Cover to Clover: Great Irish Literature

National holidays are usually just that: national. But St. Patrick’s Day is perhaps the only national holiday to be widely celebrated outside of the country it honors. On March 17, millions become honorarily Irish, an identity they associate with drinking green beer and wearing shamrock face paint. It goes without saying that there’s much more to being Irish. Ireland, for one thing, has had more than its fair share of troubles. Whether in spite or because of this, it’s also had more than its fair share of great authors. This St. Patrick’s Day, honor your own real or imagined Irish heritage by checking out one of the country’s best exports of the non-alcoholic variety. Nearly all of these writers spent significant time abroad, but even Oscar Wilde (who fastidiously avoided the country after being jilted in favor of Bram Stoker) exhibits the characteristic gloom and humor that distinguishes Irish authors as among the finest in literary history.