List of Irish writers

This is a list of writers either born in Ireland or holding Irish citizenship. Writers whose work is in Irish are included.

Dramatists

A–D

• John Banim (1798–1842)
• Sebastian Barry (born 1955)
• Colin Bateman (born 1962)
• Samuel Beckett (1906–1989)
• Brendan Behan (1923–1964)
• George A. Birmingham (1865–1950)
• Dermot Bolger (born 1959)
• Dion Boucicault (1820–1890)
• Colm Byrne (born 1971)
• Marina Carr (born 1964)
• Austin Clarke (1896–1974)
• Padraic Colum (1881–1972)
• William Congreve (1670–1729)
• James Cousins (1873–1956)
• Patrick Dempsey (Holocaust author) (born Dublin 1954)
• Anne Devlin (writer) (born 1951)
• Roddy Doyle (born 1958)
• Gary Duggan (born 1979)
• Lord Dunsany (1878–1957)

E–J

• John Ennis
• St John Ervine (1883–1971)
• Bernard Farrell (born 1941)
• Brian Friel (born 1929)
• Oliver Goldsmith (c. 1728 – 1774)
• Lady Augusta Gregory (1852–1932)
• Gerald Griffin (1803–1840)
• Declan Hughes
• Denis Johnston (1901–1984)
• Jennifer Johnston (born 1930)
• Marie Jones (born c. 1951)
• James Joyce (1882–1941)
• James Augustus Hickey

K–P

• Patrick Kavanagh
• John B. Keane
• Cathy Kelly
• Thomas Kilroy
• Jerome Kilty
• James Lawless
• C.S. Lewis
• Hugh Leonard
• Walter Macken
• Micheál MacLiammoir
• Ian Macpherson
• Edward Martyn
• John McCann
• Donagh MacDonagh
• Martin McDonagh
• Frank McGuinness
• Christina McKenna
• Conor McPherson
• M. J. Molloy
• George Moore
• Jimmy Murphy
• John Murphy
• Tom Murphy
• T. C. Murray
• Sean O'Casey
• Joseph O'Connor
• Antoine Ó Flatharta
• Mary Devenport O'Neill
• Mark O'Rowe
• Cathal Ó Searcaigh
• Robert Owenson (1744–1812)

Q–Z

• Christina Reid (born 1942)
• Lennox Robinson
• Billy Roche
• G. Bernard Shaw (1856–1950)
• Peter Sheridan
• George Shiels (1881–1949)
• Richard Brinsley Sheridan
• John Millington Synge
• Colin Teevan
• Colm Tóibín
• Joseph Tomelty
• Mervyn Wall
• Enda Walsh
• Oscar Wilde (1845–1900)
• W.B. Yeats (1865–1939)

Novelists

A–C

• John Banim (1798–1842)
• Michael Banim (1796–1874)
• John Banville (born 1945)
• Leland Bardwell (born 1922)
• Sebastian Barry (born 1955)
• Samuel Beckett (1906–1989)
• Brendan Behan (1923–1964)
• Gerard Beirne (born 1962)
• Maeve Binchy (1940–2012)
• George A. Birmingham (1865–1950)
• Dermot Bolger (born 1959)
• John Boyne (born 1971)
• Elizabeth Bowen (1899–1973)
• Maeve Brennan (1916–1993)
• John Broderick (1924–1989)
• Lucy Caldwell (born 1981)
• Jane Casey (born 1977)
• Aifric Campbell (born before 1976)
• William Carleton (1794–1869)
• Austin Clarke (1896–1974)
• Brian Cleeve (1921–2003)
• Eoin Colfer (born 1965)
• Padraic Colum (1881–1972)
• Kieron Connolly (born 1961)

D–J

• Seamus Deane (born 1940)
• Frank Delaney (born 1942)
• Emma Donoghue (born 1969)
• Gerard Donovan (born ?)
• Roddy Doyle (born 1958)
• Catherine Dunne (born 1954)
• Lord Dunsany (1878–1957)
• Maria Edgeworth (1767–1849)
• Anne Marie Forrest (born 1967)
• Oliver Goldsmith (1728–1774)
• Gerald Griffin (1803–1840)
• Hugo Hamilton (born 1953)
• Dermot Healy (born 1947)
• Aidan Higgins (born 1927)
• Melissa Hill^[1]
• Desmond Hogan (born 1950)
• Arlene Hunt (born 1972)
• Jennifer Johnston (born 1930)
• Neil Jordan (born 1950)
• James Joyce (1882–1941)

