Green Altars Poems
John Irvine (1903-1965)
The Owenvarra Press
Belfast
1951
I sort of stumbled upon this author. I was reading one of the Vision Books for young readers, Irish Saints by Robert T. Reilly, and there was an excerpt of a poem from A Treasury of Irish Saints A Book of Poems. It was really intriguing and after reading that first volume I made it a mission to try and track down everything Irvine published. At first my dyslexia had me thinking it was John Irving, and I have read a few of his fiction books. But some quick searching put that idea to rest. This author John Irvine lived from 1903-1965. This volume was originally published in1951. It is the fifth collection from Irvine I have read.
About the author on a site with information about Irish authors states:
“John Irvine was born in Belfast and published several collections of poems: A Voice in the Dark, 1932; Willow Leaves: Lyrics in the Manner of the Early Chinese Poets,1941; Lost Sanctuary and other poems among others. He edited The Flowering Branch: An Anthology of Irish Poetry Past and Present.”
Another online description of the author states:
“Irvine, born in Belfast, published about six collections of lyrics between 1932 and 1954, mostly from small presses in Belfast and Dublin. He also edited an anthology of Irish poetry, The Flowering Branch.”
This book begins with a dedication to Liam and Patricia for enduring friendship and then a quote:
". . . This song is secret. Mine ear it passed
In a wind o'er the plains at Athenry."
Aubrey De Vere
The poems in this volume are:
An Old Man By The Roadside Dreams Of Departed Beauty
The Undefeated
The Inn
The Almond Tree
The Thrush
A Love Song
Mary
Green Branches
In The Silence Of The Night
So Ng
Exile
Highways And Byways
The Travelling Man
The Minstrel's Song
Harp And Voice
Kincora
The Spanish Sword
The North Countrie
The Rapparee
The Lost Cause
The Outlaw
A Deep Sworn Vow
I really enjoyed this fourth collection of poems that I have read from the pen of Irvine. It is another volume I could easily see myself returning to. The one bio above mentions 6 collections of poems but I have found 9 listed below, 3 other works, also 6 volumes Irvine edited of other poems. And a note further down indicates another previously unaccounted for volume edited by Irvine. A few sample poems from this volume are:
THE INN
(For C.M.)
How many hundred nights I sat
Within this tavern, like a monk
Sequestered in my little cell,
So deep in books-or drunk.
And often wondered who once sought
This quiet nook ere I was born,
To spend companionable nights
And curse himself at morn.
And when alas ! comes closing time,
I'll leave my seat beside the door
To some poor lad who lifts a glass
When I shall thirst no more.
HIGHWAYS AND BYWAYS
Meadows I love, and orchards, and tall trees,
The little bums that sparkle and are bright,
And fields of barley in the sunny breeze,
And curlew calling in the dim half-light.
Old villages that lie among the hills,
The lonely glens and rivers that are slow,
The fuschia hedges, and the fairy thorns,
And cottage doorways where the roses blow.
The little fields of Antrim and of Down,
The mountain paths, and woodlands by the sea,
The rocky headlands and the sheltered bays,
And moorlands where the winds are blowing free.
The dusty roads are waiting for our feet,
The country inns and many a leafy lane,
Oh come then for the sake of old desire,
And walk with me the Irish roads again.
A DEEP SWORN VOW
Defeat I but we shall rise to fight again.
And bitter tears-but we have wept before.
Not all your wiles or tyranny can conquer,
Nor all your vengeance break us ever more.
Rebels and felons you may have us branded,
Hunted like beasts on field and bog and hill,
And scourged by flame and sword you cannot hold us
Nor bend us to your proud imperial will.
To-day is yours but ours shall be to-morrow
We shall defy you with our dying breath.
The anguished cry for liberty is stronger
Than martyrdom or exile life, or death.
I hope those three poems give you a feel for the collection. The poems vary from one stanza to several, but all poems are contained on single page or a two page spread. Though interestingly all the two page poems include a page turn. They were well worth reading. I read a few of them a couple of times before moving on. It is an excellent collection to work through on a cold winter evening, over a large mug of tea. Again in this collection there are a few poems focused around nature but also several on battles and rebellion.
I was able to track down a copy of this thanks to the National Library of Ireland. The NLI has all volumes I have found written by Irvine and 5 of the 8 edited by him. I am now trying to hunt them all down. These poems were very enjoyable, and I am certain they would be to you as well, if you give them a chance. We are also informed 4 of the poems in this volume are reprinted with permission.
If you can track down a copy to read it is well worth it! Another great collection of poems I can easily recommend it.
Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2026 Catholic Reading Plan!
Books by John Irvine:
A Voice in the Dusk Lyrics
By Winding Roads
Fountain Of Hellas: Poems From The Greek Anthology
Lost Sanctuary and Other Poems
Nocturne: Poems
Sic Transit Gloria Mundi
The Quiet Stream
Two Poems
Voces Intimae
Willow Leaves: Lyrics in the Manner of the Early Chinese Poets
…
Edited by John Irvine:
A Christmas Garland - as J. Pennington Irvine
The Flowering Branch: An Anthology of Irish Poetry Past and Present
The Poems of Robert Burns
The Poems of Robert Louis Stevenson
The Poems of Tennyson
The Poems of Thomas Moore
…
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