Antoine Ó Raifteiri

Antoine Ó Raifteiri
Born 30 Mar 1779
Culte-magh, Co. Mayo
Died 25 Dec 1835
Loughrea, Co. Galway
Resting place Kileeneen Cemetery, Craughwell
Language Irish
Nationality Irish
Genres poetry
Notable work(s) Eanach Dhuin, Cill Aodain

Antoine Ó Raifteiri (also Antoine Ó Reachtabhra, English: Anthony Raftery) (1779–1835)[1] was an Irish language poet who is often called the last of the wandering bards.

Contents

Biography

Anthony Raftery was born in Killedan,[2] near Kiltimagh in County Mayo. His father was a weaver. He had come to Killedan from County Sligo[1] to work for the local landlord, Frank Taaffe. Raftery's mother was a Brennan from the Kiltimagh area.[3] She and her husband had nine children.[4] Anthony was an intelligent and inquisitive child. Some time between 1785 and 1788, Anthony Raftery's life took a huge turn. It all started with a cough. Soon two of the children began suffering from headaches. Another child had a high fever. A rash appeared on Anthony's hand. It caused severe itching. Soon the children were covered in that same rash. They had contracted smallpox. Within three weeks, eight of the nine children had died.[4] One of the last things young Anthony saw before going blind was his eight siblings laid out dead on the floor.

As Raftery's father was a weaver, he had not experienced the worst of that era's poverty, but it would be much more difficult for his son to escape hardship. He lived by playing his fiddle and performing his songs and poems in the mansions of the Anglo-Irish gentry. His work draws on the forms and idiom of Irish poetry, and although it is conventionally regarded as marking the end of the old literary tradition, Ó Raifteiri and his fellow poets did not see themselves in this way. In common with earlier poets, Antóin had a patron in Taffe. One night Frank sent a servant to get more drink for the house. The servant took Antóin with him, both of them on one of Franks's good horses. Whatever the cause (said to be speeding) Antóin's horse left the road and ended up in the bog, drowned or with a broken neck. Frank banished Antóin and he commenced the life of an itinerant. According to An Craoibhín (Douglas Hyde) one version of the story is that Antóin wrote Cill Aodáin (as DH Kileadan, County Mayo, his most famous work apart from Anach Cuan, to get back in Frank Taffe's good books. Taffe however was displeased at the awkward way Antóin worked his name into the poem, and then only at the end. Another version has it that Antóin wrote this poem in competition to win a bet as to who could praise their own place best. When he finished reciting the poem his competitor is reported to have said "Bad luck to you Rafftery, you have left nothing at all for the people of Galway" and refused to recite his own poem.[5] None of his poems were written down during the poet's lifetime, but they were collected from those he taught them to by Douglas Hyde, Lady Gregory and others, who later published them.[6] Raftery was lithe and spare in build and not very tall but he was very strong and considered a good wrestler. He always wore a long frieze coat and corduroy breeches.[7] Ó Raifteiri is buried in Kileeneen Cemetery, near Craughwell, County Galway.

Poetry

Ó Raifteiri's most enduring poems include Eanach Dhuin and Cill Aodain which are still learned by Irish schoolchildren.

Eanach Dhúin

"Eanach Dhúin" English Translation
Má fhaighimse sláinte is fada bheidh trácht
Ar an méid a bádh as Eanach Cuain.
'S mo thrua 'márach gach athair 's máthair
Bean is páiste 'tá á sileadh súl!
A Rí na nGrást a cheap neamh is párthas,
Nar bheag an tábhacht dúinn beirt no triúr,
Ach lá chomh breá leis gan gaoth ná báisteach
Lán a bháid acu scuab ar shiúl.

Nár mhór an t-íonadh ós comhair na ndaoine

Á bhfeicáil sínte ar chúl a gcinn,
Screadadh 'gus caoineadh a scanródh daoine,
Gruaig á cíoradh 's an chreach á roinnt.
Bhí buachaillí óg ann tíocht an fhómhair,
Á síneadh chrochar, is a dtabhairt go cill.
'S gurb é gléas a bpósta a bhí dá dtoramh
'S a Rí na Glóire nár mhór an feall.
 If my health is spared I'll be long relating
Of that boat that sailed out of Anach Cuain.
And the keening after of mother and father
And child by the harbour, the mournful croon!
King of Graces, who died to save us,
T'were a small affair but for one or two,
But a boat-load bravely in calm day sailing
Without storm or rain to be swept to doom.

