no. 12)
• A Christmas Childhood (no. 19)
• Advent (no. 21)
• The Great Hunger (no. 23)
• Inniskeen Road, July Evening (no. 30)
• Lines Written on a Seat on the Grand Canal, Dublin, `Erected to the Memory of Mrs Dermot O’Brien’ (no. 31)
• Epic (no. 34)
• Spraying the Potatoes (no. 48)
• Pegasus (no. 91)

Seamus Heaney (10) · my guide to his best poems

• Mid-Term Break (no. 3)
• Digging (no. 18)
• Clearances (no. 33)
• Personal Helicon (no. 40)
• Blackberry-Picking (no. 47)
• Death of a Naturalist (no. 60)
• Requiem for the Croppies (no. 61)
• Follower (no. 71)
• Postscript (no. 87)
• Station Island (no. 88)

Padraic Pearse (5)

• The Wayfarer (no. 20)
• The Mother (no. 25)
• Bean Sleibhe ag Caoineadh a Mhac (no. 66)
• The Fool (no. 74)
• Mise Éire – I am Ireland (no. 96)

Padraic Colum (4)

• An Old Woman of the Roads (no. 11)
• She Moved Through the Fair (no. 59)
• A Cradle Song (no. 81)
• A Drover (no. 82)

Austin Clarke (3)

• The Planter’s Daughter (no. 26)
• The Lost Heifer (no. 36)
• The Blackbird of Derrycairn (no. 46)

Louis MacNeice (3)

• Snow (no. 39)
• Autumn Journal (no. 62)
• Dublin (no. 63)

Joseph Mary Plunkett (2)

• I See His Blood upon the Rose (no. 22)
• The Splendour of God (no. 75)

Francis Ledwidge (2)

• Thomas McDonagh (no. 24)
• June (no. 38)

Thomas Kinsella (2)

• Another September (no. 35)
• Mirror in February (no. 42)

Seán Ó Ríordáin (2)

• Cúl an Tí (no. 55)
• Oíche Nollag na mBan (no. 95)

Thomas Moore (2)

• The Meeting of the Waters (no. 65)
• ‘Tis the last rose of summer (no. 93)

F.R. Higgins (2)

• Padraig Ó Conaire, Gaelic Storyteller (no. 72)
• Father and Son (no. 89)

Paul Durcan (2)

• Christmas Day (no. 84)
• Going Home to Mayo (no. 85)

Antoine Ó Raifteirí (2)

• Mise Raifteirí an File (no. 41)
• Anois Teacht an Earraigh (no. 50)

One poem each

The Deserted Village (Oliver Goldsmith, no. 15) · The Ballad of Reading Gaol (Oscar Wilde, no. 16) · Caoineadh i Laoghaire (Eibhlin Dubh Ni Chonaill, no. 27) · A Disused Shed in Co Wexford (Derek Mahon, no. 37) · Cuirt a Mhean Oíche (Brian Merriman, no. 43) · Cill Chais (Aodhagán Ó Rathaille, no. 44) · The Workman’s Friend (Flann O’Brien, no. 49) · Ecce Puer (James Joyce, no. 53) · Incantata (Paul Muldoon, no. 54) · Night Feed (Eavan Boland, no. 58) · Dark Rosaleen (James Clarence Mangan, no. 64) · The Fairies (William Allingham, no. 69) · Pangur Bán (Anonymous, 9th century, no. 70) · To My Darling Daughter Betty (Tom Kettle, no. 73) · Sheep and Lambs (Katharine Tynan, no. 76) · Valparaiso (Padraig de Brun, no. 80) · Death of an Irishwoman (Michael Hartnett, no. 86) · For Rita With Love (Pat Ingoldsby, no. 90) · An Bonnan Bui (Cathal Bui Mac Giolla Ghunna, no. 92) · An tEarrach Thiar (Máirtín Ó Direáin, no. 94) · All Legendary Obstacles (John Montague, no. 100) · Woodman (Patrick Deeley, no. 83, not available online)

Looking for something specific? Try my 12 Irish love poems, St Patrick’s Day poems or the full Irish poetry section.

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What did you think of this list of Irish poems? 

I had a fantastic time putting the list together. Irish poems teach you a lot of things, especially Irish poems about life that seem to resonate with everyday people, including me. Some of the above poems are poems in Irish as well as English. But for each of them, I have included a translation. And many poems are old Irish poems that date back hundreds of years. 

If you loved these poems, then you will love my list of Irish love poems as well; check it out here. 

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