Abstract: The Belfast Group is considered by many to be an important part of Northern Ireland's literary history in the second half of the 20^th century. Looking back on his long career of poetry writing, Seamus Heaney mentioned the Group frequently and asserted the key role such a community of poetry played in the emergence of a new generation of fledging poets from Northern Ireland. The influence of the Group came not only from the poetic ideas and personal guidance of its founder, Hobsbaum, but also from the way in which members of the Group get along and communicate with each other. Although Heaney was considered the greatest talent among them, the influence of the Group still infiltrated into every aspect of his career, from his poetic ideas to his techniques, visions, and even publications. Besides, the writing about Northern Ireland protestants' dilemma produced by the protestant poets in the Group had a huge impact on Heaney's determinatin to go beyond the vision of Catholics, so as to promote tolerance and adopt a transcending national perspective on the issue of Northern Ireland.

Key words: Belfast Group, Seamus Heaney, Northern Irish Poetry