Athenry’s stonemasons were busy in the wake of the Night of the Big Wind. From an illustration by Derry Dillon, extracted from Past Tracks (2021).

The stories of a best-selling novelist, Governor of North Carolina, a terrifying hurricane, a giant cake, ‘The Fields of Athenry’ song and a woman who refused to eat. Extracted from Past Tracks. The Irish translation follows below.

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LADIES ON HORSEBACK

Nannie Lambert spent much of her childhood riding around Athenry while staying at nearby Castle Ellen. She grew up to be a talented singer, linguist and artist but it was as a novelist and a writer that she really made her mark. Under her married name, Mrs Power O’Donoghue, she published ‘Ladies on Horseback’ in 1881, just as the sport was becoming fashionable in Victorian society. ‘Riding for Ladies’, its follow-up, sold a whopping 94,000 copies. As well as being one of the first woman editors in Britain or Ireland, Nannie won many fans with her writings on poverty, women’s education, animal welfare and the Easter Rising, which she witnessed from the Gresham Hotel in Dublin. She died in 1940 in her 97th year.

The Lamberts were also controversially associated with the eviction of the Barrett family from their farm at nearby Moorepark in 1869. Peter Barrett, a son of the family, returned to Ireland from London (where he worked in the post office) and was subsequently charged with attempting to shoot Captain Thomas Eyre Lambert (1820-1919). A gold watch in Captain Lambert’s pocket had stopped the fatal bullet, although another account says that five bullets were fired into his body. Peter Barrett was acquitted after three trials, having been ably defended by Isaac Butt. The story is told here by the Athenry Parish Heritage Archive here.

HOW TO GET YOUR WAY

From the 1230s until the 16th century, Athenry was effectively ruled by the de Berminghams, a devoutly Catholic dynasty of Norman origin. They were strong supporters of the Dominican Order, whose Athenry priory they founded in 1241. As such, Basilia de Bermingham was deeply disappointed when her new husband preferred the rival Franciscans. Her solution was to organise a banquet for the Connaught elite at which, to her husband’s immense embarrassment, she very publicly refused to eat or drink until he agreed to transfer his patronage to the Dominicans. A ‘great sum of money’ was apparently sent to the Vatican to seal the deal.

THE NIGHT OF THE BIG WIND

On 6 January 1839, Ireland was struck by the most terrifying hurricane in recorded Irish memory. Micheál de Búrca, a teacher at Esker, 6km south-east of here, immortalised the event in a 15-verse Irish language poem called ‘Oíche na Gaoithe Móire’, the ‘Night of the Big Wind’. It is an ill wind that blows no good and, as Micheál’s poem noted, one upside of the Atlantic tempest was to provide plenty of work for Ireland’s thatchers, slaters, carpenters and masons. Born in nearby Brusk, Micheál moved to New York in the 1840s and became manager of the Roman Catholic Orphan Asylum in Brooklyn.

THE GOVERNOR

Tiaquin, 12km north-east of Athenry, marks the birthplace of Thomas Burke who emigrated to the USA aged 18. He later settled in North Carolina and became skilled in medicine and law, as well as poetry. During the American Revolution, he was elected to the Continental Congress, the provisional government of the United States. In 1781, he was appointed Governor of North Carolina but was captured and imprisoned soon afterwards. He broke parole, escaped and briefly resumed office as governor. However, dogged by ill health and bad debts, he died in 1783 on his plantation which he had named Tiaquin after his childhood home.

THE DANCER’S CAKE

In 1791, while the French Revolution was in full flow, a Parisian diplomat named Charles-Etienne Coquebert de Montbret arrived in Athenry on a fact-finding visit. He described the town of ‘not more than 60 houses … surrounded by walls flanked by towers.’ He noted a ruined abbey, a Dominican monastery, a ‘big uninhabited castle’ and the stump of a war-ravaged cross. The most uplifting sight was ‘a large cake decorated with a bouquet’ in the doorway of a pub, which transpired to be ‘a prize for the best dancer.’ De Montbret went on to play a key role in establishing the decimal system in France.

