October 28, 1907

John  Hewitt (October 28, 1907 to June 22 1987) was an Irish poet, and like the others, could not escape the question of what that means. History is a theme in his work as these lines typify:

This is my country; my grandfather came here

and raised his walls and fenced the tangled waste

and gave his years and strength into the earth

Such is not meant to justify British atrocity of course.

Hewitt worked in various museums in his career, and in 1976 he became writer-in-residence at his alma mater, Queen's University.
One of his poems,  "The Pet Shop" recalls

I never had the luck to keep a pet:
canary, rabbit, kitten, all were tried.

Which is human sad, not Irish sad.