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)
• Ivy Bannister (born 1951)
• 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)
• 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)
• Colm Connolly (born 1942)

D–J

• Seamus Deane (born 1940)
• Frank Delaney (born 1942)
• Emma Donoghue (born 1969)
• Gerard Donovan
• Brian Oswald Donn-Byrne (1889–1928)
• 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)
• 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)
• Cathy Kelly (born 1966)
• Marian Keyes (born 1963)
• Charles Kickham (1828–1882)
• David M. Kiely (born 1949)
• Celine Kiernan (born 1967)
• Conor Kostick (born 1964)
• 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 (born 1968
• 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 (born 1958)
• 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 (1870–1911)
• 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)
• John F. Deane (1943)
• Denis Devlin (1908–1959)
• John Dillon (1816–1866)
• Gerard Donovan
• William Drennan (died 1820)
• Charles Gavan Duffy (1816–1903)
• Seán Dunne (1956–1995)
• Lord Dunsany (1878–1957)
• Paul Durcan (born 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
• Ruth Frances Long
• 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

• Ivy Bannister (born 1951)
• 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 (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)
• 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 (died 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 1964)
• Dermot O'Neill

Writers on music

• Aloys Fleischmann (1910–1992)
• Tilly Fleischmann (1882–1967)
• John Waters (born 1949)

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 (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)
• Charles Duff (1894–1966), non-fiction and language-book writer
• Brian Farrell
• Roy Foster, historian
• Gerard Anthony Hayes-McCoy (1911–1975)
• Gene Kerrigan
• Robert Wilson Lynd (1879–1949), essayist
• F. S. L. Lyons (1923–1983)
• Edward MacLysaght (1887–1986)
• Dervla Murphy (born 1931), travel writer
• 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

See also

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