Scríbhneoirí Gaeilge | Irish Writers

For such a small island, Ireland has produced some of the finest writers in the world. Playwrights, poets, short story writers and four Nobel Prize winners, to name but a few, it is an extraordinary heritage. The earliest writing in Ireland dates back to the 7th Century. Over the years, many of the writers in Ireland have drawn inspiration from a sense of place, language, the use of historical images, mythology and the landscape of Ireland itself as inspiration. 

Many of the writers of this small island wrote about what it means to connect to a sense of place, to a sense of home, to Ireland, its native language and its landscape. This often evokes an expression of yearning, which touches of a sense of exile within. This Irish Writers series is designed to deepen your connection to Ireland, to the country's heart and soul, and its people's rich literary heritage. It also explores that evolving story, and the ever evolving nature of Irish identity. 

When we know who we are, who our people are, and what our heritage is, we come into the ground of our own being. As Yeats pointed out, we need to know the writers, poets and  playwrights of this landscape and country, to really come to know Ireland and thereby come to glimpse at our own inner world and soul self.  There is a deep connection between language, place and identity, and Ireland, is a dynamic and evolving culture, the evolution of Irish identity is a fluid thing, shaped today by diverse influences and community. This enriches us as it helps us explore the evolving nature of our own selves, and thereby come to know ourselves and our own inner voice. 

“If you want to know Ireland body and soul you must read its poems and stories.”

W. B. Yeats