On Callanan And Gougane Barra

When Callanan penned his famed lines on Gougane Barra the lust of wander was in his young mind He thought of the great beauty all around him the beauty he would be leaving behind His health not good he needed warmer climate in Portugal the weather mostly fine Far away from places he loved such as Gougane Barra he went to there for health mending sunshine He never did return home from Portugal where at a young age the great Cork bard died Never again to see Lough Lene, Inchydoney or Gougane Barra places in poetry that he glorified To Ireland the great poet was lost forever yet his poems are very much alive today Had he lived to an old age many great poems he would have written but such is life as some are known to say He did die young which seems more of the pity but his name lives as a major Irish poet A great translator as well as one who wrote great original poetry in Irish literature his name lives on as one worthy of note His poems the Recluse Of Inchydoney and Gougane Barra live on as memorable that true poets are born not made is not a lie The Outlaw Of Lough Lene and the Convict Of Clonmel further testimony to his greatness great poetry such as he wrote never die When Callanan wrote his great poem on Gougane Barra his thoughts were of a Country far away Where he went to live and died as a young migrant a legend then and a legend still today.