Caoch the Piper
John Keegan was born in Laois in 1809 and grew to become a ballad singer and ballad writer. He lived through the worst of the Famine in Black 1847 and 1848 only to succumb in 1849 in the last failure of the potato and the last wave of famine related deaths. Although in the late 19th century this recitation was known as "Caoch the Piper", it is now generally referred to as "Caoch O'Leary." |
The Rising of the MoonJohn Keegan Casey was the son of a peasant farmer near Mullingar. He was jailed as a Fenian in 1807 and was only twenty three years when he died in prison. He was one of the few poets produced by the Fenian Movement and by far the most popular. His most famous song "The Rising of the Moon" has become one of the best known in Ireland. Famine Diary
Famine Diary |
Clann MacAodhagain Britain |
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