‘A black day, this’: Irish poetry and the fall of Srebrenica

Abstract

The Bosnian War elicited a substantial number of poetic responses from Irish poets, writing in both English and in Irish. This article focuses on one frequently anthologized poem in particular, namely the poem ‘Dubh’ [‘Black’] by Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill, written on the fall of Srebrenica, 11 July 1995. A close reading of this poem is set in the context of both the United Nations response to the war in Bosnia and the Irish government’s response. Relevant legal instruments and sources of international law are referenced to illuminate those aspects of the poem that evidence a penetrating analysis of events in Srebrenica. This article contends that poetry that responds to human rights violations should not be understood in terms of empathy and affect alone; such poetry can fulfil an analytical function that serves to hold the human rights regime itself to account.