Person:Patrick Hartigan (6)

• For more information, see the EN Wikipedia article Patrick_Joseph_Hartigan.

Patrick one of the ordained sons became a priest, and in his spare time he wrote poems that had a warm and gentle heart.

A shy man, Patrick never dreamt that his poems would become popular. He had written them to amuse himself and close friends. So it was with reluctance that he allowed a scrapbook collection of his poems to be shown to a publisher. He was quite surprised when the publisher insisted on publication. He was never more surprised when the collection, called "Around The Boreen Log", was an instantaneous success.

The years have turned the rusted key,

And time is on the jog,

Yet spend another night with me

Around the boree log.

Fr. Hartigan was so modest that the author's name was given as 'John O'Brien'.

In his Parish was a milkman of the name who had achieved much notoriety because of the way he added water to his milk. Fr. Hartigan liked to say that his poetry was like O'Biens milk-well watered down.

Father Hartigan was ordained for the country diocese of Goulburn in New South Wales. Appointed inspector of Schools he travelled widely before becoming priest at Narrandera in the diocese of Wagga. Along with Around the Boree Log he also published The Parish of St Mel's.

In 2005 in the Riverina district of New South Wales, the John O' Brien Bush Festival was held from the 16th. to 20th. March.

Fr. Hartigan was Born in 1878 & Died in 1952.

For further information and some of his poems, see

http://www.alldownunder.com/australian-authors/john-obrien/index.html

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   http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/IRL-CLARE/2010-12/1291319491