New Book: The Bard – Seán Riobaird O Súilleabháin

The Aubane Historical Society will be launching their latest book entitled “The Bard – Seán Riobaird O Súilleabháin” in the library on Saturday 18th August at 8pm. The Bard was a myhtical figure in Millstreet’s history and this is the first account of his life. It’s a great story, and is written by his great grandson Barry Keane. Tea and biscuits will be served in the GAA club afterwards.

From the back cover: John Robert O Sullivan made Millstreet famous during the Land War. His fight with the landlords and land agents led to intense repression in Millstreet between 1881 and 1891. At one stage the small town of Millstreet had more than 80 armed police to enforce the law. This book tells the story of his life, the main events of the Land War at that time and his eventual conviction in 1891 at a show trial in Nenagh before ‘a hanging orange judge with a packed jury’. He received 24 years hard labour leaving a wife and six small children behind. This is also the story of their struggle to survive in the face of impossible odds.

About The Author: Barry Keane is a History and Geography teacher and the author of a number of books and articles across many subjects including Protestant decline in post-independence Ireland. He is also a mountaineer and has authored a series of five hill walking and rock scrambling guidebooks for the South of Ireland. Most importantly for this book he is the great grandson of the Bard.

AUBANE HISTORICAL SOCIETY 2012. ISBN 978-1-903497-73-9

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Before the book is released, you can read a little more on The Bard in a previous publication from the Aubane Historical Society entitled “The Burning of Cork: an eyewitness account by Alan Ellis and other items”  in the section entitled “A glimpse of ‘The Bard’, 1904” on pages 34-36.