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Life
fl.1350-?1372 [angl. John O’Dugan]; member of bardic family at Baile Uí Dhubhagáin, nr. Loughrea, Co. Galway; ollamh to the O’Kellys, author of vast topographical poem on distribution of clans and septs at the time of the Norman invasion, covering fully Ulster, Connacht, and Meath [var. Leinster and Munster: ODNB], and completed by Giolla-na-Naomh Ó Huidhrin in 1420; |
| made pilgrimage to St. Columba’s tomb and retired to monastery on Loughrea; Michael Kearney, a scribe in Ballylargye, Co. Tipperary, translated a poem attributed to Ó Dubhagáin into halting English verse as ‘The Kings of the Race of Eibhear’; his obituary appears in Annals of Connacht [‘saí re senchas ollam Ua Maine/a master-historian and chief poet of the Uí Maine’]. DIW ODNB |
Works
John O’Daly, The Kings of the Race of Eibhear (Dublin 1847), and Do., The topographical poems of John O’Duhbhangain and Giolla-na-Naomh O’Huidrin, ed. with trans, notes, and introductory dissertations by J. O’Donovan. [Irish arch. and Celtic Soc.] (Dublin 1862) [23 cm.].
Notes
Great teacher: There is an holograph manuscript by Adam Ó Cianáin in the National Library of Ireland entitled ‘a leabhar Ó oidi moir .i. Seoan Ó Dubhagán [from the book of my great teacher], 1635’ (MSS NLI G 2-3).
P. W. Joyce: Joyce begins the Preface to his Irish Names of Places (1869) with a reference to Ó Dubhagháin: ‘Triallamh timcheall na Fodla: Let us wander round Ireland. So wrote the topographer, John O’Dugan, five hundred years ago, when beginning his poetical description of Ireland, and so I address my readers to-day. The journey -will be at least a novel one; and to those who are interested in the topography of our country, in the origin of local names, or in the philosophy of language, it may be attended with some instruction and amusement.’ (1st Edition, 1869; Phoenix Edn. 1913, p.[v].)
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