List of Irish writers

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

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by editing the page to add missing items, with references to reliable sources.

B–H

• John Banim (1798–1842)
• Ivy Bannister (born 1951)
• Sebastian Barry (born 1955)
• Colin Bateman (born 1962)
• Samuel Beckett (1906–1989)
• Brendan Behan (1923–1964)
• Maeve Binchy (1939–2012)
• George A. Birmingham (1865–1950)
• Dermot Bolger (born 1959)
• Angela Bolster (1925–2005)
• Dion Boucicault (1820–1890)
• Colm Byrne (born 1971)
• Úna-Minh Chaomhánach (born 1991)
• Marina Carr (born 1964)
• Austin Clarke (1896–1974)
• Padraic Colum (1881–1972)
• William Congreve (1670–1729)
• Michael Cormican (1948–2023)
• James Cousins (1873–1956)
• Anne Devlin (born 1951)
• Roddy Doyle (born 1958)
• Gary Duggan (born 1979)
• Lord Dunsany (1878–1957)

• John Ennis (born 1944)
• St John Ervine (1883–1971)
• Bernard Farrell (born 1941)
• Brian Friel (1929–2015)
• Fannie Gallaher (1854–1936)
• Evie Gaughan (born 1976)
• William Nugent Glascock (c. 1787–1847)
• Oliver Goldsmith (c. 1728–1774)
• Lady Augusta Gregory (1852–1932)
• Gerald Griffin (1803–1840)
• James Augustus Hicky (fl. 1780s)
• Declan Hughes (born 1963)

J-O

• Benedict Kiely (1919-2007)
• Denis Johnston (1901–1984)
• Jennifer Johnston (1930–2025)
• Marie Jones (born 1951)
• James Joyce (1882–1941)

• Patrick Kavanagh (1904–1967)
• John B. Keane (1928–2002)
• Cathy Kelly (born 1966)
• Thomas Kilroy (born 1934)
• Jerome Kilty (1922–2012)
• Deirdre Kinahan (born 1968)
• Conor Kostick (born 1964)
• Hugh Leonard (1926–2009)
• C. S. Lewis (1898–1963)
• Micheál Mac Liammóir (1899–1978)
• Donagh MacDonagh (1912–1968)
• Walter Macken (1915–1967 -- see also "Novelists")
• Ian Macpherson (living)
• Aodhán Madden (1947–2015)
• Malsachanus (fl. 8–9 AD)
• Edward Martyn (1859–1923)
• John McCann (1905–1980)
• Martin McDonagh (born 1970)
• Hugh McFadden (born 1942)
• John McGahern (1934-2006)
• Frank McGuinness (born 1953)
• Christina McKenna (living)
• Conor McPherson (born 1971)
• M. J. Molloy (1914–1994)
• George Moore (1852–1933)
• Jimmy Murphy (living)
• John Murphy (1924–1998)
• Tom Murphy (1935–2018)
• T. C. Murray (1873–1959)
• Megan Nolan (born 1990)
• Seán O'Casey (1880–1964)
• Philip Ó Ceallaigh (born 1968)
• Joseph O'Connor (living)
• Antoine Ó Flatharta (living)
• Mary Devenport O'Neill (1879–1967)
• John O'Keeffe (1747–1833)
• Mark O'Rowe (born 1970)
• Cathal Ó Searcaigh (born 1956)
• Robert Owenson (1744–1812)

R–T

• Christina Reid (1942–2015)
• Lennox Robinson (1886–1958)
• Billy Roche (born 1949)
• Sally Rooney (born 1991)
• G. Bernard Shaw (1856–1950)
• Peter Sheridan (born 1952)
• Richard Brinsley Sheridan (1751–1816)
• George Shiels (1881–1949)
• John Millington Synge (1871–1909)
• Colin Teevan (born 1968)
• Colm Tóibín (born 1955)
• Joseph Tomelty (1911–1995)

W and Y

• Mervyn Wall (1908–1997)
• Enda Walsh (born 1967)
• Oscar Wilde (1845–1900)
• Evie Woods (born 1976)
• W. B. Yeats (1865–1939)

