Home
Up

Anthony Raftery c. 1784-1835

(Antoine Ó Reachtura, Reafteiri, Raifteri, Rafteraí and many other spellings)

Born in the townland of Killedan, near Kiltymagh, County Mayo. He was the last of the Gaelic bards. He went blind at the age of nine from smallpox. He was taught to play the fiddle but was never a very good player, relying instead on his gift of poetry. He was unable to write and his poems were memorised and written down by others. Douglas Hyde published a number of his poems in Songs Ascribed to Raftery in 1903. His best known poem is Mise Raifterai. He is buried in County Galway. 

            Buried in the same cemetery are the Poets of Carheenadiveane Mark Callanan 1789-1846 and Patsy Callanan 1791-1865.

Further information, location and directions to the grave are to be found in "The End - An Illustrated Guide to the Graves of Irish Writers".  Click here to order a copy of this book