Brían O'Rourke (1949-2022) was a composer and singer of

Irish folk songs Irish traditional music (also known as Irish trad, Irish folk music, and other variants) is a genre of folk music that developed in Ireland. In ''A History of Irish Music'' (1905), W. H. Grattan Flood wrote that, in Gaelic Ireland, there we ...

. He lectured in Irish Studies at

Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology The Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT; ) was an institute of technology, located in Galway, Ireland. In April 2022, it was formally dissolved, and its functions were transferred to Atlantic Technological University (ATU). Now a con ...

and authored several books on Irish folk songs.

Life

O'Rourke was born in Ratheniska,

County Laois County Laois ( ; ) is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and in the province of Leinster. It was known as Queen's County from 1556 to 1922. The modern county takes its name from Loígis, a medieval kingdom. Hist ...

. He was married and had three children, with whom he lived in Magherabaun, Feakle. O'Rourke taught Irish Studies or Irish Heritage at Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology.

Works

O'Rourke published two volumes with collections of Irish songs. These songs were frequently performed by Sean nós singers. * Blas Meala (english: A sip from the honeypot) * An Dhub ina Bhan (english: Pale rainbow) As a composer, he was best known for "The Bhodrán song" (when I grow up), included on the album The Very Best of Irish Ballads (ARC Music 2015) and Chantal du Champignon. In the book chapter "County Mayo in Gaelic Folk Song", O´Rourke identifies a series of characters in the history of

County Mayo County Mayo (; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. In the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht, it is named after the village of Mayo, County Mayo, Mayo, now ge ...

that are remembered through folk songs. *

Seán Mac Aoidh Seán Mac Aoidh (a.k.a. Sean McHugh), Irish poet, fl. 1820s. Mac Aoidh was a native of Islandeady, near Castlebar, County Mayo, who was married to Sail Óg Rua Ní Mháille (Sally O'Malley), who died early in their marriage. His in-laws suspe ...

, murder suspect and ascribed author of the poem ''Sail Og Rua'' * Dónal Ó Maoláine,

rapparee Rapparees or raparees (from the Irish ''ropairí'', plural of ''ropaire'', whose primary meaning is "thruster, stabber", and by extension a wielder of the half-pike or pike), were Irish guerrilla fighters who operated on the Royalist side dur ...

described in an adventure song * Lacky Ó Máille, the troubled friar and author of two songs * Tomás Bán Mac Aodhagáin, a person sentenced to be hanged who is described in the song that bears his name * Dónal Meirgeach Mac Conmara, the freckled adscribed author of the song ''An Ghaoth Andeas''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:ORourke, Brian 1949 births 2022 deaths 20th-century Irish composers 21st-century Irish composers Musicians from County Laois