Songs of an Irish Poet

Mary O'Leary would have been hanged for treason if the British authorities knew what she was putting into her poems. But because she composed them in Irish they remained blissfully unaware of her rebel sentiments and nationalist opinions.Best known around her native West Cork as M ire Bhu N Laoire (the Irish-language version of her name), this celebrated folk poet of the 19th century composed poems that were built to last. After being passed orally from generation to generation, the songs were collected and preserved by folklorists and now occupy a significant place in the repertoires of contemporary traditional sean n s (old style) performers.

Irish-Canadian author Brian Brennan, a descendant of the poet, collected her entire canon for inclusion in this book, and has displayed new English-language translations on opposite pages from the Irish-language originals.

Adding biographical and archival context to the poems, Brennan has also included a short history of the O'Leary clan dating back to the 12th century, together with the story of the poet and her family. The result is a deserved tribute to one of the few female oral poets of her generation to achieve name recognition after her death.

Reviewer Catherine Ketch of the Irish Examiner has called this book "an important contribution to the literature of Irish studies at a time when there is a worldwide resurgence of interest in Celtic poetry and song." Add it to your library today.