Piaras Feiritéar
Encyclopedia
Piaras Feiritéar (ˈpʲiəɾˠəsˠ fʲɛɾʲəˈtʲeːɾˠ; 1600? – 1653) was an Irish
poet
.
Feiritéar was a Norman-Irish
lord of Baile an Fheirtéaraigh in Corca Dhuibhne. Although best known as a poet, it was his role as a leader of the nascent Catholic Irish
community of Norman-
and Gaelic-
Irish origin which ultimately lead to his execution in 1653.
and known for his blend of laments, eulogies and satires of the Irish tradition with the love-lyrics of European influence. His best known work, Leig díot t’airm, a mhacoimh mná [Lay aside thy arms, maiden], is a poem about a beautiful woman. It is believed that he may have written poetry in English, but none of this has survived. Some critics have argued that his Irish poetry shows the influence of the English Elizabethans.
wars, Feiritéar was wounded during an attack on Tralee Castle in 1641. His forces held the castle until the fall of Ross Castle in Killarney
, 1653. Granted safe passage, Feiritéar travelled to arrange surrender terms. However, he was seized at Castlemaine
and hanged alongside a priest
and bishop
at the Hill of Sheep in Killarney. He remains something of a folk hero for the Irish-speaking people of Corca Dhuibhne, and particularly his native Ard na Caithne
where the ruins of his castle can still be seen, and his poetry lives on in the oral tradition.
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
Irish poetry
The history of Irish poetry includes the poetries of two languages, one in Irish and the other in English. The complex interplay between these two traditions, and between both of them and other poetries in English, has produced a body of work that is both rich in variety and difficult to...
.
Feiritéar was a Norman-Irish
Hiberno-Norman
The Hiberno-Normans are those Norman lords who settled in Ireland who admitted little if any real fealty to the Anglo-Norman settlers in England, and who soon began to interact and intermarry with the Gaelic nobility of Ireland. The term embraces both their origins as a distinct community with...
lord of Baile an Fheirtéaraigh in Corca Dhuibhne. Although best known as a poet, it was his role as a leader of the nascent Catholic Irish
Confederate Ireland
Confederate Ireland refers to the period of Irish self-government between the Rebellion of 1641 and the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland in 1649. During this time, two-thirds of Ireland was governed by the Irish Catholic Confederation, also known as the "Confederation of Kilkenny"...
community of Norman-
Hiberno-Norman
The Hiberno-Normans are those Norman lords who settled in Ireland who admitted little if any real fealty to the Anglo-Norman settlers in England, and who soon began to interact and intermarry with the Gaelic nobility of Ireland. The term embraces both their origins as a distinct community with...
and Gaelic-
Gaël
Gaël is a commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine department of Brittany in north-western France.It lies southwest of Rennes between Saint-Méen-le-Grand and Mauron...
Irish origin which ultimately lead to his execution in 1653.
Culture
Feiritéar was a harpist as well as a poetPoet
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 known for his blend of laments, eulogies and satires of the Irish tradition with the love-lyrics of European influence. His best known work, Leig díot t’airm, a mhacoimh mná [Lay aside thy arms, maiden], is a poem about a beautiful woman. It is believed that he may have written poetry in English, but none of this has survived. Some critics have argued that his Irish poetry shows the influence of the English Elizabethans.
Politics
A leader during the Confederate IrelandConfederate Ireland
Confederate Ireland refers to the period of Irish self-government between the Rebellion of 1641 and the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland in 1649. During this time, two-thirds of Ireland was governed by the Irish Catholic Confederation, also known as the "Confederation of Kilkenny"...
wars, Feiritéar was wounded during an attack on Tralee Castle in 1641. His forces held the castle until the fall of Ross Castle in Killarney
Killarney
Killarney is a town in County Kerry, southwestern Ireland. The town is located north of the MacGillicuddy Reeks, on the northeastern shore of the Lough Lein/Leane which are part of Killarney National Park. The town and its surrounding region are home to St...
, 1653. Granted safe passage, Feiritéar travelled to arrange surrender terms. However, he was seized at Castlemaine
Castlemaine, County Kerry
Castlemaine is a small town in County Kerry, southwest Ireland. It lies on the N70 national secondary road between Killorglin and Tralee.-History:...
and hanged alongside a priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
and bishop
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
at the Hill of Sheep in Killarney. He remains something of a folk hero for the Irish-speaking people of Corca Dhuibhne, and particularly his native Ard na Caithne
Ard na Caithne
Ard na Caithne , meaning height of the arbutus or strawberry tree, known as Smerwick in English, in the heart of the Kerry Gaeltacht is one of the principal bays of Corca Dhuibhne. It is nestled at the foot of An Triúr Deirfiúr and Cnoc Bhréanainn, which at is the highest mountain in the Brandon...
where the ruins of his castle can still be seen, and his poetry lives on in the oral tradition.
See also
- Piaras FeiritéarPiaras FeiritéarPiaras Feiritéar was an Irish poet.Feiritéar was a Norman-Irish lord of Baile an Fheirtéaraigh in Corca Dhuibhne. Although best known as a poet, it was his role as a leader of the nascent Catholic Irish community of Norman- and Gaelic- Irish origin which ultimately lead to his execution in...
- Aogán Ó RathailleAogán Ó RathailleAodhagán Ó Rathaille, also spelt Aogán Ó Rathaille or Anglicised as Egan O'Rahilly , was an Irish language poet. He is credited with creating the first fully developed Aisling poem.-Early life:...
- Dáibhí Ó BruadairDáibhí Ó BruadairDáibhí Ó Bruadair was one of the most significant Irish language poets of the 17th century. He lived through a momentous time in Irish history and his work serves as testimony to the death of the old Irish cultural and political order and the decline in respect for the once honoured and feared...
- Cathal Buí Mac Giolla GhunnaCathal Buí Mac Giolla Ghunna-Biography:Along with Peadar Ó Doirnín, Art Mac Cumhaigh and Séamas Dall Mac Cuarta, Cathal Buí Mac Giolla Ghunna one of the four most prominent of the south Ulster and north Leinster poets in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries...
- Peadar Ó DoirnínPeadar Ó Doirnín-Biography:Ó Doirnín is one of the most celebrated of the Ulster poets in the eighteenth century and along with Art Mac Cumhaigh, Cathal Buí Mac Giolla Ghunna and Séamas Dall Mac Cuarta was part of the Airgíalla tradition of poetry and song...
- Séamas Dall Mac CuartaSéamas Dall Mac CuartaSéamas Dall Mac Cuarta was a central figure in the seventeenth and eighteenth century Airgíalla school of poets and songwriters in the Irish language...
- Art Mac CumhaighArt Mac CumhaighArt Mac Cumhaigh was, along with Cathal Buí Mac Giolla Ghunna, Peadar Ó Doirnín and Séamas Dall Mac Cuarta, among the most celebrated of the south Ulster and north Leinster poets in the eighteenth century...
- Seán Clárach Mac DomhnaillSeán Clárach Mac Domhnaill-External links:* * -Sources:...
- Eoghan Rua Ó Súilleabháin