Book Reviews and More: Wind From the South

Thursday, 15 January 2026

Wind From the South - John Irvine

Wind From the South

John Irvine (1903-1965)

WM. Mullan & Son

Belfast

1936

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 in1936. It is the fourth 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 Elizabthe and then a quote:

". . . I would not find

For when I find, I know

I shall have claspt the wandering wind

And built a house of snow."

FIONA MACLEOD

The poems in this volume are:

Wind From The South

Sorrow In Spring

Heartsease

To The Unfaithful Beloved

Captive

Canticle Of Spring

Nocturne

Waves

Snow

Dusk

October Winds

Moon Magic

Exile

Song

Seagulls

Evensong

The Prisoner

Spring 1936

Lea Vetaking

Transience

In The Mournes

Night Piece

The Last Spring Together

Enchantment

Nightfall

The Quiet Night

Unending Quest

I very much 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. A few sample poems from this volume are:

SORROW IN SPRING

EARTH wraps him round ;

He cannot see

The flower on

The chestnut tree.

He cannot hear

The blackbird sing,

Or walk the woods,

Remembering.

Nor feel the wind,

And sun and rain,

That makes the warm earth

Sweet again.

His is the dusk

When day is done,

And I am weary

Of the sun.

NOCTURNE

NIGHT spreads

Across the hills

Her splendid silences ;

And breathes a benediction on

The fields.

SNOW

ALONG

The quiet fields

The evening cold has brought

The young snow flying, on the wings

Of wind.

I hope those three poems give you a feel for the collection. This was the hardest volume to pick just three poems to share. I had 5 selected and narrowed it to these three. The poems vary from one stanza to several, but all poems are contained on single pages. 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 numerous poems focused around nature and yet again specifically birds.

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 4 of the 7 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. At the front of this volume it lists other volumes from the author including ‘A Christmas Garland’, which I have not been able to find any other information about, until I read ‘Nocturne’ which indicated Irvine Edited it. We are also informed 2 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 Treasury of Irish Saints A Book of Poems

A Voice in the Dusk

A Voice in the Dusk Lyrics

By Winding Roads

Fountain Of Hellas: Poems From The Greek Anthology

Green Altars: Poems

Lost Sanctuary and Other Poems

Nocturne: Poems

Sic Transit Gloria Mundi