A Glimpse of Irish Genius: Getting to Know Your Irish Writers

Ireland has often been called the Land of Saints and Scholars and certainly the country has had its fair share of both. Among the scholars there has been an amazing supply of talented authors who have guaranteed Ireland's place in world literature. Some have become the most famous names in international writing with their works studied in schools and colleges worldwide.

For those travelling to Ireland a limited knowledge of just some of our great writers should prove interesting and should certainly give you a good starting point for further study or literary touring.

James Joyce (1882-1941) is surely thee most famous of all. Considered by many to be one of the greatest writers of all time, Joyce's name has become synonymous with genius. His best novel, Ulysses, is considered one of the greatest classics ever. It was written in a style never seen before and is so famous that Bloomsday has become something of an international holiday in the literary world.

Joyce's other works are also more than worthy of literary renown. There's his collection of short stories, Dubliners, his autobiographical, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man and his last novel, Finnegan's Wake.

Dublin, Joyce's birthplace is littered with signs that say, "Joyce's home." All of them are correct, as Joyce's family moved houses a lot due to his father's dwindling finances. One former home - the Martello Tower in Sandycove - now houses the Joyce museum. Many people also enjoy visiting the sites associated with Ulysses and Bloomsday just continues to get more and more popular.

William Butler Yeats' (1865-1939) mission in life was to bring writers together who would create a truly Irish literature in English. For his part he achieved this and more. As winner of the Nobel Prize for literature in 1923, he did his bit to pinpoint Ireland's place on the world map of literature and guaranteed his own place in poetic acclaim.

Although born in Dublin, Yeats' heart belonged to Sligo. He spent all his childhood holidays there and requested that he be buried in Drumcliff. He is most renowned for his love poetry to Maud Gonne, his poem, The Lake Isle of Innisfree, and his controversial poems on historical and public issues.

He once flippantly said that he had nothing to declare but his genius but there was nothing light-minded about Oscar Wilde's (1854-1900) talent. He is probably one of the world's most quoted writers and his unique, witty and clever style packed out theatres down through the decades to modern times. His plays have always been hugely popular. A woman of No Importance, An Ideal Husband, and the most famous, The Importance of Being Earnest never fail to attract hoards of theatregoers worldwide.

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