Best-Loved Irish Love Poems

by Nicola Reddy (Editor)

In this delightful collection, some of Ireland’s most celebrated writers capture the joy and pain of romantic love.

In this delightful collection, some of Ireland’s most celebrated writers capture the joy and pain of romantic love.

Featuring Oscar Wilde and James Joyce, George ‘AE’ Russell and Ethna Carbery, Thomas Moore and Lady Gregory, Jonathan Swift, J.M. Synge and many more.

Let their inspiring and stirring words guide you through the longing of love unanswered, the joy of love won, and the grief of love that is no more.

Table of Contents

Far the Way That I Must The poet searches for love 

‘Aedh Tells of the Perfect Beauty’ by William Butler Yeats 

‘A Love Song’ by Eva Gore-Booth 

‘Oh, Call It by Some Better Name’ by Thomas Moore 

‘My Love, Oh, She Is My Love’ translated by Douglas Hyde 

‘My Dove, My Beautiful One’ by James Joyce 

‘A Mayo Love Song’ by Alice Milligan 

‘The Burning-Glass’ by AE (George William Russell) 

‘The Cap and Bells’ by William Butler Yeats 

‘Silentium Amoris’ by Oscar Wilde 

‘The Lark in the Clear Air’ by Sir Samuel Ferguson 

‘The Fisherman’ by Speranza (Lady Jane Wilde) 

‘Turn o’the Year’ by Katharine Tynan 

‘If Thou’lt Be Mine’ by Thomas Moore 

‘A White Rose’ by John Boyle O’Reilly 

‘The Lone of Soul’ by Dora Sigerson 

‘Aedh Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven’ by William Butler Yeats 

‘Raftery’s Praise of Mary Hynes’ by Antoine Ó Raifteirí, translated by Lady Augusta Gregory 

‘What Is Love?’ translated by Alfred Perceval Graves 

‘She’ translated by Eleanor Hull 

If I Have You, Then I Have The poet in love 

‘New Love’ by Joseph Mary Plunkett 

‘This Heart That Flutters Near My Heart’ by James Joyce 

‘The Heart of the Wood’ translated by Lady Augusta Gregory 

‘Is It a Month’ by John Millington Synge 

‘The Daisies’ by James Stephens 

‘Our Road’ by Ethna Carbery 

‘On Stella’s Birthday’ by Jonathan Swift 

‘The Little Black Rose Shall Be Red at Last’ by Joseph Mary Plunkett 

‘Dear Dark Head’ translated by Sir Samuel Ferguson 

‘O, It Was Out by Donnycarney’ by James Joyce 

‘Pulse of My Heart’ translated by Charlotte Brooke 

‘Song’ by Francis Ledwidge 

‘My Lagan Love’ by Joseph Campbell 

‘Nocturne’ by Frances Wynne 

‘Your Songs’ by Joseph Mary Plunkett 

‘The Heart of the Woman’ by William Butler Yeats 

‘Dark Rosaleen’ by James Clarence Mangan 

‘The Cooleen’ translated by Douglas Hyde 

‘Echo’ by Thomas Moore 

And Then No The end of love 

‘Dónal Óg (The Grief of a Girl’s Heart)’ translated by Lady Augusta Gregory 

‘No Second Troy’ by William Butler Yeats 

‘Maire My Girl’ by John Keegan Casey 

‘The Stars Stand Up in the Air’ translated by Thomas MacDonagh 

‘A Song’ by Francis Ledwidge

‘Tutto è sciolto’ by James Joyce 

‘In Tír-na-nÓg’ by Ethna Carbery 

‘Destiny’ by Speranza (Lady Jane Wilde)

‘The Song of Wandering Aengus’ by William Butler Yeats 

‘Do You Remember That Night?’ translated by Eugene O’Curry 

‘Inamorata’ by Francis Ledwidge 

‘When You Are Old’ by William Butler Yeats 

‘The Rose of Mooncoin’ by Watt Murphy 

‘The Lowlands of Flanders’ by Katharine Tynan 

‘’Tis the Last Rose of Summer’ by Thomas Moore 

‘And Then No More’ by James Clarence Mangan 

‘The Little Yellow Road’ by Joseph Campbell, taken down from Mícheál Mac Ruaidhrí 

‘On Inisheer’ by Ethna Carbery 

‘The Vision of Love’ by AE (George William Russell) 

‘Her Voice’ by Oscar Wilde 

‘My Voice’ by Oscar Wilde 

Index of first lines 

Index of authors

112 pages, Hardcover

Published April 3, 2025

Reviews

[Muriel (The Purple Bookwyrm) · Rating 3 out of 5]

More accurate rating: 7/10.

Decent little anthology; it contained a few poems I really liked, and I appreciate the fact there were informational notes for each poem and poet included in ity.