A poem for spring by the last of the wandering bards.
Dán faoi theacht an earraigh, agus saol an file Antaine Raiftearaí a mhair i gContae na Gaillimhe.
Antaine Raiftearaí, also Antoine Ó Reachtabhra, (1779 - 1835) was born in Killedan near Kiltimagh in County Mayo. As a child he contracted smallpox which resulted in blindness, and was later employed as a musician by his father's employer Frank Taafe.
Following a falling out between the two men Raiftearaí left Mayo and travelled the roads of south County Galway. He made a living from his music, singing, and poetry in the areas around Oughterard, Tuam, Craughwell and Gort. His most well-known composition is 'Anois Teacht An Earraigh’, in which he looks forward to the lengthening days of spring, which in Ireland begins on Saint Brigid’s Day, 1 February,
Anois teacht an Earraigh,
beidh an lá dúl chun shíneadh,
Is tar eis na féil Bríde
ardóigh mé mo sheol...
The theme of exile is common in Irish poetry, and Raiftearaí is no exception. County Mayo where was born is also praised here, with particular fondness for the townland of his birth,
Cill Aodáin an baile
a bhfásann gach ní ann,
Tá sméara is subh craobh ann
is meas de gach sórt...
Truly considered to be a poet of the people, he and his poetry lived on in the memory and lore of south County Galway, and attracted the interest of Lady Augusta Gregory and Douglas Hyde, who during the Irish Revival in the late nineteenth century collected his poems and local knowledge about him and translated them into English.
Considered by many to be the last of the wandering bards, Raiftearaí was with his community during good times as well as hard times.
His craft and cultural importance were recognised and supported not just by well-off patrons but also by the ordinary people, as at that time the centuries-old tradition of the Irish supporting their poets was still very strong,
B’shin é nós an Gaeil.
This episode of ‘Telefís Scoile : Litríocht Ghaeilge : Antoine Raifteirí’ was broadcast on 21 February 1967. The presenter is Seán Mac Réamoinn. Poetry and prose are read by Niall Tóibín.
'Telefís Scoile' was an educational television programme that gave school lessons in maths, science and literature. It was first broadcast on 4 February 1964 and continued throughout the 1960s and 1970s.
