Kevin Mark Ireland OBE (né Jowsey; 18 July 1933 – 19 May 2023) was a New Zealand poet, short story writer, novelist and librettist.

Shortly thereafter, his parents' marriage failed and he grew up on his maternal grandfather's Waikato farm, and then in Takapuna where he lived with his father.

[2] After changing his surname by deed poll to Ireland in 1957,[3] he headed to London in 1959 where he remained for twenty-five years (with the interlude of a short interval in Bulgaria, translating Bulgarian poetry into English); for two decades, Ireland was employed by The Times.

[4] Ireland's first wife was Bulgarian film critic Donna Marinova whom he met and wed in Sofia in 1959 [1].

After he spent 20 months in Bulgaria, the Communist authorities allowed Donna to leave the country and the young family moved to London.