A historical and critical analysis of Irish poetry from 1167 to 1798, this volume - a new revised edition of the outstanding work on the subject - deals with and "poetry in the English language written by an Irishman or Anglo-Irishman and inspired by Ireland or its people. and " The paucity of truly Irish poetry written in English during this period makes this a difficult and yet peculiarly rewarding subject. For the poetry that did exist during these centuries was the motivation for the great Celtic Renaissance of the nineteenth century, which culminated in the works of W.B. Yeats, Lady Gregory, and James Stephens. Dr. Alspach's book is a sober, scholarly work dealing with a topic which should prove of vital interest to all students of Irish and English literature.