Life
1793-1847; rector of Schull, Co. Cork, who discovered copper mines and attempted to save potatoe crop by hiding them in one; Chairman of the
Schull Relief Committee; sketched by Illustrated London News artist James Mahoney visiting home of famine-stricken family whose father was dying; himself died of fever; maternal grandfather of J. M. Synge. DUB
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Commentary
Patrick Hickey, Famine in West Cork: The Mizen Peninsula – Land and People, 1800-1852 (Mercier 2002), review by Breandan Ó Cathaoir, in The Irish Times (22 March 2003), “Weekend”: ‘Hickey estimates that 11 out of 13 resident clergymen made varying degrees of effort to gain converts during and after the Famine. One honourable exception was Robert Traill, who features on the cover of this book. The rector of Schull and J. M. Synge’s grandfather, he died of fever.’ ((Ó Cathaoir; sSee also under W. S. Trench, supra.)
References
D. J. ’Donoghue, Poets of Ireland (Dublin: Hodges Figgis 1912), lists Rev. Robert Traill [?-?]; author of A Congratulatory Address to the Marquis of Hartford, verse (Cork 1845); poss. same.
Christopher Morash, The Hungry Voice (Gill & Macmillan 1989) selects ‘On the Death of the Rev. Robert Traill, DD’, in Lays for Patriots (Dublin: Samuel B. Oldham 1848), p.108; see also note in Morash, op. cit., ‘Church of Ireland vicar of Schull during Famine, who had super-human efforts on behalf of the poor of all creeds. Died of typhus late in 1847.’ (p.293.)
Kate Newmann, Dictionary of Ulster Biography (QUB/IIS 1993), lists Anthony Traill (1838-1914); Robert Traill (1793-1847); and William Acheson Traill (1844-1934), builder of Electric railway from Portrush to Giant’s Causeway.
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