Kerry writer with Clare roots

The Lament for Tommy Daly, possibly the best known Clare hurling ballad, was written by a Kerry man, Bryan MacMahon from Listowel. He was, however, very proud of his Clare ancestors.

His mother, Margaret Mary Kennedy, was a Clare woman and her parents, John, and his wife Joanna, are also buried on the ‘windswept hill’. Joanna’s sister, Mary, was married to Batt Reidy and MacMahon claimed they were Sean O’Riada’s great-grandparents. That was not the only connection between MacMahon and O’Riada, as MacMahon can claim some of the credit for the formation of Ceoltóirí Chualainn.
In 1960, O’Riada was musical director with the Abbey Theatre when MacMahon’ s play, The Song of the Anvil, was in production. They decided to use traditional music as the theme and O’Riada gathered a group of musicians to perform for the play. Out of their rehearsals for the play grew the world-famous group. 
MacMahon wrote many other ballads about Listowel and Kerry and possibly the best-known is The Valley of Knockanure but he was better known as a playwright, novelist and short story writer.
Bryan MacMahon worked all his life as a teacher in Listowel, where he influenced many of the great writers of North Kerry, all the while writing himself. His first short story was published in The Bell and it earned him a reputation as a writer of note and he regularly had stories published in newspapers and magazines. His first collection, The Lion Tamer, appeared in 1948 and the following year his first play, The Bugle in the Blood, was performed in The Abbey.
He didn’t just write for adults and his Jackomoora and the King of Ireland’s Son (1950) and Children of the Rainbow (1952) were published worldwide. He was equally proficient in both English and Irish and wrote a translation of the autobiography Peig.
He learned Shelta, the ancient language of the travelling people and took a great interest in their history and culture. Many consider The Honey Spike (1961), which is set in that community, to be his best play. It tells the story of a young couple travelling from Kerry to Antrim because they want to see the top of Ireland.
As well as his plays he also wrote historical pageants including those used at the medieval banquets.
He was also commissioned by the GAA to write a pageant to be produced in 1966 to mark the 50th anniversary of Easter 1916. His Seachtar Fear, Seacht L, with a cast of over 400, was staged both in Croke Park and in Casement Park in Belfast.
He travelled worldwide, lecturing and speaking on writing and also in this country often spoke on local history and the importance of knowing your own locality.
This love of place led him to be one of the founding members of Listowel Writers Week, which is still going from strength to strength. He was awarded many prizes and honours and was a member of Aosdána.
Known around Listowel as the Master, that was the name given to his autobiography published in 1992. He died in 1998.
Bryan MacMahon, literary giant, native of Kerry but also proud of his Clare roots, was born in Listowel on September 29, 1909, 102 years ago this week.