William Preston (1753 – 2 February 1807) was an Irish poet, playwright and essayist.
[2] Preston assisted in the formation of the Royal Irish Academy, and was elected its first secretary in 1786, a post he held during the rest of his life.
He also helped to found the Dublin Library Society, and was a contributor to its Transactions.
[1] Preston wrote occasional poetry for periodicals—including The Press, the organ of the United Irishmen, and the Sentimental and Masonic Magazine, 1794—and he contributed to Pranceriana (1784) a collection of satirical pieces on John Hely-Hutchinson, provost of Trinity College, and to Joshua Edkins's collection of poems (1789–90 and 1801).
[1] His main success was his tragedy Democratic Rage, based on incidents in the French Revolution.