Rita Ann Higgins’ poetry became a national salve during the pandemic, uniquely capturing the mood of the country as read live on radio from RTÉ’s Brendan O’Connor Show. This collection of poetry, containing the bank holiday poems heard on the show and many others, sets a tone for all seasons. From bank holidays to saints’ days and many other annual celebrations on the Irish calendar year, they are at times uplifting, at times nostalgic, always reflective of real life. With poems such as Lúnasa, I Thought Saw St. Brigit Today, My Mother Loved Me in Red, The Púca, Visiting My Father at Christmas and All Souls’ Day, The Long Weekend leaves no question that Rita Ann Higgins is the people’s poet.