Happy Birthday William Butler Yeats!

Today is the birthday of the Irish poet and playwright William Butler Yeats (b. 1865 – 1939).  He was the brother of the artist Jack Butler Yeats (see my post on him over at echostains) Dublin born and educated, the poet spent his childhood in Sligo.  Yeats was to become a real driving force behind the Irish Literacy

Happy Birthday Seamus Heaney!

Today is the birthday of Irish poet Seamus Heaney (b. 1939  Northern Ireland) Born into  a farming family, Heaney went to the Queens University of Belfast where he studied English Literature and the English Language.  He was to graduate in 1961 with a first class honours degree.  It was during this time that he became interested