“I’ve always thought that for such a small country (roughly 5 million people), Ireland has always punched above its weight in the arts. Films, books, painters, actors, poets, playwrights – the sheer number of Irish people operating in these roles at the highest of levels is quite a surprise – just look at this year’s Oscar nominations.

After moving back to Ireland from the UK last year, I’m enjoying discovering that the same goes for book cover designers. For St. Patrick’s Day, I’ve curated a list of Irish Book Cover Designers, along with a selection of past covers from Ireland’s rich publishing history. Huge thanks to Niall McCormak’s Vintage Irish Book Covers blog for the details on many of these. Seo duit, a chairde.”