Aogán Ó Rathaille

Aodhagán Ó Rathaille or Egan O'Rahilly (c.1670–1726), was an Irish language poet. He is credited with creating the first fully developed Aisling.

It is thought that Ó Rathaille was born in Screathan an Mhil (Scrahanaveal), Gneeveguilla, in the Sliabh Luachra region of County Kerry into a relatively prosperous family. Dinneen tells us that "his father died while he was still young, leaving his widow in good circumstances. She owned at one time half the townland of Scrahanaveal, which, however, under the stress of circumstances , she relinquished, and came to dwell at Cnoc an Chorrfhiaidh, also called Stagmount... Here Egan lived a long time." It may also have been here that Aodhagán was trained in the bardic arts. He acquired an excellent education in the bardic school of the Egan family (ollamhs to the Mac Cárthaigh Mór) and was taught Latin and English as well as Irish literature and history. He became a respected ollamh and travelled to the homes of the Old Irish chiefs where he was treated as an honoured guest. He also worked as a scribe.

Ó Rathaille lived through a time of major political and social upheaval in Ireland which was ultimately to result in the crushing of the Irish language and the death of the bardic tradition. The changes in Irish society directly impacted Ó Rathaille's life and resulted in his social status being reduced from that of a respected ollamh to a destitute pauper. This transition was a source of huge bitterness to Aodhagán and it was this pathos that drove him to pen much of his poetry.

Aodhagán Ó Rathaille was related to the brehons to the Mac Cárthaigh Mór family and would have seen them as his chiefs and patrons). Due to the Munster plantation however, the Browne family (later known as Kenmare) had succeeded to the MacCarthy lands under English occupation. Unlike most of the English settlers, the Brownes soon reverted to their Catholic faith and made matches with the leading Catholic families in Munster and Leinster – Ó Suilleabháin Mór (O'Sullivan Mor), Fitzgerald of Desmond, MacCarthys, Butlers, O'Briens, Plunketts and many others. Sir Valentine Browne, 3rd Baronet, 1st Viscount (1638–1694) was a supporter of James II, King of England and was given the title Viscount Kenmare by James. He was the landlord and patron of Aodhagán Ó Rathaille. However, after the fall of James in 1691, Valentine Browne was attainted for his association with James and his estates were confiscated in 1691. His son Nicholas Browne, 4th Baronet, 2nd Viscount was also a Jacobite supporter and attainted and could not claim the estates. Nicholas Browne's children were still to inherit, so the commissioners of the estate were instructed not to let the estate for more than 21 years. However, it was let to John Blennerhasset and George Rogers (two members of parliament) for a contract of 61 years. Blennerhasset and Rogers claimed they planned to plant the estate with Protestants when their illegal contract was questioned by the English Commission in 1699.

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