Antoine Ó Raifteiri

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

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 Raifteirí 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 Raftery, 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 An Craoibhín Aoibhinn 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 Raifteirí died at the house of Diarmuid Cloonan of Killeeneen, near Craughwell, County Galway, and was buried in nearby Killeeneen Cemetery. In 1900, Lady Gregory, Edward Martyn, and W.B. Yeats erected a memorial stone over his grave, bearing the inscription "RAFTERY". A statue of him stands in the village green, Craughwell, opposite Cawley's pub.

Poetry

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

Eanach Dhúin

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 the number who drowned from 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.[1] ^ Lyrics of "Eanach Dhúin" Archived 14 August 2009 at the Wayback Machine.

Cill Aodáin

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

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 mé 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 thosóidh 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 I will be the first night, and in Balla just below it I will begin to drink. to Kiltimagh I shall go until I shall make a month's visit there as close as two miles to Ballinamore.[1] ^ Lyrics of "Cill Aodáin"

Legacy

Ireland £5 note, Series C

• The first four lines of "Mise Raifteirí an File" appeared on the reverse of the Series C Irish five pound note.

Mise Raifteirí, an file, lán dóchais is grá le súile gan solas, ciúineas gan crá Dul siar ar m'aistear, le solas mo chroí Fann agus tuirseach, go deireadh mo shlí Feach anois mé m'aghaidh le bhalla, Ag seinm ceoil do phocaí folamh.		I am Raftery, the poet, full of hope and love With eyes without light, silence without torment. Going back on my journey, with the light of my heart Weak and tired, until the end of my way. Look at me now, facing the wall Playing music, for empty pockets.

• The author James Stephens published English translations of poems attributed to Ó Raifteirí in his book Reincarnations.^[8] The American composer Samuel Barber wrote a composition for mixed chorus – also entitled Reincarnations – based on three of the poems translated by Stephens.^[9]
• An annual festival, Féile Raiftéirí, is held in Loughrea, Co. Galway each year on the last weekend in March. Raftery spent most of his later years in townlands close to the town. The festival features a contemporary Irish language poet and promotes the native arts of Ireland. The festival ends with a visit to Raiftéirí grave in neighbouring Craughwell.^[10]
• Kiltimagh town square features a granite memorial in honour of Anthony Raftery erected in 1985, in that same year Kiltimagh twinned with Craughwell, the final resting place of the blind Gaelic poet.^[11]
• Scoil Raifteirí, an All-Irish Primary School in Castlebar, County Mayo is named in honour of the poet.^[12]
• The Raftery Room Restaurant is located in Kiltimagh Main Street^[13]*
• Raftery is mentioned in passing by Irish freedom fighter Liam Devlin in Jack Higgins's 1975 novel The Eagle Has Landed.
• In 2011 a feature film documenting the life of Raftery was produced by Sonta Teo for TG4, and featured Irish actor Aindrias de Staic in the lead role as Raftery.
• A street on the Ballymagroarty estate in Derry, Raftery Close, is named after Anthony Raftery. All the streets in the estate are named after Irish writers.
• Sketch of Raifteirí http://www.irishpage.com/graf/raftery.gif

References

1. 1 2 Jeffers, Ron (2003). Reincarnations. [Corvallis, Oregon]: Earthsongs. p. 4. 
2. ↑ Murphy, Maureen O'Rourke; MacKillop, James (2006). An Irish literature reader: poetry, prose, drama. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press. p. 108. ISBN 978-0-8156-3046-3. 
3. ↑ O'Hara, Bernard (1982). Mayo: aspects of its heritage. Galway, Ireland: Archaeological, Historical, and Folklore Society, Regional Technical College. p. 292. ISBN 978-0-9508233-0-0. 
4. 1 2 "The Deel Basin : a historical survey". Crossmolina Historical & Archaeological Society. [Crossmolina]. 2 (8): 106. 1990. Retrieved 21 May 2011. 
5. ↑ Denvir, Gearóid (1997). Litríocht agus Pobal. Cló Iar-Chonnachta. 
6. ↑ Bartleby. http://www.bartleby.com/250/142.html Retrieved 24 February 2007.
7. ↑ Recollections of Dermot McManus
8. ↑
9. ↑
10. ↑
11. ↑ Raftery on Famous People from Kiltimagh
12. ↑ Scoil Raifteirí WebSite
13. ↑ Ireland OnLine Raftery Room Entry

Further reading

• Mac Eoin, Gearóid (1967). "Mise Raifterí". Éigse. 12: 229–32. 

External links

• Famous Sons of Kiltimagh
• Raftery on Kiltimagh.net
• Audio reading of Mise Raifteirí, an file
• Scoil Raifteirí
• Dolly MacMahon sings "Anach Cuan" on YouTube
• Biography and poetry