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| '''Art Ó Laoghaire'''; IPA: |
'''Art Ó Laoghaire'''; IPA:ˈaɾˠt̪ˠoːˈl̪ˠiːəɾʲə (also ''Airt Ó Laoghaire'' or ''Art ]'', died May 4, 1773), an Irish ], was a colonel in the ]. | ||
| Having returned home to Rathleigh House near ], ], ], Art refused to sell his prize-winning horse to Englishman Abraham Morris, and was thus made an outlaw. Under the ], Roman Catholics were obliged by law to sell their horse for no more than £5, irrespective of the animal's true (often considerably greater) value, to Protestants if requested to do so. Morris tracked O'Leary and shot him on his horse on May 4, 1773. | Having returned home to Rathleigh House near ], ], ], Art refused to sell his prize-winning horse to Englishman Abraham Morris, and was thus made an outlaw. Under the ], Roman Catholics were obliged by law to sell their horse for no more than £5, irrespective of the animal's true (often considerably greater) value, to Protestants if requested to do so. Morris tracked O'Leary and shot him on his horse on May 4, 1773. | ||
Revision as of 17:22, 27 April 2012
Art Ó Laoghaire; IPA:ˈaɾˠt̪ˠoːˈl̪ˠiːəɾʲə (also Airt Ó Laoghaire or Art O'Leary, died May 4, 1773), an Irish Roman Catholic, was a colonel in the Austrian army.
Having returned home to Rathleigh House near Macroom, Cork, Ireland, Art refused to sell his prize-winning horse to Englishman Abraham Morris, and was thus made an outlaw. Under the Penal Laws of Ireland, Roman Catholics were obliged by law to sell their horse for no more than £5, irrespective of the animal's true (often considerably greater) value, to Protestants if requested to do so. Morris tracked O'Leary and shot him on his horse on May 4, 1773.
O'Leary's wife Eileen O'Connell composed the famous "Caoineadh Airt Uí Laoghaire" or Lament for Art O'Leary, mourning his death and calling for revenge.
His tomb can be found at Kilcrea Friary with the epitaph (probably composed by his widow): "Lo Arthur Leary, generous, handsome, brave, / Slain in his bloom lies in this humble grave." According to tradition Eibhlín got the murderers punished by transportation; Morris is supposed to have been shot in Cork by Art's brother.
References
- David Daiches, The Penguin Companion to English Literature, McGraw-Hill (1971) p. 391
- Bryan MacMahon, Here's Ireland, Butler Sims (1982) p. 55
- Frank O'Connor, headnote to his translation of the Lament in: Kennelly, Brendan, ed. (1970) The Penguin Book of Irish Verse. Harmondsworth: Penguin; p. 78
External links
- The Life and Times of Art O Laoghaire by Peter O'Leary