Non-fiction

Biography and memoirs

• Úna-Minh Caomhánach (Úna-Minh Kavanagh, born 1991), memoirist
• Bill Cullen (living) author, and businessman
• Emma Dabiri (living) author, academic, and broadcaster
• Edith Newman Devlin (1926–2012) author and academic
• Julia Kavanagh (1824–1877), biographer and social scientist
• Malachy McCourt (1931 - 2024), actor and politician
• Tomás Ó Criomhthain (1856–1937), memoirist
• Thomas O'Crohan (1856–1937), biographer (in the Irish language)
• Muiris Ó Súilleabháin (Maurice O'Sullivan, 1904–1950), memoirist

Gardening and natural history

• Eoghan Daltun (born 1967), rewilding advocate
• Helen Dillon (born 1940), gardener
• Diarmuid Gavin (born 1964), gardener
• Marcus Hartog (1851–1924), natural historian
• William Henry Harvey (1811–1866), natural historian
• Miles McMullan (born 1967), author of wildlife guide books
• Dermot O'Neill (1964 - 2022), gardener
• William Robinson (1838–1935), gardener

History

• Peter Brown (born 1935)
• Seathrún Céitinn (Geoffrey Keating, c. 1569 – c. 1644)
• Roy Foster (born 1949)
• Gerard Anthony Hayes-McCoy (1911–1975)
• Anthony Holten (1945–2020)
• Geoffrey Keating (Seathrún Céitinn, c. 1569 – c. 1644)
• James Kelly (born 1959)
• Thomas Leland (1722–1785)
• F. S. L. Lyons (1923–1983)
• John A. Murphy (born 1927)
• Richard Barry O'Brien (1847–1918), historian and journalist
• John Cornelius O'Callaghan (1805–1883)
• Colmán N. Ó Clabaigh, friar and historian
• Matthew Potter (living)
• Sharon Slater (living)
• James Ware (1594–1666)
• Cecil Woodham-Smith (1896–1977)

Journalism and broadcasting

• Brian Farrell (1929–2014), broadcaster
• Gene Kerrigan (living), journalist
• Robert Wilson Lynd (1879–1949), essayist
• Karen Frances McCarthy (living), journalist
• Norah Meade (1888–1954), journalist
• Fintan O'Toole (born 1958), journalist
• Cornelius Ryan (1920–1974), journalist and historian
• Richard Steele (1672–1729), journalist and politician
• Margaret E. Ward, journalist and broadcaster
• John Waters (born 1955), journalist

Literature and language

• Elizabeth Bowen (1899–1973), literary critic
• Mrs. E. M. Field (1856–1940), literary critic and education

Morality and ethics

• John Bale (1495–1563)
• Nicholas Bernard (1600–1661)
• Richard Paul Blakeney (1820–1884)
• Maxwell Henry Close (1822–1903)
• Frances Power Cobbe (1822–1904), writer on religious and social issues and fine arts
• John Duncan Craig (1830–1909)
• Edward Daly (1933–2016), bishop
• Eamon Duffy (born 1947)
• Desmond Fennell (1929–2021)
• C. S. Lewis (1898–1963)
• John Lynch (c. 1599 – c. 1677), religious writer and historian
• Catherine Mary MacSorley (1848–1929)
• Richard Baptist O'Brien (1809–1885)
• Fintan O'Toole (born 1958)
• William Thompson (1775–1833)
• James Ussher (1581–1656), bishop
• John Waters (born 1955)
• Richard Whately (1787–1863), religious writer and economist

Music

• Aloys Fleischmann (1910–1992)
• Tilly Fleischmann (1882–1967)

Philosophy

• George Berkeley (1685–1753)
• George Boole (1815–1864)
• Dermot Moran (living)
• Desmond Fennell (1929–2021)
• Richard Kearney (born 1954)
• John Moriarty (1938–2007)
• Brendan Sweetman (born 1962)
• William Thompson (1775–1833)

Politics

• Thomas Amory (c. 1691–1788)
• Roger Boyle, 1st Earl of Orrery (1621–1679)
• John Wilson Croker (1780–1857)
• Margracia Loudon (c.1788–1860)

Women's issues

• Maeve Kelly (1930–2025)
• Nell McCafferty (born 1944)
• William Thompson (1775–1833)

