Irish Literature
Written literature in Old Irish dates from the 6th century AD. Heroic sagas depicting the deeds of mythical warriors Cú Chulain and Fionn, along with lyrical and conventional poetry, survive from that time. The early modern period (1250-1650) produced bardic verse and prose but the literary language was then displaced by the vernacular form, which gave rise to an extensive, popular poetic literature.
Modern writers in Irish, such as Patrick Pearse (1879- 1916) and Pádraic O'Conaire (1883-1928), opened Irish literature to European influences after centuries of isolation.
Distinguished writers and poets of the modern era include Seán Ó Ríordáin (1916-1977), Máirtín Ó Díreáin (1910-1988), Máire Mhac an tSaoi (b. 1922), Liam Ó Flaitheartaigh (1897-1984), Seosamh Mac Grianna (1901-1990), Máirtín Ó Cadhain and Brendan Behan (1923-1964). Among the leading contemporary figures are Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill (b. 1952), Micheál Ó Siadhail (b. 1947) andLiam Ó Muirthile (b. 1950). A significant number of these writers, including Pearse, Ó Flaitheartaigh and Ó Siadhail, have also written important creative work in English. Over one hundred new titles in the Irish language are published annually with books for children proving very popular.
