School: Inis Céin

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1. A Local Poet

   

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   The name of a our local poet was John Crowley and he lived between the years 1807 and 1877, he was nicknamed "John Paygo" but it is not known why he got this name. His residence was situated about two hundred yards north of the village of Enniskean, and up to five or six years ago a tinsmith named Patrick O Driscoll lived in that house but now it is in ruins. The poet was born within the walls of that humble habitation and it was not how the strain of poetry came suddenly to him it was how the was gifted. Early in life he joined the English army and during his period in such service he travelled many parts of the world, of which he said:
   "I've travelled the Euphrates the Tagus and the Oder
   But none were as sweet, as the river Lee that flows into Cork Harbour".

   After some years he left the army and he came home and got married he then took up the occupation of labouring and he lived in the house that he was born in. He was a man who saw dreadful bad times in this country, he lived through the great famine of '47, he saw the yellow meal being given out to the people and also the basins of soup which which were given to the Catholics who would forsake their religion and become Protestants: these wer known as "soupers" and John said.:-
   "Though they all changed over: Tim Healy, Dan Donovan and Jim the cooper,
   I'd be a hangman this very minute before I'd be like them - a souper.

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. genre
      1. poetry
         1. folk poetry (~9,504)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Séamus Ó Lordáin

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Enniskean, Co. Cork

   Informant

   Dick Long

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   73

   Occupation

   Labourer

   Address

   Enniskean, Co. Cork