About the Poem 'On Raglan Road' was written by a 40 year old Patrick Kavanagh for a young 22 year old medical student, Hilda Moriarty. It was first published in the Irish Press newspaper in 1946 under the title ‘Dark Haired Miriam Ran Away’. The song we all know as Raglan Road combines the lyrics of Kavanagh poem to the air of the song ‘The Dawning of the Day’. Kavanagh approached , Luke Kelly, from the Dubliners, in the Baily Bar in Dublin in 1966 and asked him w...

About the Poem 'The Song of the Wandering Aengus' is told from the point of view of an old man who, at some point in his past, had a fantastical experience in which a silver trout fish he had caught and laid on the floor turned into a "glimmering girl" who called him by his name, then vanished; he became infatuated with her, and remains devoted to finding her again. It has been claimed that the poem's story is based on the Irish god Aengus, and specifically the story of the "Drea...

About the Poem You Don't Get To Be Racist And Irish" documents Irish people's history of immigration and emigration and May says that it is now time for Irish people to return the favor. The poem also touches on Ireland's history and heritage, pointing out the hypocrisy of singing songs glorifying Irish freedom, the Famine, and martyrs in the struggle for Irish independence while simultaneously ignoring or looking down on people who are now suffering. The poem took centre stage on 200...

About the Poem The society depicted in the poem , The Planters Daughter, is one reminiscent of images of Ireland in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. A planter was usually an English or Scotsman, brought in by the British, who bought confiscated land in Ireland quite cheaply , who then employed local people to work on it In effect, he was the local landlord, living in the ‘Big House’ , often seen as people of wealth and be of higher class – an...

About the Poem Communicated through the description of a morning walk across the Grand Canal in Dublin, the poem is a philosophical reflection on starting something new again. It starts off as a celebration of a new day, full refreshing opportunity, and goes on to examining the harder things in life. It is filled with the sense of determination to be grateful for everyday experiences. Even though the poem is full of hope, it acknowledges that promises and beginnings are “...

About the Poem Lament of Thomas McDonagh is a poem written by Francis Ledwidge for his close friend, Thomas McDonagh, who was executed for his role in the Easter Rising in 1916 in Ireland. The Easter Rising was often called a poet’s rebellion because so many of the organizers were writers, such as Thomas McDonagh & Padraic Pearse. Similarly, Francis Ledwidge’ s poem blends natural imagery with political sentiments. Lament for Thomas McDonagh explores the theme of ...

About the Poem The Cure at Troy was written in 1990 for the Field Day Theatre Company, and is an adapted version of the ancient tragic Greek play, Philoctetes, written by Sophocles – which takes place in the closing days of the Trojan War. The resonance of this ancient tale with that of the Troubles in Northern Ireland and perhaps the struggle of the Apartheid movement in South Africa, was a major attraction to Seamus Heaney, The poem, at its heart, addresses quest...

About the Poem This short poem, 'Mirror In February', which was included for study on the former Leaving Certificate English syllabus, is familiar to generations of Irish schoolgoers. It first appeared in the 1963 collection Downstream, is in many ways typical of Kinsella’s poetry in general. The poem, set in February as the natural world begins to slowly wake and renew itself, presents the speaker as a humble and solitary figure suddenly overwhelmed and reflecting on the s...

About the Poem William Butler Yeats wrote ‘The Stolen Child’ in 1886 and is considered to be one of his more notable and popular early poems. Based on Irish Legend, 'The Stolen Child' concerns captivating faeries beguiling and charming a young boy to leave the tough modern day ‘weeping world’ and run away to live a more enchanting and mystical life with them. The main theme of 'The Stolen Child' would suggest the struggle to maintain the innocence of childhood against th...

About the Poem She Moved through the Fair was written by Padraic Colum - with an original musical version composed by Herbert Hughes. It was first published by Hughes in 1909 , with a revised version published by Colum in 1916 in his works – Wild Earth and Other poems. One may think, it is , after getting family approval for the wedding, a somewhat joyous tale of two people about to get married - however, it belies the tragedy that the girl may have died, returning as a dream...

About the Poem The Lake Isle of Innisfree’ is one of W. B. Yeats’s first great poems. The poem conjuring up a longing to go back to nature and live a self-sufficient life, and examines the themes of nature peace, wisdom and truth. Written over 130 years ago – it appears more relevant today than ever – but will let you make your own interpretation. __________________________________________ About the Poet William Butler Yeats, more commonly known as, W.B. Yeats, was born in Dublin,...

About the Poem In this episode, Declan reads the classic poem by renowned Irish poet, Patrick Kavanagh - A Christmas Childhood. In this poem Kavanagh describes a magical memory from his childhood - a Christmas when he was six years old. At Kavanagh’s funeral in 1967, Seamus Heaney read ‘A Christmas Childhood’ at his graveside graveside. _____________________________________ About the Poet Patrick Kavanagh was born in rural Inniskeen, County Monaghan...

Welcome to my new podcast - My Poetry Readings, with Declan Walsh. This is a podcast of my journey to revisit the poems that may have shaped our lives and perhaps discovering new ones along the way Each episode in this series includes an introduction to a popular poem, it’s this writer and the actual reading of the poem - leaving the interpretation of the poem to yourself. ___________________________________ Please spread the word , like , share (etc!) - and you ca...