| The Tay Bridge Disaster | |
|---|---|
| by William McGonagall | |
 Original Tay Bridge (from the South) the day after the disaster | |
| Written | 1880 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Subject(s) | Bridge collapse |
| Genre(s) | Lament |
| Publication date | 1880 |
| Lines | 61 |
| Full text | |
 The Tay Bridge Disaster at Wikisource | |
"The Tay Bridge Disaster" is a poem written in 1880 by the Scottish poet William McGonagall, who has been acclaimed as the worst poet in history.[1] The poem recounts the events of the evening of 28 December 1879, when, during a severe gale, the Tay Rail Bridge at Dundee collapsed as a train was passing over it with the loss of all on board. The number of deaths was actually 75, not 90 as stated in the poem.[note 1] The foundations of the bridge were not removed and are alongside the newer bridge.
- ^ William McGonagall (1992), World's Worst Poet: Selections from "Poetic Gems", Templegate Publishers
- ^ "Courier article to blame for Tay Bridge Disaster death toll confusion, says researcher". The Courier. 28 March 2014.
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