Seamus Mac Cruitín (1815-1 September 1870), was a 19th-century Irish poet and

bard In Celtic cultures, a bard is an oral repository and professional story teller, verse-maker, music composer, oral historian and genealogist, employed by a patron (such as a monarch or chieftain) to commemorate one or more of the patron's a ...

Biography

Mac Cruitín was a native of

County Clare County Clare () is a Counties of Ireland, county in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster in the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern part of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, bordered on the west by the Atlantic Ocean. Clare County Council ...

, apparently the area of

Ennistymon Ennistymon or Ennistimon () is a country market town in County Clare, near the west coast of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The Inagh River, River Inagh, with its small rapids known as the Cascades, runs through the town, behind the main street. ...

. He was a member of the same family as Aindrias Mac Cruitín and Aodh Buí Mac Cruitín. Seamus claimed he was sixth in line of descent from Sean, a brother of Aindrias. He is thought to have been the product of an irregular union between a Tadhg Mac Mac Cruitín and an unknown woman. The names of his siblings, if he had any, are unknown. Associates included the

scribe A scribe is a person who serves as a professional copyist, especially one who made copies of manuscripts before the invention of Printing press, automatic printing. The work of scribes can involve copying manuscripts and other texts as well as ...

Michael O Raghallaigh; Brian O Luanaigh (1828–1901), later Professor of Irish at the Catholic University of Irish; John MacHale,

Archbishop of Tuam The Archbishop of Tuam ( ; ) is an Episcopal polity, archbishop which takes its name after the town of Tuam in County Galway, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The title was used by the Church of Ireland until 1839, and is still in use by the Cathol ...

;

Eugene O'Curry Eugene O'Curry (, 20 November 179430 July 1862) was an Irish philologist and antiquary. Life He was born at Doonaha, near Carrigaholt, County Clare, the son of Eoghan Ó Comhraí, a farmer, and his wife Cáit. Eoghan had spent some time as a ...

;

William Smith O'Brien William Smith O'Brien (; 17 October 1803 – 18 June 1864) was an Irish republicanism, Irish republican who, in the course of Ireland's Great Famine (Ireland), Great Famine, had been converted to the cause of Irish nationalism, national i ...

. Mac Cruitín had spent some time in

County Kerry County Kerry () is a Counties of Ireland, county on the southwest coast of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. It is bordered by two other countie ...

, and by his early 20s was working as a schoolmaster. His works included translations of

Brian Merriman Brian Merriman or in Irish Brian Mac Giolla Meidhre (c. 1747 – 27 July 1805) was an 18th-century Irish-language bard, farmer, hedge school teacher, and Irish traditional musician from rural County Clare. Long after his death, Merriman's li ...

's ''The Midnight Court'', collected songs and poems for

, translations and versions for O'Brien, in addition to composing original material. After years of heavy drinking and bad health, Mac Cruitín's health broke down. He developed a severe illness which developed into

rheumatic fever Rheumatic fever (RF) is an inflammation#Disorders, inflammatory disease that can involve the heart, joints, skin, and brain. The disease typically develops two to four weeks after a Streptococcal pharyngitis, streptococcal throat infection. Si ...

. He was brought to Ennistymon Workhouse, where he died on 1 September 1870. Mac Cruitín was buried in an unmarked grave in the

pauper Pauperism (; ) is the condition of being a "pauper", i.e. receiving relief administered under the Irish and English Poor Laws. From this, pauperism can also be more generally the state of being supported at public expense, within or outside of ...

s' plot of Ennistymon

Workhouse In Britain and Ireland, a workhouse (, lit. "poor-house") was a total institution where those unable to support themselves financially were offered accommodation and employment. In Scotland, they were usually known as Scottish poorhouse, poorh ...

. His death was not reported in the local papers. The official cause of death was

cirrhosis Cirrhosis, also known as liver cirrhosis or hepatic cirrhosis, chronic liver failure or chronic hepatic failure and end-stage liver disease, is a chronic condition of the liver in which the normal functioning tissue, or parenchyma, is replaced ...

of the

liver The liver is a major metabolic organ (anatomy), organ exclusively found in vertebrates, which performs many essential biological Function (biology), functions such as detoxification of the organism, and the Protein biosynthesis, synthesis of var ...

Notable works

* ''Is baoth an turas'', written 12 May 1836, his earliest dated poem * ''All hail young gentry'', written for the O'Briens of Elmvale, Corofin, c. 1840 * ''Come over fair Monarch'', published in the ''Limerick Reporter'', March 1842, one of some thirty of his poems published in that newspaper between January 1841 and March 1847, at first signed "A Six Months Tutor", last as "McCurtin". * ''A Chlanna Gael'',

elegy An elegy is a poem of serious reflection, and in English literature usually a lament for the dead. However, according to ''The Oxford Handbook of the Elegy'', "for all of its pervasiveness ... the 'elegy' remains remarkably ill defined: sometime ...

on Sir Michael O'Loughlen,

Master of the Rolls The Keeper or Master of the Rolls and Records of the Chancery of England, known as the Master of the Rolls, is the President of the Court of Appeal (England and Wales)#Civil Division, Civil Division of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales ...

, died November 1842 * ''Lines suggested on entering the R.C. cathedral of

Tuam Tuam (; , meaning 'mound' or 'burial-place') is a town in Ireland and the second-largest settlement in County Galway. It is west of the midland Region, Ireland, midlands of Ireland, about north of Galway city. The town is in a civil parishe ...

'' * ''Ag cur slan le Gaeilge'' (''Farewell to Irish'') * ''Air Uilliam Mhic an Ghabhan Ui Bhrian'' (''On William Smith O'Brian, Esq., M.P.'') * ''Slan le Cluain an Atha'' (''Farewell to Cloonanaha'') * ''Uadhacht Sheamuis Mhic Chruitin'' (''the last will and testament of James McCurtin'', apparently composed during his final illness

References

* ''The last of the hereditary bards of Thomond:Seamus Mac Cruitin 1815-70'', Brian O Dalaigh, in ''North Munster Antiquarian Journal'' volume 47, 2007, pp. 77–90 * ''James McCurtin, the last of the bards'', Muiris O Rochain, in ''Dal gCais'' 2, 1976, pp. 13–15 * ''The last Hedge-Schoolmaster of Thomond'', Joseph F. Reynolds, ''Ennistymon Parish Magazine'', 1994, pp. 53–54. {{DEFAULTSORT:Mac Cruitin, Seamus 19th-century Irish-language poets 19th-century Irish translators Irish scribes Writers from County Clare 1870 deaths Translators to Irish 1815 births People from Ennistymon