William Larminie
Encyclopedia
William Larminie was an Irish poet
and folklorist.
He was born in Castlebar
, County Mayo
, of Huguenot
descent and was educated at Kingstown
School and Trinity College Dublin, from which he graduated in 1871 with a moderatorship in classics. He moved to London while he was employed in the British India Office
from 1873 until 1887, at which point he retired and returned to Ireland to devote himself to writing, settling in Bray
, County Wicklow
.
He published two volumes of poetry - Glanlua and Other Poems (1889), and Fand and Other Poems (1890) - as well as a collection of stories which he had collected from local people in County Donegal
, County Mayo
and County Galway
: West Irish Folk-Tales and Romances (1893).
Like his contemporaries John Todhunter
and William Butler Yeats
, he turned to Irish mythology
for inspiration. His most famous poem is The Nameless Doon ('Who were the builders? Question not the silence that settles on the lake for evermore'), about a stone ringfort
, over 4000 years old and long abandoned, in Drumboghill, County Donegal. He attempted in his poetry to adopt some of the traditional Irish verse forms such as the use of assonance.
In his later years he devote himself to a translation into English of the Irish philosopher John Scottus Eriugena's De divisione naturae. His translation, which was never published, was deposited in the National Library of Ireland
.
He died at his home in Bray and is buried in Enniskerry
.
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 folklorist.
He was born in Castlebar
Castlebar
Castlebar is the county town of, and at the centre of, County Mayo in Ireland. It is Mayo's largest town by population. The town's population exploded in the late 1990s, increasing by one-third in just six years, though this massive growth has slowed down greatly in recent years...
, 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...
, of Huguenot
Huguenot
The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France during the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the 17th century, people who formerly would have been called Huguenots have instead simply been called French Protestants, a title suggested by their German co-religionists, the...
descent and was educated at Kingstown
Dún Laoghaire
Dún Laoghaire or Dún Laoire , sometimes anglicised as "Dunleary" , is a suburban seaside town in County Dublin, Ireland, about twelve kilometres south of Dublin city centre. It is the county town of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County and a major port of entry from Great Britain...
School and Trinity College Dublin, from which he graduated in 1871 with a moderatorship in classics. He moved to London while he was employed in the British India Office
India Office
The India Office was a British government department created in 1858 to oversee the colonial administration of India, i.e. the modern-day nations of Bangladesh, Burma, India, and Pakistan, as well as territories in South-east and Central Asia, the Middle East, and parts of the east coast of Africa...
from 1873 until 1887, at which point he retired and returned to Ireland to devote himself to writing, settling in Bray
Bray
Bray is a town in north County Wicklow, Ireland. It is a busy urban centre and seaside resort, with a population of 31,901 making it the fourth largest in Ireland as of the 2006 census...
, County Wicklow
County Wicklow
County Wicklow is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wicklow, which derives from the Old Norse name Víkingalág or Wykynlo. Wicklow County Council is the local authority for the county...
.
He published two volumes of poetry - Glanlua and Other Poems (1889), and Fand and Other Poems (1890) - as well as a collection of stories which he had collected from local people in County Donegal
County Donegal
County Donegal is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Donegal. Donegal County Council is the local authority for the county...
, 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...
and County Galway
County Galway
County Galway 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 city of Galway. Galway County Council is the local authority for the county. There are several strongly Irish-speaking areas in the west of the county...
: West Irish Folk-Tales and Romances (1893).
Like his contemporaries John Todhunter
John Todhunter
John Todhunter was an Irish poet and playwright who wrote seven volumes of poetry, and several plays.- Life :...
and William Butler Yeats
William Butler Yeats
William Butler Yeats was an Irish poet and playwright, and one of the foremost figures of 20th century literature. A pillar of both the Irish and British literary establishments, in his later years he served as an Irish Senator for two terms...
, he turned to Irish mythology
Irish mythology
The mythology of pre-Christian Ireland did not entirely survive the conversion to Christianity, but much of it was preserved, shorn of its religious meanings, in medieval Irish literature, which represents the most extensive and best preserved of all the branch and the Historical Cycle. There are...
for inspiration. His most famous poem is The Nameless Doon ('Who were the builders? Question not the silence that settles on the lake for evermore'), about a stone ringfort
Ringfort
Ringforts are circular fortified settlements that were mostly built during the Iron Age , although some were built as late as the Early Middle Ages . They are found in Northern Europe, especially in Ireland...
, over 4000 years old and long abandoned, in Drumboghill, County Donegal. He attempted in his poetry to adopt some of the traditional Irish verse forms such as the use of assonance.
In his later years he devote himself to a translation into English of the Irish philosopher John Scottus Eriugena's De divisione naturae. His translation, which was never published, was deposited in the National Library of Ireland
National Library of Ireland
The National Library of Ireland is Ireland's national library located in Dublin, in a building designed by Thomas Newenham Deane. The Minister for Arts, Sport & Tourism is the member of the Irish Government responsible for the library....
.
He died at his home in Bray and is buried in Enniskerry
Enniskerry
Enniskerry is a village in County Wicklow, Ireland. It had a population of 2,672 at the 2006 census.- Location :...
.