Miscellaneous

• Eugene Davis (1857–1897), travel writer, poet
• Edward MacLysaght (1887–1986), genealogist
• Dervla Murphy (1931-2022), travel writer
• George O'Brien (born 1945), academic
• John O'Hart (1824–1902), genealogist
• Seamus O'Mahony (born 1960), medical writer
• Brendan Simms (born 1967), politician
• Francis Stoughton Sullivan (1715–1766), lawyer
• Maev-Ann Wren (living), economist

A–C

• John Banim (1798–1842)
• Michael Banim (1796–1874)
• John Banville (born 1945)
• Leland Bardwell (born 1922)
• Kevin Barry (born 1969)
• 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)
• Elizabeth Bowen (1899–1973)
• John Boyne (born 1971)
• Maeve Brennan (1916–1993)
• John Broderick (1924–1989)
• Ken Bruen (born 1951)
• Lucy Caldwell (born 1981)
• Aifric Campbell (born before 1976)
• William Carleton (1794–1869)
• Joyce Cary (1888–1957)
• Jane Casey (born 1977)
• Austin Clarke (1896–1974)
• Brian Cleeve (1921–2003)
• Eoin Colfer (born 1965)
• Padraic Colum (1881–1972)
• Evelyn Conlon (born 1952)
• Colm Connolly (born 1942)
• June Considine (born before 1959)

D–J

• Seamus Deane (1940–2021)
• Frank Delaney (1942–2017)
• Brian Oswald Donn-Byrne (1889–1928)
• Emma Donoghue (born 1969)
• Gerard Donovan (born 1959)
• Roddy Doyle (born 1958)
• Catherine Dunne (born 1954)
• Lord Dunsany (1878–1957)
• Maria Edgeworth (1767–1849
• Anne Enright (born 1962)
• J. G. Farrell (1935–1979)
• Anne Marie Forrest (born 1967)
• Oliver Goldsmith (1728–1774)
• Gerald Griffin (1803–1840)
• Hugo Hamilton (born 1953)
• Dermot Healy (born 1947)
• Aidan Higgins (1927-2015)
• 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)
• Louise Kennedy (born 1967)
• 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)
• Charles Lever (1806–1872)
• C. S. Lewis (1899–1963)
• Morgan Llywelyn (born 1937)
• Rosina Bulwer Lytton (1802–1882)
• Walter Macken (1915–1967 -- see also "Dramatists")
• Brinsley MacNamara (1890–1963, real name John Weldon, see The Valley of the Squinting Windows)
• Ian Macpherson (living)
• Deirdre Madden (born 1960)
• David Marcus (1924–2009)
• 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)
• James Murphy (1839–1921)
• Éilís Ní Dhuibhne (born 1954)
• Edna O'Brien (1930–2024)
• Máirtín Ó Cadhain (1906–1970)
• Billy O'Callaghan (born 1974)
• Philip Ó Ceallaigh (born 1968)
• Joseph O'Connor (born 1963)
• Mary O'Donnell (born 1954)
• Peadar O'Donnell (1893–1986)
• Liam O'Flaherty (1896–1984)
• Valentine O'Hara (1875–1941)
• Jamie O'Neill (born 1962)
• Louise O'Neill (born 1985)
• Brian O'Nolan (1912–1966, writing as Flann O'Brien and Myles na gCopaleen)
• Glenn Patterson (born 1961)
• James Plunkett (1920–2003)
• Katherine Purdon (1852–1920)
• Keith Ridgway (born 1965)
• Frank Ronan (born 1963)
• Sally Rooney (born 1991)

S–Z

• John W. Sexton (born 1958)
• Darren Shan (born 1972)
• Somerville and Ross (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 (1928–2016)
• Ethel Lilian Voynich (1864–1960)
• William Wall (born 1955)
• Maurice Walsh (1879–1964)
• Leonard Wibberley (1915–1983)
• Oscar Wilde (1854–1900)
• Niall Williams (born 1958)

