May 4 February 20 Irwin

Thomas Caulfield Irwin (4 May 1823 - 20 February 1892) ) was an Irish poet of the 19th century. Born into privilege Irwin probably went to UCD; after his family was involved in financial ruin, he worked as a translator of classical literature, as well as journalist His own artistic enterprises were praised in his time. He was called "the Irish Keats." Here is a partial list of his books-

From Caesar to Christ (1853) ( a novel)
Versicles (1856)
Poems ( 1866)
Irish Historical and Legendary Poems (1868)
Irish Poems and Legends (1869)
Songs and Romances ( 1878)
Winter and Summer Stories, and Slides of Fancy’s Lantern ( 1879)
Pictures and Songs (1880)
Sonnets and Poetry on the Problems of Life (1881)
Poems, Sketches, and Songs (1889)

Now Irwin's reputation as an eccentric predominates: he is described by one literary historian as "the cantankerous vegetarian and cat-lover." Geoffrey Taylor, in Irish Poets of the Nineteenth Century (1951), tried to gather information about the poet, and defines his genius as visible in brief passages of verse, but not in a sustained or disciplined manner. Irwin should be remembered Taylor says, for such glints, but notes that much of his poetry is only found scattered in magazines, and in the volumes printed, his books all contain "formidable and incomplete lists of errata." Taylor is obviously fond of Irwin and his write up includes the text of two ads Irwin had published for lost cats, one in 1872 and another in 1881.