In the pantheon of Irish literary figures who shaped the cultural renaissance of the early twentieth century, Joseph Campbell occupies a unique position as both a guardian of ancient Gaelic traditions and a modernizing force in Irish poetry. Born on July 15, 1879, in Belfast, and dying on June 6, 1944, Campbell lived through one of the most tumultuous and transformative periods in Irish history. His life spanned the…
“I pity the man who is content to stay always in the place where his mother dropped him; that is, unless his thoughts wander.”
Neighbourhood:
Folk & Ballad Poets, Georgian Poets, Irish Poets, Nature Poets
Emotional landscape: Sorrow, Spirituality, Wonder
2 live poems · Irish Gaelic
Antoine Ó Raifteirí, more commonly known in English as Anthony Raftery, was born around 30 March 1779 at Killedan, near Kiltimagh in County Mayo, and died on 25 December 1835 at Killeeneen, near Craughwell in County Galway. He occupies a singular place in Irish literary history: he was a blind, impoverished, itinerant poet who belonged to the living oral culture of Irish-speaking rural Ireland, yet he has also become…
“The Church and myself have it made out that it was not Death that was there, but the devil that came to tempt me.”
Neighbourhood:
Folk & Ballad Poets, Irish Poets, Poet-Musicians
Emotional landscape: Longing, Sorrow, Despair