The Irish standard., 1890-11-29
A YOUNG IRELANDER POET
Al Interesting Sketch of the Late Lead
Judge UHagan From John z
Finerty's Citizen
1E SANG OF IRISH FREEDOM
But Soon Gave Up the Poet's Fen for q
LEW er's Brief and Assembled the
British Bench.

! LEW arS t1fleI ENC A6cenueQ Lu0
British Bench.
I Another Of the very few surviving
poets OF the '4S era has passed away In
the person of Land Judge O'Hagan.
better known as John O'Hagsn, the
"SIiebb Cuibh)in'' OF the old Nation.
The ranks Of chat gallant band OF trOu-
badours haze been seriously thiuned in
latter years. Within tWelvem0nth Or
so Barry, who wrote OF the Green Flag,
and Geoghegan. who Denned that charm
ing poem on the Monks of Kilcrea,
have vanished from the scene. Of the
fOnr surviving bards Of YOung ireland,
ONLY one. Mr.. Denny Lane, Of Cork.
sti)l treads the land that gave them
birth. The remaining three are in
their old age den,zens Of foreign CHIMES.
Lady Wilde ('Speranza'') is spending
the last days Of her life on the Thames
Her sister Grace, Eva" has her home
under this shadow OF the Southern
Cross, while Gayan Duffy IS summing
himself on the fragrant shores Of Nice.
O'Hagan was, we believe, g. native OF
Newry. in the north OF ireland. He
made his home In Dublin early in life,
and after few years. study In that city
was called TO the bar. The country
was then aglow with national enthu
siasm. Thomas Davis was gathering
around the Nation Office the creme de
la creme Of the patriotism and poetry OF
the young men of ireland. Among the
Juveniles who rallied to his call, alid
who were influenced by his sublime
inep ration was this budding LAWYER of
the Four Courts, who abandoned the
musty pages OF Coke or Littieton fol'
ths allurements Of poesy and rntnaree,
I As contributor to the Nation, O'na
gan, under the signature OF 'Sllebh
Cuibhl,n," soon became one of the
most brilliant stars In the galaxy OF
| Ireland's singers. He wrote but little
IL is true, but that little was marked
with the true stamp Of talent, and
shone out with the genuine Hre Of
parnassus. 1t Ia no exag ggeratiOn to say
that q Hagan's ballads were among the
most patriotic lyrics Of that decidedly
patriotic epoch. We need only meution
his '.Paddies Evermore," and his ''Dear
Land" us conclusive proofs of the truth
OF such an assertion, 1t is not very en
couraging, however, to have to- state
that. Lake DARCY Mctiee and others Of
his colleagues, he made I'm those early
days vow which in after life he did
practically little or nothing to observe.
In one Of his poems @ Ha9an imagined
the possibility OF many impossibllitIes.
When comes the day ail hearts 10 weigh,
! IL stannch they he or vile,
Shall We forget the sacred debt,
| We owe our mother isle?
My native heath Is brown beneath
| My native waters blue;
But crimson red, Ger both shall aprsad
! Ere am false to you, dear land,
| Ere am false to you!
The sequel will show how he kept his
word. Having escaped somehow the
pains aud penalties ueted out by the
British government to many OF bis
fellow singers, O'Hagan settled down
to the hum drum existence Of the aver
age barrlster. He gave uD for many
wears the poets pen for the lawyers
brief, and, after record OF servllity to
several Wing cabinets, his services
were at last rewarded BY Mr.. Gladstone
with seat on the land commission
bench. In the moments Of leisure
afforded him fr0m his judicial duties
O'Hagan burst forth once more into
song. A long classic poem OF chivalry
entitled Roland appeared at this time
from his pen, while later on he con~
trlbuted religious lyrics, one Of which
was a netrical translation Of 1.-The
Rosary" over the signature Of "O,'' to
the PAGES Of the Irish Monthly. Ever
since '46, however, his national muse
bas been as silent as the grave. 1t
looked as il the fiery bard had buried
his national faith and written its epitaph
with the collapse Of Ireland's hopes at
Balltngarry.
The following extract from O. HaRan's
PENAL DAYS" will give the reader an
idea OF the ardent patriotism that In
spired ham in his early days:
Deep let it stink In Irish hearts --the story Of
their Isle.
And waken thoughts OF tenderest love, and
burning wrath the while.
And press upon us one by one the fruits Of En-
glands sway, Fl g
And blend the wrongs Of by-gone times with
this our fght to-day; .3@
And show our father's constancy By truest In
stinct led. 48 a DUE Ia III a$g "
To Ioathe and battle with the power that on
I#E their substance fed; lIls#
And let Y place beside oar own the worlds vast
page to tell s5B s.