School: Sliabh na Lice, Sráid na Cathrach
- Location:
- Slievenalicka, Co. Clare
- Teacher: Seán Ó Cionnfhaola
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0622, Page 110
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- Mac Curtain's birth and parentage are handed down to us in a net of shadow and doubt. We have different versions of his birth but until further investigations confirm any of these we prefer to pass them over.He describes himself as "poet preceptor and hereditary Bard of Thomond". We first hear of him employed by a man named O'Brien, a farmer of Baile-na-Cearra, as a farm labourer. The first work set before him was to dig potatoes on a frosty morning. This work was displeasing to him, so he took to the road and travelled northwards towards Galway. He was met in Galway some years later by a man named John O'Connell of Moy, Lahinch. O'Connell took him back to Moy where he stayed for some time. Next we hear of him in Kerry. He was constantly educating himself until next we hear of him employed as teacher in the Moy National School. How many years he spend in Moy I have not been able to gather. He was however dismissed his position by Rev Father Bagler the then Parish Priest of Miltown Malbay. After his dismissal he satirizes the priest, his opening line being "Ní Bugler in aon chor é acht "Búgler" san arm Sasana"
Next we find him conducting a hedge school at Cloonanaha, Inagh. His address to the people of Cloonanaha runs as follows:-"The parish of Inagh and the public in general are herby informed that MacCurtain the last relic of the hereditary bards of Thomond, has after a Stay on the shores of Malbay returned convalescent to his duties to the hospitable locality of Cloonanaha where with his usual zeal and efficiency, diligence and perseverance, he instructs his pupils in the polite and popular literature notwithstanding the sublime and romantic ideas which have made him the innocent enemy of the ignorant(continues on next page)
- Collector
- John Kennelly
- Gender
- Male
- Informant
- various People in the district
