Peadar Ó Doirnín (c. 1700 – 1769), also known in English as Peter O'Dornin, was an Irish schoolteacher,

Irish language Irish (Standard Irish: ), also known as Irish Gaelic or simply Gaelic ( ), is a Celtic language of the Indo-European language family. It is a member of the Goidelic languages of the Insular Celtic sub branch of the family and is indigenous ...

poet and songwriter who spent much of his life in south-east

Ulster Ulster (; or ; or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional or historic provinces of Ireland, Irish provinces. It is made up of nine Counties of Ireland, counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kingdom); t ...

Biography

Ó Doirnín was born c.1700 possibly near

Dundalk Dundalk ( ; ) is the county town of County Louth, Ireland. The town is situated on the Castletown River, which flows into Dundalk Bay on the north-east coast of Ireland, and is halfway between Dublin and Belfast, close to and south of the bor ...

County Louth County Louth ( ; ) is a coastal Counties of Ireland, county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster. Louth is bordered by the counties of County Meath, Meath to the ...

. He was a teacher and the master of a number of hedge schools in Counties Louth and Armagh. He died at

Forkill Forkhill or Forkill ( , ; ) is a small village and civil parish in south County Armagh, Northern Ireland. It is within the Ring of Gullion and in the 2011 Census it had a recorded population of 498. The population increased to 550 at the time ...

in 1769 and his elegy was composed by fellow poet

Art Mac Cumhaigh Art Mac Cumhaigh (or Mac Cobhthaigh) (c. 1738–1773), or Art McCooey, was among the most celebrated of the south Ulster and north Leinster poets in the eighteenth century. He was part of the Kingdom of Oriel, Airgíalla tradition of poetry and ...

. Ó Doirnín is buried in Urnaí graveyard in north

. The Forkhill Peadar Ó Doirnín GAA club was named to commemorate the poet.

Works

As a poet, and along with

Cathal Buí Mac Giolla Ghunna Cathal Buí Mac Giolla Ghunna (c. 1680 – 1756; Anglicised as ''Yellow-haired Charles McElgunn'') was an Irish poet. Biography Cathal Buí Mac Giolla Ghunna is one of the four most prominent south Ulster and north Leinster poets in the sevent ...

and Séamas Dall Mac Cuarta, Ó Doirnín was part of the

Airgíalla Airgíalla (; Modern Irish: Oirialla, English: Oriel, Latin: ''Ergallia'') was a medieval Irish over-kingdom and the collective name for the confederation of tribes that formed it. The confederation consisted of nine minor kingdoms, all indepen ...

tradition of Modern literature in Irish, particularly in poetry and song. His poetry and writings were collected from the local

oral tradition Oral tradition, or oral lore, is a form of human communication in which knowledge, art, ideas and culture are received, preserved, and transmitted orally from one generation to another.Jan Vansina, Vansina, Jan: ''Oral Tradition as History'' (19 ...

and first published in the 19th and 20th centuries. One of his poems, ''

Mná na hÉireann "''Mná na hÉireann''" () is a poem written by Irish poet Peadar Ó Doirnín (1700–1769), most famous as a song, and especially since set to an air composed by Seán Ó Riada (1931–1971). Peadar Ó Doirnín lived in Forkhill in south Arm ...

'', was later set to music composed by

Seán Ó Riada Seán Ó Riada (; born John Reidy; 1 August 1931 – 3 October 1971) was an Irish composer and arranger of Irish traditional music. Through his incorporation of modern and traditional techniques he became the single most influential figur ...

and has been recorded by a number of 20th century artists including

Kate Bush Catherine Bush (born 30 July 1958) is an English singer, songwriter, record producer, and dancer. Bush began writing songs at age 11. She was signed to EMI Records after David Gilmour of Pink Floyd helped produce a demo tape. In 1978, at the ...

and

Sinéad O'Connor Shuhada' Sadaqat (born Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor; , ; 8 December 1966 – 26 July 2023) was an Irish singer, songwriter, record producer and activist. Her debut studio album, ''The Lion and the Cobra'', was released in 1987 and achieve ...

. Other songs, such as ''Úrchnoc Chéin mhic Cáinte'', make classic Gaelic appeals for a return to the solitude of nature. Reputedly, due to the

erotic poetry Erotic literature comprises fictional and factual stories and accounts of eros (passionate, romantic or sexual relationships) intended to arouse similar feelings in readers. This contrasts erotica, which focuses more specifically on sexual feeli ...

of ''Úrchnoc Chéin mhic Cáinte'', Ó Doirnín was removed from one of his teaching jobs. Other poems by Ó Doirnín are described (for example in his

Dictionary of Irish Biography The ''Dictionary of Irish Biography'' (DIB) is a biographical dictionary of notable Irish people and people not born in the country who had notable careers in Ireland, including both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. History The ...

entry) as humorous, bawdy and satirical, sometimes targeting other poets,

Roman Catholic priest The priesthood is the office of the ministers of religion, who have been commissioned ("ordained") with the holy orders of the Catholic Church. Technically, bishops are a priestly order as well; however, in common English usage ''priest'' re ...

s and fellow hedge school teachers.

Collections

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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:O Doirnin, Peadar 1700s births 1769 deaths Irish Jacobites 18th-century Irish-language poets Place of birth missing Irish educators

Biography

Works

Collections

See also

References