Poets

A–D

• Adomnán (c. 624 – 704)
• Æ: George William Russell (1867–1935)
• William Allingham (1824–1889)
• Leland Bardwell (1922–2016)
• Eaton Stannard Barrett (1786–1820)
• Richard Barrett (1740–1818)
• Beccán mac Luigdech (fl. c. 650)
• Samuel Beckett (1906–1989)
• Brendan Behan (1923–1964)
• Gerard Beirne (born 1962)
• Eavan Boland (1944–2020)
• Dermot Bolger (born 1959)
• Pat Boran (born 1963)
• Blathmac mac Con Brettan (fl. c. 750)
• Frances Browne (1816–1887)
• Ciarán Carson (1948–2019)
• Patrick Chapman (born 1968)
• Austin Clarke (1896–1974)
• Brendan Cleary (born 1958)
• Brian Coffey (1905–1995)
• Colmán mac Lénéni (530–606)
• Padraic Colum (1881–1972)
• James Cousins (1873–1956)
• Cuirithir of Connacht (fl. 7th century)
• John Cunningham (1729–1773)
• Dallán Forgaill (c. 560 – 640)
• Thomas Davis (1814–1845)
• Cecil Day-Lewis (1904–1972)
• John F. Deane (born 1943)
• Denis Devlin (1908–1959)
• John Dillon (1816–1866)
• Gerard Donovan (born 1959)
• Charles Donnelly (1914–1937)
• William Drennan (died 1820)
• Charles Gavan Duffy (1816–1903)
• Seán Dunne (1956–1995)
• Lord Dunsany (1878–1957)
• Paul Durcan (born 1944)

E–L

• Flann Mainistreach (died 1056)
• Patrick Galvin (1927–2011)
• Monk Gibbon (1896–1987)
• Oliver St. John Gogarty (1878–1957)
• Oliver Goldsmith (c. 1730–1774)
• Sarah Maria Griffin (c1988)
• 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)
• John Jordan (1930–1988)
• James Joyce (1882–1941)
• Trevor Joyce (born 1947)
• Patrick Kavanagh (1904–1967)
• Thomas Kinsella (1928–2021)
• Charles Kickham (died 1882)
• Anatoly Kudryavitsky (born 1954)
• Emily Lawless (1845–1913)
• Francis Ledwidge (1887–1917)
• C. S. Lewis (1899–1963)
• James Liddy (1934–2008)
• Ruth Frances Long (born 1971)
• Michael Longley (born 1939)
• Luccreth moccu Chiara (fl. c. 580)
• Brian Lynch (born 1945)

M–P

• Denis Florence MacCarthy (1817–1868)
• Donagh MacDonagh (1912–1968)
• Thomas MacDonagh (1878–1916)
• Patrick MacDonogh (1902–1961)
• Seán Mac Falls (born 1957)
• Patrick MacGill (1889–1960)
• Thomas MacGreevy (1893–1967)
• Louis MacNeice (1907–1963)
• Derek Mahon (1941–2020)
• James Clarence Mangan (1803–1849)
• Hugh McFadden (born 1942)
• Nigel McLoughlin (born 1968)
• Brian Merriman (1747–1805)
• Máire Mhac an tSaoi (born 1922)
• Alice Milligan (1865–1953)
• John Montague (1929–2016)
• Thomas Moore (1779–1852)
• Paul Muldoon (born 1951)
• Gerry Murphy (born 1952)
• Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin (born 1942)
• Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill (born 1952)
• Nuala Ní Chonchúir (born 1970)
• Dáibhí Ó Bruadair (David O Bruadair, 1625–1698)
• Lughaidh Ó Cléirigh (c. 1580 – c. 1640)
• Máirtín Ó Direáin (1910–1988)
• Mary O'Donnell (born 1954)
• Dennis O'Driscoll (1954–2012)
• Seán Mór Ó Dubhagáin (died 1372)
• Oengus Celi De (fl. c. 800)
• Cinaed Ó hArtucain (died 975)
• Mary Devenport O'Neill (1879–1967)
• Antoine Ó Raifteirí (Anthony Raftery, 1784–1835)
• Aogán Ó Rathaille (1675–1729)
• John Boyle O'Reilly (1844–1890)
• Seán Ó Ríordáin (1916–1977)
• Frank Ormsby (born 1947)
• Cathal Ó Searcaigh (born 1956)
• Seumas O'Sullivan (1879–1958)
• Eoghan Ó Tuairisc (Eugene Watters, 1919–1982)
• Tom Paulin (born 1949)
• Patrick Pearse (1879–1916)
• Joseph Plunkett (1887–1916)

