The bi-centenary of the birth of the ‘Bard of the Lee’ is marked by Pauline Murphy

 

John Fitzgerald, ‘The Bard of the Lee’, was born 200 years ago, on June 18th, 1825, at Hanover Street in Cork city. When Fitzgerald was just four years old his father died and he and his siblings were raised singlehandedly by his steadfast mother.

Fitzgerald was educated at Fr Mathew’s school on Blackamoor Lane and the Christian Brothers school on Sullivan’s Quay. From there he continued his education at North Monastery. At the age of 15 Fitzgerald left for London where he was apprenticed to Michael Murphy cabinetmaker. Murphy also happend to be his older sister’s husband!

After twelve months Fitzgerald returned home to Leeside as life in the British capital was not to his liking. Back in Cork he found employment in Queen’s College (UCC) as a chemist’s assistant to Dr Blyth.
Fitzgerald was drawn back to his original trade when he was taken on by O’Keefe’s cabinetmakers on Grattan Street, Cork city. For six years he worked as a cabinetmaker while also crafting his talent as an artist and composer of poems and ballads.

Fitzgerald was appointed master at the Cork School of Art and also became superintendent of the woodcarving department at the 1853 Dublin Exhibition. At the 1883 Cork Exhibition he won first prize for two woodcarvings.

In 1882 Fitzgerald’s collection ‘Legends, Ballads and Songs of the Lee’ was published. He also contributed several stories of Cork antiquary to newspapers and journals thus preserving many tales of old Cork.
Fitzgerald also revived old Cork songs and ancient place names of the rebel county. As a member of the Cork Historical and Agricultural Society he contributed many articles to it’s famed journal.

Fitzgerald wrote extensively on all things Cork. In ‘The Blarney Stone’ he offered his own, and according to Fitzgerald, the correct account of the Blarney stone legend!

Continue reading in this week’s Ireland’s Own