Peadar Ó Doirnín

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Peadar Ó Doirnín (c. 1700 – 1769), also known in English as Peter O'Dornin, was an Irish schoolteacher, Irish language poet and songwriter who spent much of his life in south-east Ulster.[1]

Biography

Ó Doirnín was born c.1700 possibly near Dundalk in County Louth.[1] He was a teacher and the master of a number of hedge schools in Counties Louth and Armagh.[1] He died at Forkill in 1769 and his elegy was composed by fellow poet Art Mac Cumhaigh.[2] Ó Doirnín is buried in Urnaí graveyard in north County Louth.[3][4] The Forkhill Peadar Ó Doirnín GAA club was named to commemorate the poet.[5]

Works

As a poet, and along with Art Mac Cumhaigh, Cathal Buí Mac Giolla Ghunna and Séamas Dall Mac Cuarta, Ó Doirnín was part of the Airgíalla tradition of Modern literature in Irish, particularly in poetry and song.[6] His poetry and writings were collected from the local oral tradition and first published in the 19th and 20th centuries.[7]

One of his poems, Mná na hÉireann, was later set to music composed by Seán Ó Riada and has been recorded by a number of 20th century artists including Kate Bush and Sinéad O'Connor.[8] Other songs, such as Úrchnoc Chéin mhic Cáinte, make classic Gaelic appeals for a return to the solitude of nature.[9][failed verification]

Reputedly, due to the erotic poetry of Úrchnoc Chéin mhic Cáinte, Ó Doirnín was removed from one of his teaching jobs.[10] Other poems by Ó Doirnín are described (for example in his Dictionary of Irish Biography entry) as humorous, bawdy and satirical, sometimes targeting other poets, Roman Catholic priests and fellow hedge school teachers.[1]

Collections

  • Breandán Ó Buachalla (1969). Peadar Ó Doirnín: Amhráin. ISBN 9781851826858. OCLC 246066974.
  • Seán de Rís (1969). Peadar Ó Doirnín, a bheatha agus a shaothar. ISBN 9781851826858. OCLC 5119451.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Ó Doirnín, Peadar". dib.cambridge.org. Dictionary of Irish Biography. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  2. ^ Tomás Ó Fiaich (1986). "Poets and scholars of Creggan Parish". Journal of The Creggan Local History Society.
  3. ^ "Poets Trail: Urney Loop". walkni.com. WalkNI. Archived from the original on 25 October 2007.
  4. ^ "Urnaí". faughart.com. Faughart Historical Society. Archived from the original on 9 June 2005.
  5. ^ "Your Place And Mine - Armagh - Forkhill". bbc.co.uk. BBC. 16 October 2014. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  6. ^ Ni Uallachain, Padraigin (2003). A Hidden Ulster. Four Courts Press. pp. 228–246. ISBN 9781851826858.
  7. ^ "Ó Doirnín, Peadar (C.1700–1769)". ainm.ie (in Irish). Fiontar (Dublin City University). Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  8. ^ "Mná na hÉireann [Poem]". secondhandsongs.com. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  9. ^ "Lon Doire An Chairn - Blackbird Of Doire An Chairn". navan.org. Archived from the original on 23 October 2000.
  10. ^ "The Lover's Invitation". standingstones.com. Retrieved 1 December 2015.