The Dead Irish Writers Poem by Francis Duggan

John Millington Synge, James Stephens, Samuel Ferguson and Yeats
Still remembered today as Irish literary greats
George Bernard Shaw, Mangan, Oscar Wilde and Joyce
To say who was best of them such a hard choice.

O Casey, A E, Austin Clarke and Frank O Connor knew literary renown
And William Allingham the pride of Ballyshannon Town
The women Katherine Tynan, Winifred Letts, Etna Carbery and Elizabeth Shane
Their literary genius with us does remain.

John B Keane, Clifford Sigerson and Brian McMahon their fellow Kerryman
And the Cork poets Edward Walsh and J J Callanan
And the Tipperary writer Charles Kickham became known far and wide
From his beloved County and his home countryside.

The Gaelic writers of Sliabh Luachra O Rathaille, O Suilleabhain and Patrick Dinneen
Their contribution to Irish literature in books to be seen
McDonagh, Pearse, Plunkett and the Cork poet Denny Lane
And poor Francis Ledwidge the great Poet of Slane.

Gogarty, Percy French, Thomas Davis, Beckett and Seamus O Sullivan and Tom Moore the poet
In literary Ireland all worthy of note
The dead writers of Ireland one thing in common do share
They made Ireland famous in the big World out there.