Richard Barrett (poet)
Encyclopedia
Riocard Bairéad (b. 1740 – d. 1819 according to his grave. Other sources say born 1739 or 1740 and died either 1818 or the 8th or 18 December 1819) was a poet
and United Irishman.
Worked as a teacher and small farmer. Known in his lifetime as the Poet of Erris, Bairéad was notable for his verse and songs in the Irish Gaelic
as well as the role he played in the Society of United Irishmen which mounted an uprising, known as The Irish Rebellion of 1798
against British rule. Riocard Bairéad himself, according to local folklore
, played an important role in the rebellion
. A French
expeditionary force under General Humbert landed in County Mayo
to support the United Irishmen. Humbert was to be followed by further French troops but these never materialized. The rebellion ended in failure, despite some early victories over the English forces, most notably when the redcoats took flight before the pike-wielding men from Belmullet
and other Erris
villages in a battle that became known as "the Races of Castlebar
".
At the time of the centenary celebrations for the 1798 rebellion a ballad, "The Men of The West", was set to Bairéad's air of "Eoghan Coir".
The poem engraved on his tomb stone at Cross Point, to the West of Belmullet, used to read as follows:
His own grave had fallen into a bad state of disrepair a few years ago and his bones were nearly washed into the Atlantic Ocean after a wild storm. But well-wishers from the town of Belmullet have now shored up the cemetery wall to ensure another few years of existence for the poet's last resting place.
Riocard Bairead was a satirist, influenced by such as Jonathan Swift
. He married twice, first to Nancy Tollet then to Maire Ní Mhóráin. With Maire he had two children, Mary and Richard Barrett.
Coláiste Riocard Bairéad is named after him. The Irish summer college belongs to Gael Linn
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 United Irishman.
Worked as a teacher and small farmer. Known in his lifetime as the Poet of Erris, Bairéad was notable for his verse and songs in the Irish Gaelic
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...
as well as the role he played in the Society of United Irishmen which mounted an uprising, known as The Irish Rebellion of 1798
Irish Rebellion of 1798
The Irish Rebellion of 1798 , also known as the United Irishmen Rebellion , was an uprising in 1798, lasting several months, against British rule in Ireland...
against British rule. Riocard Bairéad himself, according to local 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...
, played an important role in the rebellion
Rebellion
Rebellion, uprising or insurrection, is a refusal of obedience or order. It may, therefore, be seen as encompassing a range of behaviors aimed at destroying or replacing an established authority such as a government or a head of state...
. A French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
expeditionary force under General Humbert landed in County Mayo
County Mayo
County Mayo is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Mayo, which is now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 130,552...
to support the United Irishmen. Humbert was to be followed by further French troops but these never materialized. The rebellion ended in failure, despite some early victories over the English forces, most notably when the redcoats took flight before the pike-wielding men from Belmullet
Belmullet
Belmullet is a coastal Gaeltacht town with a population of around 2,000 on the Mullet Peninsula in the barony of Erris, County Mayo, Ireland. Its name means the "mouth of the mullet"...
and other Erris
Erris
Erris is a barony in northwestern County Mayo in Ireland consisting of over , much of which is mountainous blanket bog. It has extensive sea coasts along its west and north boundaries. The main towns are Belmullet and Bangor Erris. The name Erris derives from the Irish 'Iar Ros' meaning 'western...
villages in a battle that became known as "the Races of Castlebar
Battle of Castlebar
The Battle of Castlebar occurred on 27 August near the town of Castlebar, County Mayo, during the Irish Rebellion of 1798. A combined force of 2,000 French and Irish routed a force of 6,000 British militia in what would later became known as the "Castlebar Races", or Races of...
".
At the time of the centenary celebrations for the 1798 rebellion a ballad, "The Men of The West", was set to Bairéad's air of "Eoghan Coir".
The poem engraved on his tomb stone at Cross Point, to the West of Belmullet, used to read as follows:
- Why spend your leisure bereft of pleasure
- Amassing treasure? Why scrape and save?
- Why look so canny at every penny?
- You’ll take no money into the grave.
His own grave had fallen into a bad state of disrepair a few years ago and his bones were nearly washed into the Atlantic Ocean after a wild storm. But well-wishers from the town of Belmullet have now shored up the cemetery wall to ensure another few years of existence for the poet's last resting place.
Riocard Bairead was a satirist, influenced by such as Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift was an Irish satirist, essayist, political pamphleteer , poet and cleric who became Dean of St...
. He married twice, first to Nancy Tollet then to Maire Ní Mhóráin. With Maire he had two children, Mary and Richard Barrett.
Coláiste Riocard Bairéad is named after him. The Irish summer college belongs to Gael Linn
Gael Linn
Gael Linn is an organization devoted to the Irish language and arts.It is a non-governmental, non-profit organization, founded in 1953 to foster the Irish language and promote artistic events. On the business side, they run the Gael-Linn Records record label, which is partly funded by the Irish...