Q–Z

• George Reavey (1907–1976)
• Lennox Robinson (1886–1958)
• Gabriel Rosenstock (1949–2026)
• 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 (1942–2014)
• Sydney Bernard Smith (1936–2008)
• Geoffrey Squires (born 1942)
• James Stephens (1880–1950)
• Jonathan Swift (1667–1745)
• Senchán Torpéist (fl. c. 580 – c. 650)
• Katharine Tynan (1861–1931)
• William Wall (born 1955)
• Catherine Walsh (born 1964)
• Jane Wilde (1821–1896)
• Oscar Wilde (1845–1900)
• James Wills (1790–1868)
• Macdara Woods (1942–2018)
• Frances Wynne (1863–1893)
• W. B. Yeats (1865–1939)
• Augustus Young (born 1943)

Short story writers

A–H

• Robert William Alexander (1905–1979)
• Ivy Bannister (born 1951)
• Samuel Beckett (1906–1989)
• Gerard Beirne (born 1962)
• Blindboy Boatclub (born 1985/6)
• Elizabeth Bowen (1899–1973)
• Clare Boylan (1948–2006)
• Patrick Boyle (1905–1982)
• John Boyne (born 1971)
• Maeve Brennan (1917–1993)
• William Carleton (1794–1849)
• Joyce Cary (1888–1957)
• Patrick Chapman (born 1968)
• Padraic Colum (1881–1972)
• Evelyn Conlon (born 1952)
• Daniel Corkery (1878–1964)
• Anne Devlin (born 1951)
• Lord Dunsany (1878–1957)
• Maria Edgeworth (1767–1849)
• Brian Friel (1929–2015)
• Frank Gallagher (1893–1962)
• Gerald Griffin (1803–1840)
• Aidan Higgins (1927–2015)
• Desmond Hogan (born 1951)

J–M

• 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)
• Sheridan Le Fanu (1814–1873)
• Edmund Leamy (1848–1904)
• Walter Macken (1915–1967)
• John MacKenna (born 1952)
• Bernard MacLaverty (born 1942)
• Michael McLaverty (1907–1992)
• Bryan MacMahon (1909–1998)
• Ian Macpherson (born 1951)
• Violet Florence Martin (1862–1923) of Somerville and Ross partnership
• Aidan Mathews (born 1956)
• Eugene McCabe (1930–2020)
• John McGahern (1934–2006)
• Christina McKenna (born 1957)
• John Montague (1929–2016)
• George A. Moore (1852–1933)
• Val Mulkerns (1925–2018)

O-P

• Edna O'Brien (born 1932)
• Kate Cruise O'Brien (born 1948)
• Máirtín Ó Cadhain (1906–1970)
• Billy O'Callaghan (born 1974)
• Feardorcha Ó Conaill (1876–1929)
• Pádraic Ó Conaire (1882–1928)
• Frank O'Connor (1903–1966)
• Mary O'Donnell (born 1954)
• Julia O'Faolain (1933–2020)
• Seán Ó Faoláin (1900–1990)
• Liam O'Flaherty (1896–1984)
• Seumas O'Kelly (1881–1918)
• James Plunkett (1920–2003)
• Victor O'Donovan Power (1860–1933)

R–T

• Lennox Robinson (1886–1958)
• Peig Sayers (1873–1958), story teller
• John W. Sexton (born 1958)
• Somerville and Ross (1858–1949) and (1862–1915)
• James Stephens (1882–1950)
• Laurence Sterne (1713–1768)
• Colm Tóibín (born 1955)
• William Trevor (1928–2016)

W

• William Wall (born 1955)

Children's and young adult literature writers

• Sarah Bowie
• Niall Breslin
• Eoin Colfer
• Marita Conlon-McKenna
• Sarah Crossan
• Judi Curtin
• Oein DeBhairduin
• Aoife Dooley
• Patricia Forde
• Sarah Maria Griffin
• Paul Howard
• Oliver Jeffers
• Derek Landy
• PJ Lynch
• Dara McAnulty
• Oisín McGann
• Sinéad Moriarty
• David O'Doherty
• Siobhán Parkinson
• Niamh Sharkey
• Deirdre Sullivan

See also

• Irish literature
• List of Irish historians
• List of Irish women writers
• List of writers from Northern Ireland