"The Ireland I now inhabit is one that these Irish contemporaries have helped to imagine"

Seamus Heaney reflects on the profound impact that peers, artists, and intellectuals have on shaping a nation’s collective imagination. By focusing on the Ireland he currently inhabits, Heaney acknowledges that the reality of his homeland is not a static or solitary creation; rather, it is a living tapestry woven from the dreams, struggles, and perspectives of his contemporaries. These are not just politicians or historical figures, but writers, thinkers, musicians, people contributing their unique visions and voices to the narrative of Ireland.

Heaney’s words suggest that identity is not merely inherited or discovered; it is collaboratively constructed. The Ireland of his experience doesn’t exist in isolation from those living alongside him. Every poem penned, every song sung, every idea debated has an influence, often subtle, on the way the country thinks of itself. The imagination is a powerful force, and when it operates collectively, it can reshape landscapes and redefine cultural values.

Heaney also gestures to the importance of artistic and cultural production in national identity. The “Irish contemporaries” referenced are those who, through their creative work, help to envision and create possibilities for what Ireland might become. The country is thus seen not just as a jurisdiction or a set of traditions, but as a concept continually reimagined in the hearts and minds of its people. Heaney’s vision is democratic and generous: every contemporary voice, through its own imagining, participates in forming the lived reality of their shared nation.

By acknowledging this process, Heaney subtly urges appreciation for the mutual influence and responsibility shared among people living in any society. No one person owns the whole story; it takes many actors to imagine, and therefore create, the full richness of a community or a country.