K–R

• John B. Keane (1928–2002)
• Molly Keane (1904–1996) (writing as M.J. Farrell)
• Marian Keyes (born 1963)
• Charles Kickham (1828–1882)
• David M. Kiely (born 1949)
• Celine Kiernan
• Conor Kostick
• Derek Landy (born 1974)
• James Lawless
• C. S. Lewis (1899–1963)
• Morgan Llywelyn (born 1937)
• Brinsley MacNamara (1890–1963) (real name John Weldon, see Valley of the Squinting Windows)
• Ian Macpherson, Deep Probings, the autobiography of a genius
• David Marcus (born 1924)
• Charles Robert Maturin (1782–1824)
• Colum McCann (born 1965)
• Barry McCrea (born 1974)
• Frank McCourt (1930-2009)
• John McGahern (1934–2006)
• Christina McKenna (born 1957)
• Anna McPartlin (born 1972)
• Brian Moore (1921–1999)
• George Moore (1852–1933)
• Lady Morgan (Sidney Owenson) (c. 1776 – 1859)
• Danny Morrison (born 1953)
• Iris Murdoch (1919–1999)
• Éilís Ní Dhuibhne (born 1954)
• Edna O'Brien (born c. 1932)
• Philip Ó Ceallaigh
• Joseph O'Connor (born 1963)
• Peadar O'Donnell (1893–1986)
• Liam O'Flaherty (1896–1984)
• Valentine O'Hara (1875–1941)
• Jamie O'Neill (born 1962)
• Brian O'Nolan (1912–1966) (writing as Flann O'Brien; journalistic pseudonym Myles na gCopaleen)
• TS O'Rourke (born 1968)
• Glenn Patterson (born 1961)
• James Plunkett (1920–2003)
• Keith Ridgway (born 1965)
• Frank Ronan (born 1963)

S–Z

• John W. Sexton
• Darren Shan (born 1972)
• Somerville and Ross (otherwise Edith Somerville (1858–1949) and Violet Florence Martin (1862–1915)
• Laurence Sterne (1713–1768)
• Bram Stoker (1847–1912)
• Francis Stuart (1902–2000)
• Jonathan Swift (1667–1745)
• Kate Thompson (born 1959)
• Colm Tóibín (born 1955)
• Robert Tressell
• William Trevor (born 1928)
• William Wall (born 1955)
• Leonard Wibberley (1915-1983)
• Oscar Wilde (1854–1900)

Poets

A–D

• Adomnan (died 704)
• Æ (George William Russell) (1867–1935)
• William Allingham (1824–1889)
• Beccan mac Luigdech (fl. c. 650)
• Leland Bardwell (born 1922)
• Eaton Stannard Barrett (1786–1820)
• Richard Barrett (1740–1818)
• Samuel Beckett (1906–1989)
• Brendan Behan (1923–1964)
• Gerard Beirne (born 1962)
• Blathmac mac Cú Brettan (fl. c. 750)
• Eavan Boland (born 1944)
• Dermot Bolger (born 1959)
• Pat Boran (born 1963)
• Frances Browne (1816–1887)
• Ciarán Carson (born 1948)
• Patrick Chapman (born 1968)
• Austin Clarke (1896–1974)
• Brendan Cleary
• Brian Coffey (1905–1995)
• Colmán mac Lénéni (died 604)
• Padraic Colum (1881–1972)
• James Cousins (1873–1956)
• Cuirithir of Connacht (fl. 7th century)
• John Cunningham (1729–1773)
• Dallan Forgaill (late 6th century)
• Thomas Davis (1814–1845)
• Cecil Day-Lewis (1904–1972)
• Denis Devlin (1908–1959)
• John Dillon (1816–1866)
• Gerard Donovan (born ?)
• William Drennan (died 1820)
• Charles Gavan Duffy (1816–1903)
• Seán Dunne (1956–1995)
• Lord Dunsany (1878–1957)
• Paul Durcan (1944)

E–L

• Flann Mainistrech (died 1056)
• Patrick Galvin (born 1927)
• Monk Gibbon (1896–1987)
• Oliver St John Gogarty (1878–1957)
• Oliver Goldsmith (c. 1730 – 1774)
• Stephen Gwynn (1864–1950)
• Michael Hartnett (1944–1999)
• Randolph Healy (born 1956)
• Seamus Heaney (1939-2013)
• F. R. Higgins (1896–1941)
• Pearse Hutchinson (1927-2012)
• Douglas Hyde (1860–1949)
• Valentin Iremonger (1918–1991)
• Diarmuid Johnson (born 1965)see Transcript Biography
• John Jordan (1930–1988)
• James Joyce (1882–1941)
• Trevor Joyce (born 1947)
• Patrick Kavanagh
• Thomas Kinsella (born 1928)
• Charles Kickham (died 1882)
• Anatoly Kudryavitsky (born 1954)
• Emily Lawless (1845–1913)
• James Lawless
• Francis Ledwidge (1887–1917)
• C. S. Lewis (1899–1963)
• James Liddy
• Michael Longley (born 1939)
• Luccreth moccu Chiara (fl. c. 580)