What wild despair was on all the faces

To see them there in the light of day,
In every place there was lamentation,
And tearing of hair as the wreck was shared.
And boys there lying when crops were ripening,
From the strength of life they were borne to clay
In their wedding clothes for their wake they robed them
O King of Glory, man's hope is in vain.

[8]

Cill Aodáin

These are the opening two verses of "Cill Aodáin";

"Cill Aodáin" English translation
Anois teacht an earraigh
beidh an lá ag dul chun síneadh,
Is tar éis na féil Bríde
ardóidh mé mo sheol.

Ó chuir mé I mo cheann é

ní chónóidh me choíche
Go seasfaidh mé síos
i lár Chontae Mhaigh Eo.

I gClár Chlainne Mhuiris

A bheas mé an chéad oíche,
Is i mballa taobh thíos de
A thosaigh mé ag ól.

Go Coillte Mách rachaidh

Go ndéanfadh cuairt mhíosa ann
I bhfogas dhá mhíle
Do Bhéal an Átha Mhóir
 Now coming of the Spring
the day will be lengthening,
and after St. Bridget's Day
I shall raise my sail.

Since I put it into my head

I shall never stay put
until I shall stand down
in the center of County Mayo.

In Claremorris’ family

I will be the first night,
and in the wall on the side below it
I will begin to drink.

to Kiltimagh (Magh’s Woods) I shall go

until I shall make a month’s visit there
two miles close
to Aghamore.

[9]

Legacy

"Mise Raifteirí an File" English Translation
Mise Raifteirí, an file,
lán dóchais is grá
le súile gan solas,
ciúineas gan crá

Dul siar ar mo aistear,

le solus mo Chroidhe,
Fann agus tuirseadh,
go deireadh mo shlighe

Feach anois mé

mo aghaidh ar bhalla,
Ag seinm ceoil
le pocaibh falamh.
 I am Raftery the poet,
full of hope and love
Having eyes without sight,
lonely I rove.

Going on my journeying

by my heart's light
Weary and tired
of unending night.

Take a look at me now

with my back to a wall
Singing and playing
for nothing at all

References

  1. ^ a b Jeffers, Ron (2003). Reincarnations. [Corvallis, Oregon]: Earthsongs. p. 4. http://books.google.com/books?ct=result&id=um4JAQAAMAAJ&q=march+1779#search_anchor. 
  2. ^ Murphy, Maureen O'Rourke; MacKillop, James (2006). An Irish literature reader: poetry, prose, drama. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press. p. 108. ISBN 9780815630463. http://books.google.com/books?id=a6hwGqMiJa0C&lpg=PP1&pg=PA108#v=onepage&q&f=false. 
  3. ^ O'Hara, Bernard (1982). Mayo: aspects of its heritage. Galway, Ireland: Archaeological, Historical, and Folklore Society, Regional Technical College. p. 292. ISBN 9780950823300. http://books.google.com/books?id=GkLYAAAAMAAJ&dq=%22anthony+Raftery%22+Brennan. 
  4. ^ a b "The Deel Basin : a historical survey". Crossmolina Historical & Archaeological Society ([Crossmolina]) 2 (8): 106. 1990. http://books.google.com/books?ct=result&id=fZEMAQAAMAAJ&q=+nine+children#search_anchor. Retrieved 21 May 2011. 
  5. ^ Denvir, Gearóid (1997). Litríocht agus Pobal. Cló Iar-Chonnachta. 
  6. ^ Bartleby. http://www.bartleby.com/250/142.html Retrieved Feb. 24, 2007.
  7. ^ Recollections of Dermot McManus
  8. ^ Lyrics of "Eanach Dhúin"
  9. ^ Lyrics of "Cill Aodáin"
  10. ^ [1]
  11. ^ Raftery on Famous People from Kiltimagh
  12. ^ Scoil Raifteiri WebSite
  13. ^ Ireland OnLine Raftery Room Entry
  14. ^ [2]

Further reading

External links