Poems to Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day

Statue of St. Patrick in Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop in Galway, Ireland

With over fifty years of Irish poetry in the WFU Press catalog, you could argue that any poem we’ve published is perfect for celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. But here are several of our favorites that respond to the holiday directly and indirectly, from Frank Ormsby listing “Forty Shades of Green” to Ailbhe Ní Ghearbhuigh describing the “taste of stout / And regret / In my mouth” (or, in the original Irish: “blas pórtair / is áiféala / im’ bhéal / ar maidin.”) One of the very first poems published by WFU Press, “Windharp” by John Montague, imagines “The sounds of Ireland, / that restless whispering / you never get away / from,” while John McAuliffe’s “St. Patrick’s Day” steers well away from the typical imagery of the holiday, meditating instead on wealth, privilege, and place.

“St. Patrick’s Day” by John McAuliffe

“Forty Shades of Green” by Frank Ormsby

“Áiféilín / A Matter of Some Regret” by Ailbhe Ní Ghearbhuigh, translated by Gabriel Rosenstock

“Windharp” by John Montague