M–P

• Oengus Celi De (fl. c. 800)
• Denis Florence MacCarthy (1817–1868)
• Donagh MacDonagh (1912–1968)
• Thomas MacDonagh (1878–1916)
• Patrick MacDonogh (1902–1961)
• Seán MacFalls (born 1957)
• Patrick MacGill (1889–1960)
• Thomas MacGreevy (1893–1967)
• Louis MacNeice (1907–1963)
• Derek Mahon (born 1941)
• James Clarence Mangan (1803–1849)
• Hugh McFadden (born 1942)
• Bryant H. McGill
• Gerard McKeown (born 1980)
• Nigel McLoughlin (born 1968)
• Máire Mhac an tSaoi (born 1922)
• Brian Merriman (1747–1805)
• Alice Milligan (1865–1953)
• John Montague (born 1929)
• Thomas Moore (1779–1852)
• Paul Muldoon (born 1951)
• Gerry Murphy (born 1952)
• Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin (born 1942)
• Nuala Ní Chonchúir (born 1970)
• Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill (born 1952)
• Dáibhí Ó Bruadair (David O Bruadair)
• Lughaidh Ó Cléirigh (c. 1580 – c. 1640)
• Máirtín Ó Direáin (1910–1988)
• Dennis O'Driscoll (1954-2012)
• Seán Mór Ó Dubhagáin (died 1372)
• Cinaed Ó hArtucain (died 975)
• Mary Devenport O'Neill (1879–1967)
• Antoine Ó Raifteiri (Anthony Raftery) (1784–1835)
• Aogán Ó Rathaille (1675–1729)
• Seán Ó Ríordáin (1916–1977)
• Frank Ormsby (born 1947)
• Cathal Ó Searcaigh (born 1956)
• Seamus O'Sullivan
• Eoghan Ó Tuairisc (Eugene Watters) (1919–1982)
• Tom Paulin (born 1949)
• Patrick Pearse (1879–1916)
• Joseph Plunkett (1887–1916)

Q–Z

• Anthony Raferty (c. 1784 – 1834)
• George Reavey
• Lennox Robinson
• Gabriel Rosenstock (born 1949)
• Adam Rudden (born 1983)
• Blanaid Salkeld (1880–1959)
• Maurice Scully (born 1952)
• John W. Sexton (born 1958)
• Eileen Shanahan (1901–1979)
• James Simmons (1933–2001)
• Michael Smith (born 1942)
• Sydney Bernard Smith (1936 - 2008)
• Geoffrey Squires (born 1942)
• James Stephens (1880–1950)
• Jonathan Swift (1667–1745)
• Senchán Torpéist (fl. c. 580 – c. 650)
• Katherine Tynan (1861–1931)
• William Wall (born 1955)
• Catherine Walsh (born 1964)
• Jane Wilde
• Oscar Wilde (1845–1900)
• James Wills (1790–1868)
• Macdara Woods (born 1942)
• Frances Wynne (1863-1893)
• W. B. Yeats (1865–1939)
• Augustus Young (born 1943)

Short story writers

A–D

• Samuel Beckett (1906–1989)
• Gerard Beirne (born 1962)
• Elizabeth Bowen (1899–1973)
• Clare Boylan (1948–2006)
• Patrick Boyle (1905–1982)
• John Boyne (born 1971)
• Maeve Brennan (1917–1993)
• Joyce Cary (1888–1957)
• William Carleton (1794–1849)
• Patrick Chapman (born 1968)
• Padraic Colum (1881–1972)
• Daniel Corkery (1878–1964)
• Anne Devlin (writer) (born 1951)
• Lord Dunsany (1878–1957)

E–L

• Maria Edgeworth (1767–1849)
• Brian Friel (born 1929)
• Frank Gallagher (1893–1962)
• Gerald Griffin (1803–1840)
• Aidan Higgins (born 1927)
• Desmond Hogan (born 1951)
• John Jordan (1930–1988)
• Neil Jordan (born 1950)
• James Joyce (1882–1941)
• Claire Keegan (born 1969)
• Maeve Kelly (born 1930)
• Benedict Kiely (1919–2007)
• David M. Kiely (born 1949)
• Mary Lavin (1912–1996)
• James Lawless
• Edmund Leamy (1848–1904)
• Sheridan Le Fanu (1814–1873)

