William Bulfin facts for kids

William Bulfin (born November 1, 1863 – died February 1910) was an Irish writer, journalist, and newspaper editor. He later moved to Argentina and became a publisher there. William was one of ten children from County Offaly, Ireland.

Early Life and Education

William Bulfin went to school in Cloghan, where it's said his teacher was the father of Thomas MacDonagh, a famous leader in the Easter Rising. He also studied in Birr and Banagher.

His uncle, Father Vincent Grogan, was a leader of the Passionist Fathers, a religious group that had a monastery in Buenos Aires, Argentina. This connection would later become important for William.

Moving to Argentina

In 1884, William and his older brother Peter moved to Argentina. They settled in the pampas, which are vast grasslands. Many Irish people from counties like Longford and Westmeath had already moved to Argentina.

The Bulfin brothers had letters of introduction to the Passionist Fathers in Buenos Aires. They went to a large ranch, called an estancia, owned by an Irish settler named Don Juan Dowling. There, William met Anne O’Rourke, who he would later marry. She was also from Ireland.

Life on the Pampas

William Bulfin loved spending time with the local gauchos (skilled horsemen) and the Irish settlers. He watched their lives closely and began writing short stories and descriptions about them. These were published in The Southern Cross, a weekly newspaper in Buenos Aires. The paper was owned and edited by Michael Dineen, who was from County Cork, Ireland.

Years later, William wrote about the vanishing gaucho in The Southern Cross. He described their simple lives: their ranches, horses, and work with sheep. He also wrote about their drinks and how they gambled at local gathering spots called pulperías. This showed how much he admired the lively way of life on the Argentinian grasslands.

A Call to the City

In 1902, William moved to Buenos Aires. He wrote about how a train ride made him realize he needed to leave the countryside. He hadn't seen a train in four years, and seeing one again made him think of his student days in the city.

He felt the city was calling him back, saying he belonged there, even though he was born in the countryside. He described the city as "ugly, selfish, corrupt, insincere," but still, it called to him, and he felt he had to go.

Becoming a Newspaper Editor

Just one year after moving to Buenos Aires, William Bulfin started working as a sub-editor at The Southern Cross. Soon after, he became both the owner and editor of the newspaper!

His stories and sketches were published in The Southern Cross. Because he was friends with Arthur Griffith, a famous Irish nationalist, his writings also appeared in Irish newspapers like the United Irishman and Sinn Féin. Eventually, his work even reached the New York Daily News.

In 1907, his stories were collected and published as a book by Gill. In 1902, he wrote another well-known book called Rambles In Eirinn. This book was about his travels around Ireland by bicycle after he returned to his home country.

Later Life and Family

William Bulfin became ill while visiting the United States. He was there helping to raise money for Arthur Griffith's newspaper, Sinn Féin. He returned to Ireland on the first day of 1910 and passed away a month later.

William had several children. His son, Eamon Bulfin, became an important Irish republican and political activist. His daughter Catalina married Seán MacBride, whose parents were the famous Irish nationalists Major John MacBride and Maud Gonne.