Sir Samuel Ferguson, a minor poet of substantial literary influence, was one of the modern makers of the Irish identity. His love for the indigenous literary tradition of Ireland was as compelling as his interest in its archaeology, to the advancement of both of which he committed his life. It was through his pioneering efforts that the bardic heritage became a vitalizing force in modern Irish poetry, especially in the work of William Butler Yeats.

Born in Belfast, Ferguson was the third son of John Ferguson of County Antrim, a gentleman of Scottish descent. His schooling began in the Academical Institution in Belfast; he went on to Trinity College, Dublin, where he graduated B.A. in 1826 and received the M.A. in 1832. Oddly, though, his wife quotes him in her biography as saying, "I ... never graduated, and held no academic rank till the honorary degree of Doctor of...