Pat Ingoldsby Book Collection

Welcome to Pat Ingoldsby's Collection.

Preserving the Magic of Ireland's Street Poet Laureate.

In memory of Pat Ingoldsby (1942-2025), we proudly present a treasure trove of work from Ireland's most beloved street poet. Although many may best remember Pat as the whimsical RTÉ children's television host who brightened screens in the late seventies and eighties, his true genius resided in the extraordinary poetry and prose that established him as a legend of Dublin's literary streets.

For decades, Pat was as much a part of Dublin's character as the Ha'penny Bridge or the Liffey itself. His regular spot on Westmoreland Street became a pilgrimage site for poetry lovers; his self-published anthologies changed hands like precious artefacts, each carrying his signature blend of absurdist humour and profound humanity.

The People's Poet and Modern Seanchaí

Pat embodied the ancient Irish tradition of the seanchaí—the wandering storyteller who gathered communities through the power of words. But where traditional seanchaí shared tales by firelight, Pat brought his magic to the bustling streets of Dublin, transforming everyday encounters into moments of wonder.
His evolution from RTÉ radio personality to Dublin's most recognisable street poet was more than a career change—it was a calling. Pat chose the streets as his stage, believing that poetry belonged not in lecture halls but in the hands of ordinary people. He had the rare gift of making the mundane miraculous and finding profound truth in the playful.
As a true people's poet, Pat understood that the greatest stories emerge from the simplest human connections. His work celebrated the beautiful absurdity of daily life, turning bus stops into stages and strangers into audiences hungry for his particular brand of joyful wisdom.

A Living Legacy

These books represent more than just poetry collections—they are artefacts of a unique Irish cultural phenomenon. Each volume tells the story of an artist who chose the streets over the stage, who believed that poetry belonged in people's hands rather than on dusty shelves.
Pat's work embodies the spirit of Ireland's greatest tradition: the seanchaí, the storyteller who weaves magic from the everyday, who makes strangers into friends with a shared laugh or a perfectly timed absurdity.