School: Rathmorrel (roll number 10545)
- Location:
- Rathmorrel, Co. Kerry
- Teacher: Anraoí Ó Conchobhair
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0417, Page 053
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- Thomas de Cantillon, the poet of Clonmaurice, as he styled himself, was born at Dromkeen, Causeway about the year 1821. He was a descendant of the Anglo-Norman family of that name who owned large tracts of land in the barony of Clonmaurice Co. Kerry. The Cantillon family appears to have held high rank among the nobility of about the eighteenth century.
They were allied to the Royal House of England by the marriage of Roger Cantillon, sixth Baron of Ballyheigue and Elizabeth Stuart.
Young Thomas Cantillon the poet began life as a school teacher. He taught for upwards of 20 years in the old Rathmorrel School which was closed in 1863. In 1862 he resigned his position as schoolmaster and emigrated to America, never seeing his native land again. It was while there that the wrote the poem entitled "The Shamrock" which was written to a friend in Ireland who had forwarded him a sprig of shamrock. Two poems of his are "The Causeway Boys" and "Sweet Dromkeen".
