This is an old revision of this page, as edited by SieBot (talk | contribs) at 01:36, 7 May 2008 (robot Adding: ga:Art Ó Laoghaire). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 01:36, 7 May 2008 by SieBot (talk | contribs) (robot Adding: ga:Art Ó Laoghaire)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Art Ó Laoghaire (also Airt Ó Laoghaire or Art O'Leary) , a Roman Catholic, was an officer in the Austro-Hungarian 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 under law to sell their horse to Protestants if demanded 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.
References
- David Daiches, The Penguin Companion to English Literature, McGraw-Hill (1971) p.391
- Bryan MacMahon, Here's Ireland, Butler Sims (1982) p.55