Literary Links

J.J.Callanan

Jermiah Joeseph Callanan.
Poet and translator of Irish verse, born in Ballinhassig Co. Cork.
Died in Lisbon in exile from his native home.

Gougane Barra

There is a green island in lone Gougane Barra,
Where Allua of songs rushes forth as an arrow;
In deep-valley'd Desmond - a thousand wild fountains
Come down to that lake from their homes in the mountains.
There grows the wild ash, and a time stricken willow
Looks chidingly down on the mirth of the billow;
As, like some gay child, that sad monitor scorning,
It lightly laughs back to the laugh of the morning.

And its zone of dark hills - oh! to see them all bright'ning,
When the tempest flings out its red banner of lightning;
An the waters rush down, 'mid the thunder's deep rattle,
like clans from their hills at the voice of the battle.
And brightly the fire-crested billows are gleaming,
And wildly from Mullagh the eagles are screaming,
Oh! where is the dwelling in valley, or highland,
So meet for a bard as this lone little island!

Máire Bhuí Ní Laoghhaire.(1774-c.1849)

Irish-language poet and songwriter who lived, after marriage, close to the entrance to the pass of Keimaneigh, the place she has made famous. She had little formal education, but a great store of traditonal learning, handing her ballads, aislings and laments down orally in the locality.

Máire Bhuí's most famous work, 'Cath Chéim an Fhia' (Battle of Keimaneigh) is a vigorous rousing and partisan account of a battle between local Whiteboys and a battalion of Yeomanry in 1822.

Robert Gibbings.

Robert Gibbings was born in Cork and educated in University College, Cork, and the Slade School in London. A writer of fascinating travel books he was a very skilled artist and illustrated many of his own books including 'Lovely is the Lee' and 'Sweet Cork of Thee'.

On these I ponder
Where'er I wander,
And thus grow fonder,
Sweet Cork of thee.

Eric Cross

See "The Tailor and Ansty".