A Necklace of Wrens presents a generous selection of Michael Hartnett's poems in Irish and his own translations of them into English. Among the poems gleaned from his first collection in Irish, Adharca Broic, which won The Irish Poetry Award in 1980, is 'Cúlú Íde / 'The Retreat of Ita Cagney'. It includes also poems from Do Nuala: Foighne Chrainn and two significant long poems, 'An Phurgóid / 'The Purge' and a magnificent meditation, 'An Lia Nocht' / 'The Naked Surgeon'.

Besides gathering a distinguished body of original work in Irish, this book invites readers of English to savour another dimension of an abundantly talented poet.