The 111 Greatest Works of Irish Literature
The Greatest Literature of Ireland list is based on the same extensive research and surveys carried out over the past two decades for our Greatest Literature of All Time list with special attention paid to additional evaluations by Irish readers, writers and critics.
The included authors are those who have resided or created their work anywhere on the Irish isle—that is, in both the area today known as the Republic of Ireland and the area today designated Northern Ireland.
This list focuses on major creative works—such as novels, plays, epic poetry and story collections—although some shorter or nonfiction writing of literary significance may also be included.
Latest update: January 17, 2023
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The Táin
by Anonymous, Ireland
Epic prose and poetry
c. 1100–1200
The Madness of Suibhne
by Anonymous, Ireland
Epic poemn
1726
Gulliver's Travels
by Jonathan Swift, Ireland
Novel
1820
Melmoth the Wanderer
by Charles Maturin, Ireland
Novel
1864
Uncle Silas
by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, Ireland
Novel
1872
In a Glass Darkly
by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, Ireland
Story collection
1890
Lake Isle of Innisfree
by W.B. Yeats, Ireland
Poem
1891
The Picture of Dorian Gray
by Oscar Wilde, Ireland
Novel
1892
Lady Windermere's Fan
by Oscar Wilde, Ireland
Play
Irish Fairy and Folk Tales
by W.B. Yeats, Ireland
Story collection
1894
Esther Waters
by George Moore, Ireland
Novel
Arms and the Man
by George Bernard Shaw, Ireland
Play
1895
The Importance of Being Earnest
by Oscar Wilde, Ireland
Play
A Ideal Husband n
by Oscar Wilde, Ireland
Play
The Ballad of Reading Gaol
by Oscar Wilde, Ireland, long poem
1898
Candida
by George Bernard Shaw, Ireland
Play
1899
Some Experiences of an Irish RM
by Somerville and Ross, Ireland
Novel
1903
Man and Superman
by George Bernard Shaw, Ireland
Play
1904
Riders to the Sea
by John Millington Synge, Ireland
Play
1905
Major Barbara
by George Bernard Shaw, Ireland
Play
1907
The Playboy of the Western World
by John Millington Synge, Ireland
Play
1914
Dubliners
by James Joyce, Ireland
Includes "The Sisters", "Araby", "Eveline", "Two Gallants", "Ivy Day in the Committee Room", "The Dead", and others
The Ragged-Trousered Philanthropists
by Robert Tressell, Ireland
Novel
Pygmalion
by George Bernard Shaw, Ireland
Play
1917
The Charwoman's Daughter
by James Stephens, Ireland
Novel
1920
Heartbreak House
by George Bernard Shaw, Ireland
Play
The Second Coming
by W.B. Yeats, Ireland
Poem
1922–1923
Back to Methuselah
by George Bernard Shaw, Ireland, Plays
1923
Saint Joan
by George Bernard Shaw, Ireland
Play
1924
The King of Elfland's Daughter
by Lord Dunsany, Ireland
Novel
Juno and the Paycock
by Sean O'Casey, Ireland
Play
1926
The Plough and the Stars
by Sean O'Casey, Ireland
Play
1938
Murphy
by Samuel Beckett, Ireland
Novel
The Beast Must Die
by Nicholas Blake, Ireland
Novel
At Swim-Two-Birds
by Flann O'Brien, Ireland
Novel
1941
The Case of the Abominable Snowman
by Nicholas Blake, Ireland
Novel
The Poor Mouth
by Flann O'Brien, Ireland
Novel
1950
The Ginger Man
by J.P. Donleavy, Ireland
Novel
1951
Watt
by Samuel Beckett, Ireland
Novel
1951–1953
The Trilogy
by Samuel Beckett, Ireland
Novel series
1952
Waiting for Godot
