ADDRESS BY PRESIDENT MARY McALEESE ON THE OCCASION OF THE UNVEILING OF THE MONUMENT
ADDRESS BY PRESIDENT MARY McALEESE ON THE OCCASION OF THE UNVEILING OF THE MONUMENT TO DÁIBHÍ Ó BRUADAIR AT BRAODFORD, CO. LIME
The seventeenth century was for Ireland – one which saw the greatest transformation of society – probably only equalled in its magnitude by this century coming to a close. It was the century that saw the end of the great Irish dynasties – a whole culture and tradition which had been rooted in the Celtic origin – and which had been under pressure for some centuries since the Normans first started to appear.
Dáibhí Ó Bruadair – as probably the last of the great Irish poets from the Bardic school – represents the end of that great age of culture – a culture of high regard for poets – and an era where appreciation of for the arts was reflected in the patronage of poets and musicians as a matter of course – ensuring a continuity in the tradition of the great poets and musicians which had lasted for so long. The Williamite Wars were the final nail in the coffin of so many of the Irish Chieftains – and by association – of the old bardic tradition. Ó Bruadair – though reputed to have been born in East Cork – is said to have lived for long periods in County Limerick. In all probability – he was a student at the bardic school run by the O’Daly’s here at Broadford – and probably one of the last to have been trained in the unbroken traditions of the classical poetic schools. He was the most distinguished Irish poet of the 17th century – writing elegies – religious poems – and many verses about political and historical events that he witnessed – and his ‘Summary of Ireland’s Purgatory’ which covered the turbulent years from 1641 to 1684. Indeed these seem to be almost the only contemporary Irish documents setting out the feelings of the people of that time.
While he is said to have spent lavishly in his early life – taking a prosperous future for granted – his fortune was to change dramatically when Sir Seán Fitzgerald – who had been his great patron - sided with Sarsfield at the Treaty of Limerick – leaving with him for France, never to return. In about 1674, Ó Bruadair was forced – through poverty – to work as a farm labourer – lamenting the demise of the great Gaelic clans and families – who had been the great protectors of poetry and scholarship. His disgust at the change that had taken place is summed up in the opening words of one of his poems – “Woe to those who are not gloomy boors”. His feelings about the departure of families like the Fitzgeralds - are very well put in his last poem – in the lines that read –
“To show my face is now of no avail
Since loving friends for distant parts set sail
I miss the men no cheek it were to hail
Not threat my voice to make their innards quail”
In his latter years – before his death 300 years ago in 1698 – he was helped by some friends – and found satisfaction and mental stimulation in historical research – and in transcribing records and genealogies. It is not known where exactly he died – but quite a lot of his poetry – some 6,000 lines – has survived – and were edited and translated in three volumes by Fr. John MacErlean in the early part of this century.
Today we are commemorating Dáibhí Ó Bruadair – three hundred years after his death – by unveiling a monument - which has been sculpted by Cliodna Cussen – who was commissioned by the Ó Bruadair 300 Society – who have marked the poet’s great contribution to Irish poetry in a most fitting way. I commend the Society on their great work in marking the poet in this way – and I want to wish you well in your other projects during the year – including the Ó Bruadair Festival planned for later this month in Dromcollogher – which is also associated with him.
ENDS