Waterbury Democrat., 1901-01-17
NATIVE GENIUS OF KILKENN
James Lecky and Kyran Thomas
 Buggy, 1856.

Buggy, 1856.
 We promised after the decease of Paris Anderson soon to return to the subject of the coterie of young literary Kilkenny men. for whom at the period of our own early boyhood their admir- ing fellow-townsmen looked hopefully forward for a brilliant career in after life, q hope which there was every reason to expect might be realized, had not Providence ordained it that al- most all were cut off when entering upon machood, and none were destined to reach the meridian of life We have to-day selected from the unpub- llShed poems of the late Rev James iecky one which cannot fail to enlist the Sympathies of our fellow citizens, rom It's reference to another departed young Kilkenny man. whose literary aDllltles were more largely known and generally appreciated by them-kyran Thomas Buggy. These elegiac stanZas were written by Lecky ill the year | 1S43. on hearing of the early death | of the friend and companion of his youth. and they fully prove how deep was me affection which had existed petWeen them. Nothing could Dossi- | plv nave been more diSSimilar than tic icIlSlouS views or political Senti- lliehl" or these two young men, but q community of poetical tastes and intel- | lectual pursuits had drawn them to- | Sether ill boyLood. and when each had launched his bark in the widely diyerg | Ing directions, still the memory of | me pure pleasures they experienced loSetner in the common pursuits of thelf childhood was to them a ioy for ot ahu served to ripen their early allectlon into the warmest friendship through life. Buggy became a poliri- ~ U! PloiesSion, deVotfnS his talents anu elersies 10 the newspaper press
 Tie 1lrSt became editor of the Xii. kenny Journal and subsequently, of a Belfast paper. and died whilst con- uuctlng the latter publication before lie had reached his twenty-third year HIS nfst published literary attemnts however. appeared in the columns of 'i,e Kilkenny Moderator. They consist GU ol poetlcal eTusionS which he con- | trlptiteu under the nom de plume of | Ieter Feel Elm. with the object of | eatiIl-iIl9 some of the local politicians or the Repeal party. who in their over "eehlng self-sutficiency. took airs mn on themselves. which excited +ba amusement and contempt of ono who possessed a keen sense of the ,i1ic- uio'ls ,,l' Whefesoever it manifested itself these attacks. which were Written M Ml'h vigorous and sllilful pen, were I,oM ever. directed against the men and iuioleS' ' not against their Drinci- P.es' The principles were his own | 'o them ne was enthusiastically ana consistently devoted. Leckv on the other hand, although intended fn.. the medical profession, being of :, ueFolional turn. became imbued wit0 lhe leellng that q religious vocation was Ills proper calling He entered irllity college and was. in due course "idaiileu a minister of the establjshafl Liurch. Ills political principles were hisnie conservative, and he could ac
 o'''it TOT ana sustain them With ,d- lhlfahie ability and rare areunento- 'lVe power. Three of his early 1itar- afv friends and companions. Scott Ry- 'h ahu Buggy, were Roman Catholics ana held what are liberal political views but this circumstance neve, ,ll;lne the slightest difference i, n,eckS lc, feelings toward them, through life he fondly cherished inc lecoliectlon Of their early intellectual 'uiiioilS 'lu signed for their compan t1'iS!iip when he Was removed from the home Of his youth his lot beinu
 
 ''lhncin% over tue letters which bo wrote to his old friends-manv nf winch Were at one time in my posses- sloli-hiS every aspiration seemed to ne Tor return to the old haunts and lfleHdS oL lis boyhood in Kilkenny whose companionship he sadly missed III o'l2f places. where such intellect ui!l ehuoWmentS as they were gifted "ltn were rarely 10 be founl In loo'' having studied medicine here for 'l snort tilne at the diSpensary. he went 10 -hauliroth, as assistant to an ono+b ccafy there. Anderson went to live i'm Duplln the year after and wrote to him. lamenting the removal from old associatioils and comprehension in HIS ha1lve home. In Lecky'S reply. written on the Ith of August. lS3;; he Observes: Il am as badly. if not Worse oil, in this respect of conyersa .ioh, as you are. My darling pursuits. have not the benefit of interchanna of sentiment with any"
 From Mauntrath Iecky wont 1o q medical establishment in Belfast in 1858. and took the opportunity of re- Visiting Kilkenny on his Way Writ Ing an account of that visit Of Ander- son, he says: Il cannot tell YOU any. thlng now about the Kilkenny litera ii all the fellows We knew are just the same as ever. Joe; Ryan smokes. fish es and is fond of music: Treshom plays cricket. fishes and hobs it: Bud is . count; Buggy is in great repute With his own party-the other side loads him with abuse. But I believe he deserves all the praise he gets, and little of the blame Buggy has q fine head. indicative of solid and powerful understanding. and of n good moral sense: the former has re- celVed much cultivation and exercise the latter has never had genial cline to flourish in. The classes of the academy, or the closets of Repeal newspaper offices are not places like ly to foster a pure and EiSh-toned nor. allty, but Buggy was naturally of a strong moral sense, and that it is not nicer and keencr is to be attributed tr the unfavorable circumstances in . which he hitherto has been placed. : have strong hopes that ere louc he will overcome these disadvantages and be what nature intended-a good man. entertain warm affection for him.