This second edition of the Dictionary of Irish Literature is a revised, updated, and considerable expansion of the original volume. Included are more than twice as many entries as in the first edition, with many devoted to new writers who have appeared and developed in the Irish publishing explosion of the last 15 years. A substantial number of entries also discuss earlier authors who were omitted from the first edition. Introductory material discusses the principal themes of Irish writing, the history of Irish writing in English, and literature written in the Irish language.



Though Ireland is a small island with some five million inhabitants, it has produced one of the most remarkable bodies of literature in the world. Many Irish authors, such as Jonathan Swift, Oscar Wilde, George Bernard Shaw, William Butler Yeats, and James Joyce are among the most widely read and closely studied writers in the English language. The Irish literary renaissance during the earlier decades of the 20th century prompted authors to incorporate traditional Irish myths and legends in their works, and the last 15 years has witnessed a dramatic explosion of publishing activity in Ireland.