by Taylor Follett
To many people, March 17th means a day where they get to wear green and drink Guinness. To us at the library, however, it’s the perfect opportunity to celebrate the rich history of Irish literature.
When you hear Irish literature, you’re probably thinking of books such as these:
Indeed, Yeats, Joyce, and Beckett rank among the greats. We would be amiss if we didn’t also point you toward some of the other great Irish writers of the 20th century:
If you enjoy contemporary titles, check out some of the stellar Irish publications from the past couple decades:
Feeling more poetic? Yeats isn’t the only poet that Ireland is (rightly) proud of:
Eavan Boland
Seamus Heaney
Æ (George William Russell)
The latter half of the 20th century and the 21st have also seen an increase in women Irish writers. Read some of their most important novels:
Iris Murdoch
Edna O’Brien
Molly Keane
More of a 18th and 19th century fan? You might be surprised that some of these works are by Irish authors:
If you’re ready to start researching Irish literature, start here:
Neil Corcoran
Eric Falci
Edited by Joe Cleary
What is St. Patrick’s Day, really? Learn the meaning behind the holiday and start from the ground up with Celtic mythology:
Edited by W.B. Yeats
Thomas Kinsella
Arranged and Translated by Lady Gregory
And finally, some personal favorites from your resident Irish literature enthusiast:
Curious to learn more about Irish literature? Check out the the library guide to Irish Literature in English and the Irish Studies website. All of the above books were written in English, but visit the Celtic Studies department or the Irish language holdings for more information about Irish literature written in Irish. If it seems like we forgot a book that you think should be included, tweet us! Want an Irish literature book, but not finding it in the library? Suggest we buy it here.
Léitheoireacht shona! (Happy reading!)