Statement by the Tánaiste on the passing of Paul Durcan

Paul Durcan was unflinchingly honest, witty and one of Ireland’s best poetic voices.

In the quiet spaces of ordinary moments, he found inspiration.

His body of work was both accessible and deep and this is shown in his fantastic final selection of eighty of his finest poems, published in celebration of his 80th birthday last year.

With his passing, Ireland has lost one of its most distinctive and authentic voices - and his work, which often turned the mundane into the extraordinary, will live on for generations.