Michael Longley: A Custodian of Griefs and Wonders

We are sad to mark the death of renowned Northern Irish poet Michael Longley who died at the age of 85 on 22 January 2025. Born in Belfast in 1939, Longley was celebrated for his profound contributions to literature. He received numerous accolades, including the T.S. Eliot Prize and the Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry, described by Seamus Heaney as ‘a custodian of griefs and wonders’. Check out this note with a quote from Michael, recorded in Acumen news, at the opening of Seamus Heaney HomePlace in Northern Ireland, or his wonderful poem Harmonica, on the Poems on the Underground website.