North was Seamus Heaney's fourth poetry collection – he was in his mid-30s when it came out, living in Glanmore, Co. Wicklow.
It was the first of Heaney's books to tackle the Troubles directly, and it further explored the bog body theme he’d begun in earlier poems like 'Tollund Man’.
It won international awards and acclaim, yet was seen as controversial closer to home.
Poets Annemarie Ní Churreáin and Tom McCarthy joined Sean Rocks in the RTÉ Arena studio to talk about this remarkable book as it celebrates its fiftieth anniversary with a new edition from Faber - listen above.
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