Winner of the Nobel Prize in 1923, William Butler Yeats is a commanding presence in 20th-century literature and has inspired, and occasionally infuriated, successive generations of readers, writers, and performers ever since.
Marking the 150th anniversary of his birth on 13th June 1865, five of Ireland's leading cultural figures reflect on their relationship with his work. The authors include novelist John Banville, actor Fiona Shaw, writer Fintan O'Toole and poet Paul Muldoon.
In this edition, Ireland's current Professor of Poetry, Paula Meehan, explores the influence of the magical and the mystical in the work of WB Yeats.
Producer: Stan Ferguson.