An Erris poet

Summer life in Ireland is decorated by schools in honour of Irish writers. Last week in Leitrim there was a conference which reflected on the life and work of John McGahern. The Yeats’ summer school started on Sunday.

It is a pity that the ‘éigse’ to commemorate the Erris poet, Riocard Bairéad, held regularly in the 1980’s and 90’s, has fallen into abeyance. According to Nicholas Williams, who has provided a collected edition of Bairéad’s work in his book, ‘Riocard Bairéad. Amhráin’, he was one of the most important poets in Connacht during the late penal days. One of his poems, ‘Preab san Ól’, is included in the ‘Field Day Anthology of Irish Writing’, the most comprehensive omnibus of Irish literature so far published.

Riocard Bairéad was born in 1739 in the village of Barrack on the Mullet peninsula. He spent his life in Erris. His only foray outside the barony was for three months imprisonment in Castlebar after the United Irishmen rising of 1798. He was indicted for incitement rather than for taking part in the rebellion, which helps account for his relatively light sentence.

Bairéad married twice, first to Nancy Tollet and, after her death, to Máire Ní Mhoárin, with whom he had two children. After his marriage to Nancy he moved to a small cottage and five-acre farm in Carna where he spent the rest of his life.

Erris in Bairéad’s time was an isolated and self-contained community. James McParlan, in his ‘Statistical Survey of Mayo’ (1802), gives a vivid picture of its remoteness:

“The roads are but few; all in this season of the year (November) impassably bad, except one, and even that as rough and devious as those of the Alps or Mound St Bernard. In the course of 30 mile from Newport to the melt, this alpine road is intercepted by about 20 rivers, on the banks of some of which one must stand, if there is a flood, till it subsides, without cabin or cover from the storm, as there are at least 15 miles of tract without a human habitation.” The town of Belmullet was not developed until the 1820’s. The road from Erris to Castlebar was not built until after Bairéad’s death.

Though isolated, Erris was becoming better known by the early 19th century. It was fashionable then for English travel writers to visit remote places and many of them found their way to Erris where they usually met with Riocard Bairéad.

One of them, J B Trotter, provided a pen portrait of the poet:

“He is a fine old man, between 70 and 80 years of age, modest, of conciliating manners, having the deportment of a plain English country gentleman, with all the mildness of polished life. His conversation was sensible and the vivacity of the poet often broke out.”

Patrick Knight was probably the visitor who knew him best. He worked as an engineer in Erris in the early 19th century and designed the town of Belmullet. His book, ‘Erris in the Irish Highlands’, published in 1836, is the first comprehensive account of the barony.

He described Bairéad as a “real genius”: “Sweet, correct, mellifluous in his language and verse, his songs were sung and listened to by everyone who understood the beauties of their native language, with the pleasurable feeling that a remnant of the bards of old had yet survived in Ireland.” However, he dreaded the “eye of criticism” and was reluctant to show his work to outsiders. Knight managed to collect several versions of his poems and songs which he presented to the Royal Irish Academy.

Riocard Bairéad was much influenced by the writings of Dean Swift. His compositions echo Swift’s satirical style, as exemplified in the poem, ‘Eoghan Cóir’. Instead of ridiculing his subject, he lavishes false praise on him.

Eoghan Cóir (Conway) was a dreaded landlord’s agent, noted for his cruelty to tenants. Bairéad was spurred to write the poem after Conway duped an impoverished couple who could not afford to pay the rent. Dressed in tattered rages Eoghan Cóir visited the couple who provided the ‘beggar man’ with lodgings for the night. By morning he had fled with their few animals.

His ‘Tarraingt na Móna’ provides an insight into the meitheal system of cooperation which then existed in Erris. One autumn day Riocard was preparing ground for a turf stack when the local landlord, Major Bingham, passing by, commented: “It’s not with songs you’ll turf that Barrette.” Bairéad send an appeal for help to his friends and neighbours who rallied round and ensured he was warm for the winter.

His most famous poem, ‘Preab san Ól’, is a rollicking drinking song which sums up his merry philosophy of life. No doubt it will be heard once again in the hostelries of Erris around the 15th of August.

Riocard Bairéad died in December 1819. He is buried in Cross graveyard. It is fitting that his grave looks out towards that most poetically named island, Inis Gluaire.