THE FIELDS OF ATHENRY

Written by the late Pete St. John in 1979, ‘The Fields of Athenry’ was inspired by the tale of a young Athenry man who was transported to Australia for stealing corn during the Great Hunger in order to feed his family. The most successful of innumerable cover versions was sung by Paddy Reilly and stayed in the Irish charts for 72 weeks. By the late 1980s, it was being sung by Galway GAA fans. Adopted by the Republic of Ireland’s football fans during the Italia ‘90 World Cup, it now also forms the soundtrack during Irish rugby matches. Can you resist? ‘By a lonely prison wall, I heard a young girl calling …’

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BAILE ÁTHA AN RÍ  (Translations by Jack O’Driscoll)

MNÁ AR MUIN CAPAILL

Chaith Nannie Lambert cuid mhór dá hóige ar muin capaill timpeall Bhaile Átha an Rí nuair a bhíodh sí ag fanacht i gCaisleán Eilean in aice láithreach. B’amhránaí, teangeolaí agus ealaíontóir den chéad scoth í nuair a d’fhás sí aníos ach is mar úrscéalaí agus scríbhneoir a bhain sí a cáil amach. In 1881, tráth a raibh an mharcaíocht ar chapall ag éirí faiseanta mar spórt i measc maithe agus móruaisle na tíre, chuir sí amach ‘Ladies on Horseback‘ faoina sloinne pósta, Mrs Power O’Donoghue. Díoladh 94,000 cóip den leabhar leantach, ‘Riding for Ladies‘. Bhí sí ar dhuine de na chéad mhná arbh eagarthóirí iad sa Bhreatain nó in Éirinn. Bhí mórán ann a bhí an-tógtha leis na hábhair a tharraingíodh sí anuas: an bhochtaineacht, cuir i gcás, oideachas na mban, leas na n-ainmhithe agus Éirí Amach na Cásca, rud a chonaic sí ón Óstán Gresham i mBaile Átha Cliath. Fuair sí bás in 1940 agus 97 bliain slánaithe aici.

CONAS A bhFUIL UAIT A FHÁIL

Ó na 1230idí go dtí an 16ú haois, ba í muintir de Bermingham, dáiríre, a rialaigh Baile Átha an Rí, ar theaghlach Caitliceach go smior iad de shliocht Normannach. Thacaigh siad go láidir leis an Ord Doiminiceach, agus bhunaigh siad a bprióireacht siúd i mBaile Átha an Rí in 1241. Bhí an-díomá ar Basilia de Bermingham, mar sin, gurbh iad na Proinsiasaigh, an t-ord a bhí in iomaíocht leo, rogha a fir chéile nua. Ba é an réiteach a bhí aici féasta a eagrú d’uasalaicme Chonnacht. Dhiúltaigh sí ag an bhféasta aon rud a ithe ná a ól, rud a chuir náire dhearg ar a fear céile, nó gur thoiligh seisean a phátrúnacht a aistriú chuig na Doiminicigh. Deirtear gur seoladh ‘méid mór airgid’ chun na Vatacáine chun an margadh a dhéanamh.

OÍCHE NA GAOITHE MÓIRE

Tháinig an spéirling ab uafásaí a tháinig chun na hÉireann riamh, de réir chuimhne na ndaoine, an 6 Eanáir 1839. Maireann cáil na spéirlinge mar gheall ar dhán Gaeilge 15 véarsa a scríobh Micheál de Búrca, fear a bhí ina mhúinteoir san Eiscir atá lonnaithe 6 chiliméadar ó dheas den áit seo. ‘Oíche na Gaoithe Móire‘ is teideal don dán sin. Is olc an ghaoth nach séideann do dhuine éigin a deir an seanfhocal agus, más fíor do dhán Mhichíl, ba é ceann de bhuntáistí na stoirme ón Atlantach gur fágadh neart oibre do thuíodóirí, do scláitéirí, do shiúinéirí agus do shaoir chloiche. Rugadh Mícheál sa Bhroscach atá gar don áit seo. Bhog sé go Nua-Eabhrac sna 1840idí agus rinneadh bainisteoir de ar an Tearmann Dílleachtaí Caitliceach Rómhánach in Brooklyn.