M–O

• Walter Macken (1915–1967)
• John MacKenna (born 1952)
• Bernard MacLaverty (born 1942)
• Michael MacLaverty (1907–1992)
• Bryan MacMahon (1909–1998)
• Ian Macpherson (born 1951), comedy writer
• Aidan Mathews (born 1956)
• Eugene McCabe (born 1930)
• John McGahern (1934–2006)
• Christina McKenna (born 1957)
• John Montague (born 1929)
• Violet Florence Martin (1862–1923) of Somerville and Ross partnership
• George A. Moore (1852–1933)
• Val Mulkerns (born 1925)
• Edna O'Brien (born 1932)
• Kate Cruise O'Brien (born 1948)
• Máirtín Ó Cadhain (1906–1970)
• Pádraic Ó Conaire (1882–1928)
• Frank O'Connor (1903–1966)
• Julia O'Faolain (1933)
• Sean O'Faolain (1900–1990)
• Liam O'Flaherty (1896–1984)
• Seamus O'Kelly (1881–1918)

P–Z

• James Plunkett (1920–2003)
• Victor O'D. Power (?-1918)
• Lennox Robinson
• John W. Sexton (born 1958)
• Somerville and Ross (1858–1949) and (1862–1915)
• James Stephens (1882–1950)
• Colm Tóibín (born 1955)
• William Trevor (born 1928)
• William Wall (born 1955)
• Oscar Wilde (1854–1900)

Writers on gardening

• Diarmuid Gavin (born 10 May 1964)
• Dermot O'Neill

Writers on music

• John Waters (columnist) (born 1949)
• Tilly Fleischmann (pianist) (1882-1967)
• Aloys Fleischmann (composer) (1910-1992)

Writers on morality and ethics

• John Duncan Craig (1830-1909)
• Richard Baptist O'Brien (1809–1885)
• Desmond Fennell (born 1929)
• Catherine Mary MacSorley (1848-1929)
• Fintan O'Toole (born 1958)
• William Thompson (1775–1833)
• John Waters (columnist) (born 1949)

Writers on philosophy

• Desmond Fennell (born 1929)
• John Moriarty (1938 - 2007)
• William Thompson (1775–1833)

Writers on women's issues

• Maeve Kelly (born 1930)
• Nell McCafferty (born 1944)
• William Thompson (1775–1833)

Other writers

• Seathrún Céitinn (Geoffrey Keating) (c. 1569 – c. 1644)
• Brian Farrell
• Roy Foster
• Gerard Anthony Hayes-McCoy (1911–1975)
• Gene Kerrigan
• Robert Wilson Lynd, essayist (1879–1949)
• F. S. L. Lyons (1923–1983)
• Edward MacLysaght (1887–1986)
• Dervla Murphy (travel writer born 1931)
• John A. Murphy
• George O'Brien (born 1945)
• Richard Barry O'Brien (1847-1918)
• John Cornelius O'Callaghan (1805-1883)
• Tomás Ó Criomhthain (1856–1937)
• John O'Hart (1824–1902)
• Muiris Ó Súilleabháin (1904–1950)
• Peig Sayers (1873–1958)
• Maev-Ann Wren, author

See also

• Irish literature
• Irish Historians
• List of Irish historians
• List of Irish women writers

References

Lists of writers by nationality Albanian Algerian American Angolan Argentine Austrian Azerbaijani Bangladeshi Belarusian Beninese Brazilian Bulgarian Burkinabé Cameroonian Canadian Chinese Colombian Congolese (Democratic Republic) Congolese (Republic) Cuban Czech Danish Egyptian Emirati Filipino Finnish Gambian Georgian Ghanaian Greek Guinean Hungarian Icelandic Indian Iranian Irish Italian Ivorian Japanese Kenyan Salvadoran Saudi Arabian Macedonian Malagasy Malawian Malaysian Malian Mauritian Mexican Moroccan Mozambican Nepali New Zealand Nicaraguan Nigerian Nigerien Norwegian Pakistani Peruvian Portuguese Puerto Rican Romanian Rwandan Sierra Leonean Slovenian Somali South African Sri Lankan Sudanese Taiwanese Tanzanian Tibetan Togolese Tunisian Ugandan Uruguayan Venezuelan Welsh Zimbabwean