Patrick Kennedy

Writer

  • Born: 1801
  • Birthplace: Kilmyshel, County Wexford, Ireland
  • Died: March 29, 1873
  • Place of death: Dublin, Ireland

Biography

Patrick Kennedy was born in 1801 in Kilmyshal, County Wexford, Ireland. There is not much information about his early life but it is believed his family was of peasant stock, although Kennedy was able to stay in school until his late teens. He finished his education at Cloughbawn, a school that accepted anyone who wanted an education. As a boy, Kennedy was very involved with the church and the parish priest, Father Murphy. Kennedy volunteered as church clerk, served as godfather for christenings, and was a witness at weddings. His church experiences would appear in later writings about Irish life.

Upon completing his education, Kennedy worked as a teacher and principal from 1818 and through 1819. In 1820, he moved to Dublin, where he enrolled in a teacher training course at a school promoting education for poor Irish children. Kennedy taught at the school beginning in 1822. Although it is not clear how long he worked as a teacher, he is known to have left the profession to open a bookshop in Dublin in 1840.

Kennedy began writing scholarly articles about literature, folklore, and legends, and reviews of contemporary books for magazines such as the Wexford Independent and Duffrey’s Fireside Magazine while running his bookshop. During this time, he also began to write down the legends and oral histories he had heard while growing up. His first collection, Legends of Mount Leinster (1855), retells the oral legends from Kennedy’s village through characters sitting around a camp fire. In addition to the folklore, Kennedy provides historical context and information about local and regional customs. In The Banks of the Boro (1867), Kennedy strives to preserve the life, history, and customs of an era and people he saw was dying out.

In Fictions of Our Forefathers (1859), Kennedy combines Irish folk tales into one comprehensive volume and offers literary criticism, historical context, and a Gaelic glossary of terms. In Legendary Fictions of the Irish Celts (1866), Kennedy expanded his materials and included folklore and tales from all across Ireland, which were collected and retold by a wandering poet narrator. The book is filled with colloquialisms, grammatical errors, and local idioms which Kennedy felt were necessary to include. Their meanings and importance were explained in adjoining sections.

Kennedy died on March 29, 1873, after several months spent battling bronchitis. His greatest contribution to Irish literature and culture was his dedication to documenting the country’s oral history and local customs.