A number of tributes have been paid to Michael Longley on Thursday.
The President of Ireland Michael D Higgins said: “It has long been my belief that his work is of the level that would be befitting of a Nobel Prize for Literature.
“The range of his work was immense, be it from the heartbreak of loss to the assurance of the resilience of beauty in nature.”
Artist Colin Davidson posted a tribute, alongside a picture of two portraits of his “dear friend”.
“Today, I am filled with sadness and a great sense of pride,” he said.
“Michael was one of the Belfast greats. One of the Irish greats. One of the world’s greats.
“A poet whose work quietly whispered those truths which we all needed to hear.”
In a statement, Queens University Belfast (QUB) said the poet’s “profound contributions to literature and his deep connection to our city have left an indelible mark on the cultural landscape”.
