Michael Hartnett was born in County Limerick in 1941 and died in Dublin in 1999. 'Eigse Michael Hartnett', a commemorative festival, takes place each September in Newcastle West, County Limerick.

The Gallery Press has published his major collections -- A Farewell to English and A Necklace of Wrens (poems in Irish with translations into English), as well as his acclaimed trilogy of translations of the 17th century poets O Bruadair, Haicéad and O Rathaille. Collected Poems appeared in 2001, A Book of Strays in 2002 and Translations in 2003.