CÍSTE AN DAMHSÓRA

Tháinig taidhleoir as Páras darbh ainm Charles-Etienne Coquebert de Montbret chuig Baile Átha an Rí in 1791 chun eolas a bhailiú. Bhí Réabhlóid na Fraince faoi lán seoil ag an am. Mar seo a leanas a rinne sé cur síos ar an mbaile: ‘60 teach ar éigean atá ann … agus tá ballaí thart orthu agus túir ar gach aon taobh’. Luaigh sé fothrach mainistreach, mainistir Dhoiminiceach, ‘caisleán mór nach bhfuil duine ar bith ann’, agus stumpa croise a scriosadh sa chogadh. Ba é an radharc ba mhó a thug ardú croí dó ‘císte mór agus crobhaing bláthanna air’ i ndoras tí tábhairne, a bhí ar fáil mar dhuais ‘don damhsóir is fearr’. Ina dhiaidh sin bhí príomhról ag De Montbret i mbunú an chórais dheachúlaigh sa Fhrainc.

PÁIRCEANNA BHAILE ÁTHA AN RÍ

Scríobh Pete St. John an t-amhrán ‘The Fields of Athenry’ in 1979. Fuair sé spreagadh don amhrán ó scéal fir óig as Baile Átha an Rí a díbríodh chun na hAstráile mar gur ghoid sé arbhar le linn an Ghorta Mhóir chun bia a fháil dá theaghlach. Tá go leor leor leaganacha den amhrán sin ann ach is é an leagan a chuir Paddy Reilly ar taifead an leagan is mó a bhfuil cáil air agus d’fhan an t-amhrán i gcairteacha na hÉireann ar feadh 72 seachtain. Bhí lucht leanúna na Gaillimhe á chanadh faoi dheireadh na 1980idí. Thosaigh lucht leanúna fhoireann sacair Phoblacht na hÉireann á chanadh ansin ag Corn an Domhain Italia ’90 agus bíonn sé le cloisteáil le linn cluichí rugbaí nuair a bhíonn Éire ag imirt. An féidir leat diúltú dá chanadh? ‘By a lonely prison wall, I heard a young girl calling …’

AN GOBHARNÓIR

Rugadh Thomas Burke i dTigh Dachoinne, 12 chiliméadar soir ó thuaidh ó Bhaile Átha an Rí. Chuaigh sé ar imirce go dtí Stáit Aontaithe Mheiriceá nuair a bhí sé 18 mbliana d’aois. Chuaigh sé a chónaí in North Carolina ina dhiaidh sin agus d’fhoghlaim sé scileanna leighis agus dlí, agus b’fhile maith é freisin. Le linn Réabhlóid Mheiriceá toghadh é chun Chomhdháil na Mór-roinne, arbh é sin rialtas sealadach Stáit Aontaithe Mheiriceá. Ceapadh é mar Ghobharnóir North Carolina in 1781 ach gabhadh é agus cuireadh i bpríosún é go gairid ina dhiaidh sin. Sháraigh sé parúl, áfach, d’éalaigh sé agus bhí sé ina ghobharnóir ar feadh píosa an athuair. Ach bhí an tsláinte go dona aige agus bhí drochfhiacha air. Fuair sé bás ar a phlandáil in 1783. ‘Tiaquin’ an t-ainm a thug sé ar a phlandáil i ndiaidh bhaile a óige.