by Samuel Beckett, Ireland
Play
1955
The Trusting and the Maimed
by James Plunkett, Ireland
Story collection
1957
All That Fall
by Samuel Beckett, Ireland
Play
Endgame
by Samuel Beckett, Ireland
Play
1958
Borstal Boy
by Brendan Behan, Ireland
Memoir
Krapp's Last Tape
by Samuel Beckett, Ireland
Novel
1960
The Country Girls
by Edna O'Brien, Ireland
Novel
1961
Happy Days
by Samuel Beckett, Ireland
Play
1962
Girl With Green Eyes
by Edna O'Brien, Ireland
Novel
1967
The Third Policeman
by Flann O'Brien, Ireland
Novel
1969
Strumpet City
by James Plunkett, Ireland
Novel
1979
Faith Healer
by Brian Friel, Ireland
Play
1980
Translations
by Brian Friel, Ireland
Play
1983
Fools of Fortune
by William Trevor, Ireland
Novel
1987
The The Commitments
by Roddy Doyle, Ireland
Novel
1989
The Book of Evidence
by John Banville, Ireland
Novel
1990
Circle of Friends
by Maeve Binchy, Ireland
Novel
The Snapper
by Roddy Doyle, Ireland
Novel
Dancing at Lughnasa
by Brian Friel, Ireland
Play
Amongst Women
by John McGahern, Ireland
Novel
1991
The Van
by Roddy Doyle, Ireland
Novel
1992
The Butcher Boy
by Patrick McCabe, Ireland
Novel
1993
Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha
by Roddy Doyle, Ireland
Novel
1994
The House of Splendid Isolation
by Edna O'Brien, Ireland
Novel
1995
The Complete Short Prose
by Samuel Beckett, Ireland
Story collection
1996
The Woman Who Walked Into Doors
by Roddy Doyle, Ireland
Novel
Angela's Ashes
by Frank McCourt, Ireland
Memoir
1998
Tara Road
by Maeve Binchy, Ireland
Novel
Seamus Heaney
by Open Ground, Northern Ireland
Poetry collection
1999
A Star Called Henry
by Roddy Doyle, Ireland
Novel
Tis
by Frank McCourt, Ireland
Memoir
The Blackwater Lightship
by Colm Tóibín, Ireland
Novel
2000
Scarlet Feather
by Maeve Binchy, Ireland
Novel
2001
Artemis Fowl
by Eoin Colfer, Ireland
Novel
At Swim, Two Boys
by Jamie O'Neill, Ireland
Novel
2002
Star of the Sea
by Joseph O'Connor, Ireland
Novel
2004
P.S. I Love You
by Cecilia Ahern, Ireland
Novel
The Master
by Colm Tóibín, Ireland
Novel
2005
The Sea
by John Banville, Ireland
Novel
A Long Long Way
by Sebastian Barry, Ireland
Novel
Ireland
by Frank Delaney, Ireland
Story collection
2006
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
by John Boyne, Ireland
Novel
2007
The Gathering
by Anne Enright, Ireland
Novel
In the Woods
by Tana French, Ireland
Novel
An Irish Country Doctor
by Patrick Taylor, Ireland
Novel
2008
The Secret Scripture
by Sebastian Barry, Ireland
Novel
The Likeness
by Tana French, Ireland
Novel
2009
Brooklyn
by Colm Tóibín, Ireland
Novel
2010
Human Chain
by Seamus Heaney, Northern Ireland
Poetry collection
2011
City of Bohane
by Kevin Barry, Ireland
Novel
2012
A Week in Winter
by Maeve Binchy, Ireland
Novel
The Spinning Heart
by Donal Ryan, Ireland
Novel
2014
Nora Webster
by Colm Tóibín, Ireland
Novel
2015
The Green Road
by Anne Enright, Ireland
Novel
2016
Days Without End
by Sebastian Barry, Ireland
Novel
2017
The Heart's Invisible Furies
by John Boyne, Ireland
Novel
Conversations With Friends
by Sally Rooney, Ireland, Novel
2018
Milkman
by Anna Burns, Northern Ireland, Novel
Normal People
by Sally Rooney, Ireland, Novel
2019
What the Wind Knows
by Amy Harmon, Ireland, Novel
When All Is Said
by Anne Griffin, Ireland, Novel
2020
Hamnet
by Maggie O'Farrell, Ireland, Novel
