When the Irish Times compiled a list of favourite Irish poems in 2000, ten of Kavanagh's poems were in the top 50, and he was rated the second favourite poet behind W. B. Yeats.
Då The Irish Times samlade ihop en lista av de populäraste irländska dikterna år 2000, var tio av hans dikter bland de femtio bästa, och Kavanagh var rankad som den andra favoritpoeten bakom William Butler Yeats.