Donnchadh Ruadh Mac Conmara facts for kids

Donnchadh Ruadh Mac Conmara (1715–1810) was an Irish schoolmaster and a famous poet. He taught in special "hedge schools," which were secret Catholic schools during a time when Catholics faced many rules against their religion. He also wrote poems supporting the Jacobite cause, which was about bringing back the old royal family to the throne. People in Irish stories often remember him as a clever but sometimes mischievous character. He wrote poetry in both Munster Irish (a dialect of the Irish language) and in Irish spoken by people who had moved away from Ireland.

The Life of Donnchadh Ruadh

Donnchadh Ruadh was born in Cratloe, County Clare, Ireland. His family name was Mac Conmara.

Early Life and Travels

Stories say that Donnchadh Ruadh left Ireland to study to become a priest. He went to the Irish College in Rome. However, he was asked to leave the college. After that, he spent several years traveling around Catholic Europe.

He later returned to Ireland through the port of Waterford. The poet then settled in the Sliabh gCua area. This area is between the Comeraghs and Knockmealdown Mountains in County Waterford. Here, he is still known in local Irish folklore as a clever but sometimes rebellious character.

Around 1741, he became an assistant teacher. He worked at an illegal Catholic hedge school in Seskinane. This place is near Touraneena, County Waterford. People in the area say he was very good at Gaelic games. They tell a story that he once led his students to win a hurling game against a team from a nearby district.

Journey to Newfoundland

It is believed that Donnchadh Ruadh sailed to Newfoundland around 1743. He was known for getting into trouble. He supposedly left for Newfoundland quickly because of a personal issue he had caused.

While he lived in the port of St. John's, Mac Conmara wrote many poems in the Irish language. These poems included praises of Newfoundland. He also wrote war poetry that supported the Jacobite rising of 1745.

Donnchadh Ruadh even wrote a poem in St. John's that mixed languages. It had lines in Newfoundland English and then lines in Munster Irish. The English lines praised some Englishmen he met. But the Irish lines cleverly changed the meaning. They made the poem have a secret, rebellious message. The poems Donnchadh Ruadh Mac Conmara wrote in the Irish language in Newfoundland are still considered important works of Modern literature in Irish.

After leaving Newfoundland, he worked as a sailor for a long time. His famous poem Bán Chnoic Éireann Óigh ("The Fair Hills of Holy Ireland") is said to have been written in Hamburg.

Return to Ireland

After coming back to Ireland, Donnchadh Ruadh changed his religion to Protestantism. He read an Oath of Abjuration (a statement rejecting certain beliefs) in the Church of Ireland parish at Carrick-on-Suir. He then joined the Anglican church in Rossmire, near Kilmacthomas.

He was briefly given a job as a parish clerk. But he was dismissed from his job because of his behavior. After this, Donnchadh Ruadh changed back to Catholicism. He then wrote his poem Duain na hAithrighe ("Song of Repentance").

In 1795, his close friend and fellow poet Tadhg Gaelach Ó Súilleabháin passed away. Donnchadh Ruadh wrote a eulogy (a speech praising someone who has died) for his friend in Neo-Latin verse.

Donnchadh Ruadh died in Newtown in 1810. He was 95 years old. He is buried in the Roman Catholic cemetery there. His death was mentioned in the Freeman's Journal. It said he was "the most celebrated of the modern bards." It also said his poems would be admired for a very long time.

Donnchadh Ruadh's Legacy

Francis MacManus was a writer and teacher. While teaching in Dublin, he wrote three novels about Donnchadh Ruadh Mac Conmara's life. These books are set during the Penal times, when Catholics faced many restrictions. The novels are Stand and Give Challenge (1934), Candle for the Proud (1936), and Men Withering (1939).

For a long time, people wondered if Donnchadh Ruadh had really visited Newfoundland. But in the 21st century, linguists made an important discovery. They found that many of Donnchadh Ruadh's Irish language poems contain Irish versions of words and phrases. These words are unique to Newfoundland English. This discovery means that Donnchadh Ruadh's poems are now seen as the earliest clear proof that the Irish language in Newfoundland was spoken there.

See also

• Clan MacNamara
• Diarmuid mac Sheáin Bhuí Mac Cárthaigh
• Dónall na Buile Mac Cárthaigh, fl. 1730s-40s.
• Eoghan an Mhéirín Mac Cárthaigh, 1691–1756.
• History of hurling
• Irish language in Newfoundland
• Irish language outside Ireland
• Irish Newfoundlanders