Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh was a 17th century Irish language

Irish language

Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...

 poet

Poet

A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...

 and harp

Harp

The harp is a multi-stringed instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicularly to the soundboard. Organologically, it is in the general category of chordophones and has its own sub category . All harps have a neck, resonator and strings...

ist, who composed the song "Eileanóir a Rún".

Cearbhall was a common name amongst people of the Ó Dálaigh

Ó Dálaigh

The Ó Dálaigh were a learned Irish bardic family who first came to prominence early in the 12th century, when Cú Connacht Ó Dálaigh was described as "The first Ollamh of poetry in all Ireland" .-Name derivation:The name Ó Dálaigh means 'descendant of Dálach'...

 (O'Daly, Daly

Daly (surname)

Daly is an Irish surname, derived from the Gaelic Ó Dálaigh,and may refer to:-Entertainment:*Andrew Daly , American actor, writer, and comedian*Augustin Daly , American theatrical manager and playwright...

) surname, and more than one poet of that surname bore the name Cearbhall. The Cearbhall Óg who composed 'Eileanóir a Rún' was from Pallas, near Gorey

Gorey

Gorey , is a market town in north County Wexford, Ireland, situated beside the main M11 Dublin to Wexford road. The town is also connected to the railway network along the same route. Local newspapers include the Gorey Guardian and Gorey Echo....

 in County Wexford

Wexford

Wexford is the county town of County Wexford, Ireland. It is situated near the southeastern corner of Ireland, close to Rosslare Europort. The town is connected to Dublin via the M11/N11 National Primary Route, and the national rail network...

. The Eileanóir of the poem was the daughter of Sir Morgan Kavanagh of Poll an Mhóintigh in County Wexford

County Wexford

County Wexford is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wexford. In pre-Norman times it was part of the Kingdom of Uí Cheinnselaig, whose capital was at Ferns. Wexford County Council is the local...

. In folklore Cearbhall is commonly depicted as a womanizer.

Eileanóir a Rún

Irish folklore recounts how Eileanóir Chaomhánach eloped with Cearbhall the day she was about to marry another man. Cearbhall arrived at the wedding to play music at the wedding feast, and fell in love with the bride. He composed the song Eileanoir a Rún to woo the bride.
"Mo ghrá thú, den chéad fhéachaint, Eileanóir a Rún

Is ort a bhím ag smaoineadh, tráth a mbím i mo shuan

A ghrá den tsaol, is a chéad searc, is tú is deise ná ban Éireann."

"From the moment I saw you I loved you, Eileanóir my love

It is of you I think when I’m resting

O love of life and my first love, you are fairer than all the women of Ireland."

Other Songs and Poems

Another song, in the style of the crosántacht, Seachrán Chearbhaill, is ascribed to Cearbhall Óg. Both, a poem by the Franciscan

Franciscan

Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....

 priest Pádraigín Haicéad. addressed to Cearbhall, and Cearbhall's poem in response, survive in a 17th century manuscript. The story Mac na Míchomhairle (The Son of Poor Counsil) has been ascribed to him in folklore

Folklore

Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...

, but current scholarship casts doubt on this ascription.

Cearbhall Óg Ó Dálaigh in Recordings

A version of Seachrán Chearbhaill by Joe Éinniu is available on a CD with the book Joe Éinniu: Nár fhágha mé Bás Choíche by Liam Mac Con Iomaire

Liam Mac Con Iomaire

Liam Mac Con Iomaire, Irish writer and broadcaster.A native of Casla, County Galway, Mac Con Iomaire has been a journalist, broadcaster and newsreader on RTÉ...

 (Cló Iarchonnachta 2007); and a later version on Peadar Ó Ceannabháin's CD, Mo Chuid den tSaol (Cló-Iarchonnachta). The song is recognised as part of the traditional Irish language repertoire of unaccompanied ballads known as 'sean-nós

Sean-nós song

Sean-nós is a highly ornamented style of unaccompanied traditional Irish singing. It is a sean-nós activity, which also includes sean-nós dancing...

 singing'.

Cearbhall Óg Ó Dálaigh in Literature

Cearbhall Óg Ó Dálaigh appears as an historical character in Darach Ó Scolaí

Darach Ó Scolaí

Darach Ó Scolaí is an Irish novelist, playwright, publisher, and artist living in the County Galway Gaeltacht of Connemara. He was awarded the Oireachtas Prize for Literature in 2007 for his novel, An Cléireach.- Writing :...

's Irish language novel An Cléireach

An Cléireach

An Cléireach is a novel by the Irish writer Darach Ó Scolaí, published in 2007 and winner of the 2007 Oireachtas Prize for Literature.The protogonist and narrator is a soldier and clerk in dispute with his colonel over a promotion...

, as a soldier in the Royalist army in 1650 and in the Spanish Netherlands

Netherlands

The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

as late as 1662.

External links

The song Eleanor na Run sung sean nos (un-accompanied).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8paj2hQHIo