Born: 13 April 1939 · Died: 30 August 2013 · Age at death: 74
How old was Seamus Heaney when he died?
Seamus Heaney died aged 74. He was born on 13 April 1939 and died on 30 August 2013.
Nobel Prize-winning Irish poet and author of Death of a Naturalist
Did you know?His modern translation of the Old English epic poem Beowulf became an unexpected international bestseller when it was published.
Quick facts
Date of birth13 April 1939
Date of death30 August 2013
Age at death74
Cause of deathStroke
NationalityIrish
BirthplaceCastledawson, United Kingdom
Occupationplaywright, translator, linguist
Editor's Take:
Seamus Heaney grew up on a farm in County Derry. He never stopped writing about it. Turf, wells, ploughs and blackberries became doors into memory, history and violence. During the Troubles he wrote with care about a divided country. He refused easy slogans on either side. His voice was warm and exact, and audiences loved hearing him read. His Beowulf translation brought an Old English epic to a new readership. He remains one of the most loved poets of modern times.
Key Milestones
1966: Publishes Death of a Naturalist
1975: Publishes North
1995: Wins the Nobel Prize in Literature
1999: Publishes his translation of Beowulf
Seamus Justin Heaney (13 April 1939 – 30 August 2013) was an Irish poet, playwright and translator. He received the 1995 Nobel Prize in Literature.
Seamus Heaney's birthday is April 13. He was born on April 13, 1939 in Castledawson, United Kingdom.
How old was Seamus Heaney when he died?
Seamus Heaney died on August 30, 2013, aged 74.
Who shares a birthday with Seamus Heaney?
Famous people who share Seamus Heaney's April 13 birthday include Samuel Beckett, Garry Kasparov, Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio, Catherine de' Medici and Julius Nyerere.
