Tadhg Gaelach Ó Súilleabháin facts for kids
Tadhg Gaelach Ó Súilleabháin (born around 1715, died 1795) was an important Irish poet. His English name was Timothy O'Sullivan. He wrote many poems, mostly about Christian faith, in the Irish language. His most famous book, Pious Miscellany, was printed over 40 times in the early 1800s! This shows how popular his work was.
Contents
Early Life and His Poems
Tadhg Gaelach Ó Súilleabháin was born around 1715. He grew up in a place called Míntín Eoghain in County Limerick, Ireland. This area is known as Sliabh Luachra.
Early Poems
When he was younger, Tadhg Gaelach wrote poems that were common for his time. These included sad poems (laments) and poems praising people (eulogies). He also wrote poems about war and supporting the Jacobite risings. The Jacobite risings were attempts to bring back the old royal family to the throne. During this time, he lived in County Cork for a while. He was friends with another poet named Seán "Clárach" Mac Domhnaill.
A Change in His Writing
In the 1760s, Tadhg Gaelach moved to Dungarvan in County Waterford. Here, he had a big change in his life and became very religious. After this, he mostly wrote Christian poetry. His poems were about important Christian ideas. These included the Holy Trinity, the Virgin Mary, and the rosary. He also wrote about being pure (chastity) and about saints like St Declán of Ardmore.
Friends and Supporters
Tadhg Gaelach often stayed with the O'Callaghan family. They were Catholic farmers who helped him. He was also a frequent guest of the local Roman Catholic priest, Father Richard Morrissey. Other friends who supported him included the O'Phelan family. One of his last songs was written to honor them. It was called Do Seoirse agus Domhnall Ó Faoiláin.
His Death and Lasting Impact
Tadhg Gaelach Ó Súilleabháin passed away in April 1795. It is said he collapsed while praying inside St. Patrick's Church in Waterford. He is buried in Ballylaneen.
A Poet's Farewell
When his close friend, the poet Donnchadh Ruadh Mac Conmara, heard about Tadhg Gaelach's death, he wrote a special poem. This poem was a eulogy, which is a speech or writing praising someone who has died. Donnchadh Ruadh wrote it in Latin verse.
His Popular Book
Even before he died, copies of Tadhg Gaelach's Christian poems were shared by hand. Then, in 1802, a collection of 25 of his religious poems was printed. It was called Timothy O'Sullivan's Irish Pious Miscellany. This book became incredibly popular!
Between 1816 and 1879, more than twelve new versions of the Pious Miscellany were printed. They were sold in cities like Clonmel, Cork City, Limerick, and Dublin. This shows that it was the most widely read book in the Irish language before the Gaelic revival movement. Later, in 1903, a collection of Tadhg Gaelach's hymns was published by Father Pádraig Ua Duinnín.
