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 ...
in
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
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 ...
. The
Forkhill Peadar Ó Doirnín GAA club was named to commemorate the poet.
Works
As a poet, and along with
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 ...
,
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
*
*
See also
*
Séamus Mór Mac Murphy
*
Piaras Feiritéar
Piaras Feiritéar (; 1600 – 1653), or Pierce Ferriter, was an Irish clan Chief, and poet. Although best known for his many works of Bardic poetry in the Irish language, Feiritéar is also a widely revered folk hero in the Dingle Peninsula for ...
*
Dáibhí Ó Bruadair
Dáibhí Ó Bruadair (1625 – January 1698) was a 17th-century Irish language Irish poetry, poet who was probably received his training in a Bard, Bardic school . He lived through a period of change in Irish history, and his work reflects the de ...
*
Aogán Ó Rathaille
Aodhagán Ó RathailleVariant Irish spellings of his name include ''Aogán'' and ''Ua Rathaille'' or Egan O'Rahilly (c.1670–1726), was an Irish language poet. He is credited with creating the first fully developed Aisling.
Early life
It is tho ...
*
Seán Clárach Mac Dónaill
Sean, also spelled Seán or Séan in Hiberno-English, is a male given name of Irish origin. It comes from the Irish versions of the Biblical Hebrew name ''Yohanan'' (), Seán (anglicized as ''Shaun/Shawn/ Shon'') and Séan (Ulster variant; angli ...
*
Eoghan Rua Ó Súilleabháin
Eoghan Rua Ó Súilleabháin (174829 June 1784), anglicized as Owen Roe O'Sullivan ("Red Owen"), was an Irish poet. He is known as one of the last great Gaelic poets. A recent anthology of Irish-language poetry speaks of his "extremely musical" p ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:O Doirnin, Peadar
1700s births
1769 deaths
Irish Jacobites
18th-century Irish-language poets
Place of birth missing
Irish educators