Are we all natural born poets? Well, per capita, we seem to have an inordinately high number of poets, writers, musicians. Don’t know why, but my own theory? Now dere’s a ting. “Trapped” on a small rock out in the Atlantic ocean, dominated by Catholicism - i.e., no sex outside marriage and so forth -what the h*ll else was there to do but compose poems, stories, music. 
@ Sheila
Yes, I once knew ‘another’ Irishman, who was an absolute charmer( now dares a ting ) he added phrasettes such as:
“is dat a fact”
“well oi never did”
He had a whole library of these lovely phrases, which he would pepper into any conversation. ( he once admitted to me that he was actually cultivating his Irish-ness )
I did catch him out one day, when it dawned on me that he had competed a whole sentence of ‘phrases’ which in context, made no sense at all, but sounded great. ( now dares a ting )
are all Irish people natural born poets?
ignore my OH, she can’t do accents!
Indeed, now there’s a thing - Hiberno-English can cause some confusion!
@Michelle
it’s more like “now, dares a ting”
hello Sheila,
we have an Irish friend who is always saying, now there’s a thing.
Sorry, Michelle, I forgot to have my coffee this morning, so brain a bit slow. What do you mean?
@ Sheila
Irish indeed, now there’s a thing
Morning, Mr. Birks. The only link between them is that they are all Irish, and I realised I omitted Oscar Wilde.
is there some kind match on? is it chess? or suffink?
Interesting list there, Mrs. Walshe-Blackmore, tell me, is there some sort of link between these poets? and, time allowing, can you recite any of their works…by heart? I’ll be with you shortly , still drying out my fireworks…thanks to Riki
Ireland play South Africa tomorrow in the Autumn international series, so wearing my Irish jersey, I offer the following from my list of favourites.
William Butler Yeats
Jonathan Swift
James Joyce
Patrick Kavanagh
Spike Milligan
Eavan Boland
Seamus Heaney
does anyone have a hair dryer?
Thanks for the comment Ben. Not a fan I gather?
The best poet is a dead poet, it renders them a bit famous and less pretentious.
(Or as Kafka so eloquently stated: "In science one tries to tell people, in such a way as to be understood by everyone, something that no one ever knew before. But in poetry, it's the exact opposite") ;-)
Pure Poetry, well done.
Pic of Lechlade on Thames...