Patrick Kennedy

Patrick Kennedy (early 1801 – 29 March 1873) was a folklorist from County Wexford, Ireland. An educator turned bookseller, who also contributed various articles and reviews as a writer, he eventually became best-known as a collector and publisher of Irish folktales and folklore, particularly from his native County Wexford. Life Kennedy was born in the early part of 1801 in Kilmyshal beyond the outskirts of Bunclody, County Wexford, Ireland, in a financially well-off family of peasant stock. The lived in the village of Kilmyshal until reached age six, and Mount Leinster, which loomed tall over his boyhood hometown served as a backdrop of his first book. The family moved (in 1807) to some district in Castleboro, Killegney civil parish, County Wexford; it is known they resided particularly at Coolbawn townland from 1810 to 1814. Then in 1814 they moved again three miles east to Courtnacuddy, Rossdroit civil parish. During this period, Patrick went away briefly in 1813 to attend school at Shanowle near Taghmon, staying with his mother's relatives, but this lasted only one or two terms. Subsequently, he was schooled closer to home at Cloughbawn, in Clonroche townland. The school was run by the famous "Mr. O'Neill", and at first Patrick's classes were held at the Cloughbawn Parish Church, until a schoolhouse was erected by the landlord, Robert Carew. Patrick lodged at the home was Morgan Dunne, his room and board paid for by tutoring. The Cloughbawn school had high standards and Patrick would later commend it in writing. His studies there lasted until 1818 or late 1819. In 1819 when he filled a temporary teacher's post at Tombrick School vacated by a friend (O'Brien) who was going to attend the Teachers Training School at Kildare Place. In 1820 or 21, Kennedy himself went to Dublin to enroll in the teacher-training program at Kildare Place (officially called the "Society for Promoting the Education of the Poor of Ireland"), and was so highly evaluated that after completing the program c. 1821, he was not posted to the school of his landlord as might have been expected, but gained employ at the Society itself as an instructor, or as Junior Assistant to the Superintendent, c. 1822. The Society, which the British Government as the apparatus overseeing the education of the whole of Ireland, was abolished in 1831, due to pressure from the men of the Catholic Emancipation movement.