John Locke

John Locke (1847-1889)poet, novelist and journalist was born in the Minauns, Callan on July 26th 1847. His father Thomas Locke - an accountant in the leather firm of Patrick Cody and his Mother Mary Ryan a Tipperary woman were highly esteemed in the locality.

At school he was known as "the little officer" because of the black braided cap which crowned a cluster of fiar curls. But John locke attracted attention for a far more important reason - he was regarded as the most stylish hurler that Callan National School had seen. As a young man John Locke worked as a monitor in the local school and during that time his interest in the gentler art of poetry began to be revealed. His first poem was published in the first edition of "Irish People" journal when he was a mere 16 years old. As he had strong connections with the Irish Republican Brotherhood which had been set up in 1853 by James Stepehns, his poem was published under the non-de-guerre of "Vi et Armis". Many other poems followed, including "The Calm Avonree" which has always been a prime favourite with the people of his native town.

The Calm Avonree

The Avonree better known as The Kings River

Bright home of my youth, my own sorrowing sireland,
My fond heart o'er-flows and the tears dim my eyes,
When I think of thee, far distant, beautiful Ireland,
And the dark seas between you and me, my hearts prize.
And oft do I sigh for the days of my childhood,
When I plucked the wild flowers on the fair upland lea,
Or roamed the long day thro' the green shady wildwood,
On the green grassy banks of the calm Avonree.
...........

In 1867 Locke - a member of the IRB - was arrested for failing to recognise that he was a happy English child. After the formality of a trial he was sentenced to be imprisoned for 6 months in Kilkenny Goal. After his release from prison and not wanting to compromise his parents and those who had secured his release Locke went to Manchester, then a strong Fenian Center, and to the home of Michael Davitt. From Manchester he travelled to America.

In America many of his friends were either founders or editors of well-known and influential literary magazines or newspapers in America. As well as writing poetry, he was also a prolific writer of excellent short stories. On joining the staff of the "Celtic Monthly" (founded by James Haltigan in 1879), John Locke wrote what is considered his finest full-length novel, "The Shamrock and Palmetto," which ran as a serial. A historical novel followed. This was "Ulick Grace: A Tale of the Thithes," which centred around the memorable Battle of Carrickshock (1831), the first popular victory of the Tithe War.

John Locke met and married Mary Cooney, a native of Clonmel in 1881. The happy partnership was all too brief, and on January 31st, 1889, Ireland-in-exile mourned the passing of Kilkenny's sweetest singer.

Dawn On The Irish Coast

In August of 1877 a friend had inspired our poet by the story of a scene he had witnessed at the close of a voyage back to Ireland. As the vessel made landfall in the early light and the emerald green of the Irish shore greeted their eager eyes, some friends assisted an aged passenger on deck for his first glimpse of the Kerry coast-line after thirty years of exile.

"T'anam chun Dia! but there it is-
The dawn on the hills of Ireland!
God's angels lifting the nights's black veil
From the fair, sweet face of my sireland!
O, Ireland! isn't it grand to look-
Like a bride in her rich adornin'!
With all the pent-up love of my heart
I bid you the top o'the morning'!"

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