Contents
Seamus Heaney
Writing poetry rooted in Irish rural life, history and moral conflict.
Death of a Naturalist · North
- Born
- 13 April 1939
- Birthplace
- Castledawson, Northern Ireland
- Died
- 30 August 2013
More people
Seamus Heaney
Seamus Heaney was an Irish poet whose precise images gave ordinary labour and landscape unusual resonance. His writing also explored political violence, memory and the responsibilities of an artist.
Early life
A farming household
Grew up at Mossbawn in County Derry.
Belfast education
Studied English at Queen’s University and trained as a teacher.
Career
- 1960s
Teaching and poems
Taught in Belfast while developing his first collections.
- 1972
Move south
Moved to County Wicklow and later taught in Dublin.
- 1980s–1990s
University appointments
Held major teaching roles at Harvard and Oxford alongside his writing.
Selected work
Death of a Naturalist
First major collection, including Digging.
North
Connected ancient bodies and landscapes with contemporary violence.
Beowulf
A translation giving the Old English poem a forceful modern voice.
Beyond work
Family
Married teacher and writer Marie Devlin; they had three children.
Nobel recognition
Received the 1995 Nobel Prize in Literature.
Sources & photo credit
Biography ↗Life and work ↗Photo: Gotfryd, Bernard, photographer. Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
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