Dublin Marathon Yeats medal engraved with unattributed quote

Honouring the cultural legacy of Irish poet, W.B. Yeats, and in recognition of the 100th anniversary of his Nobel prize receipt, participants in next month’s Dublin marathon will receive a medal engraved with the poet's likeness.

Underneath the instantly recognisable portrait is a quote that reads: “There are no strangers here; Only friends you haven’t met yet." However, this quote may not have originated from Yeats at all!

The first Irish person to receive the Nobel prize, Yeats was later joined by literary greats Samuel Beckett, Seamus Heaney and George Bernard Shaw. Renowned for poems such as 'Leda and the Swan', 'He wishes for the Cloths of Heaven' and 'Easter 1916', the Irish writer's work remains a fixture within Ireland's canonical literary history.

Yeats was instrumental in the Irish Literary Revival, profoundly involved in the establishment of Ireland's national theatre, The Abbey, alongside fellow playwrights Lady Augusta Gregory and J.M. Synge. Following the establishment of the Irish Free State, Yeats served two terms as a senator from 1922 to 1928.

The @IrishLife Dublin Marathon Medal .. a tribute to W.B Yeats on his 100th anniversary of receiving the Nobel Prize in Literature.

His quote “There are no strangers here; Only friends you haven't yet met," is engraved on the front & embodies the values of our Marathon 🥰 pic.twitter.com/oyu6GO3aKh

— Irish Life Dublin Marathon (@dublinmarathon) September 8, 2023

Though widely attributed to the poet, Yeats society Sligo director, Susan O'Keefe, noted that there is “no evidence of any kind” that Yeats wrote the words written on the medal. In an interview with The Guardian, O'Keefe states that the quote cannot be found “either in his numerous articles, essays or book reviews, or in his almost 400 poems and 23 plays."

Though O'Keefe recognises the error, she understands that the marathon's decision to utilise the quote was made "in good faith." She also appreciates that the “national poet will be shared with over 20,000 people doing something they’re passionate about."

“We must always remember that not every word he wrote, or indeed word he said, was recorded,” she stated. “And some records have, of course, been lost, during his lifetime or afterwards."

Organisers of the Dublin Marathon noted that "while this quote is widely attributed to Yeats, it has never definitively been proven to be his quote.” However, they've agreed that nevertheless, the quote “reflects the values of the Dublin marathon”, an event that undoubtedly promotes and encourages a spirit of camaraderie amongst its many participants.

The Irish Life Dublin Marathon is set to go ahead on October 29, with a capacity of 22,500 entries.