Pádraigín Haicéad facts for kids
Pádraigín Haicéad (also known as Patrick Hackett) was an important Irish-language poet and a Dominican priest. He was born around 1604 and passed away in November 1654.
Pádraigín's father, James Hackett FitzPiers, came from an Old English family near Cashel, County Tipperary. His mother, Mairéad Ní Chearna, was from a Gaelic Irish family. From his mother, Pádraigín learned a lot about old Gaelic stories and folktales.
Around 1625, Pádraigín joined the Dominican religious order in Limerick. In 1628, he traveled to the Irish College, Louvain in Belgium to continue his studies. He returned to Ireland in 1638 and became the prior (a leader) of St. Dominic's Abbey in Cashel.
The Butlers of Dunboyne family were related to his mother and supported him. A big change in his life and poetry happened when Edmond Butler, Baron Dunboyne, died in 1640. Pádraigín wrote a special sad poem called a caoineadh (lament) for Edmond. This type of poem became very popular in the years that followed.
Pádraigín supported the 1641 Rebellion, which was a major uprising in Ireland. During the time of the Catholic Confederation, he worked as a preacher for the army in the Munster region. In 1647, Pádraigín and other preachers disagreed with the leadership of Donough MacCarthy, Viscount Muskerry. This disagreement unfortunately contributed to the army falling apart. In 1651, he was told to go back to Louvain, where he later died.
Pádraigín's Poems
Pádraigín Haicéad's poems have been published in books in 1916 and 1962. Many of his poems have also been translated into English by poets like Michael Hartnett, Seán Ó Tuama, Thomas Kinsella, and Pearse Hutchinson.
Before he became a Dominican priest, Pádraigín wrote two love poems for a woman named Máire Tóibín. One of these, "Dála an Nóinín," seems to be a translation of an English poem. He wrote different kinds of poems, including those in the traditional dán díreach style, short four-line poems called quatrains, and a special wedding poem (an epithalamium). He also used a term called suairceas, which means "agreeableness," to describe well-written poetry.
