Thomas O'Hickey
A Killenaule Scholar and Gaelic Scribe

by Sean Watts

Thomas O'Hickey was a renowned scholar and manuscript writer of 19th century Tipperary. Forty or so of his manuscripts survive, most scattered throughout Ireland more far from home, in the University of Wisconsin - Madison for e.g. in Harvard and in the British Museum.

He was born in 1775 in Graystown near Killenaule. His parents were Sean O'Hickey and Maire (Ni Bhraonain) they had six children, Thomas, Michael, Donnchadha, Sean, Eileen and Cait. Thomas received no formal education, he is described as a poor "working man", who found difficulty in reading and writing and who's only support was labouring.

The Irish language was widespread in Co. Tipperary in the 1800's and was spoken by the majority of the population. However the language was soon to weaken in the North of the County, English was gaining the upper hand everywhere in the County from the middle of the century onwards. It is worth looking at the figures for the number of Irish speakers, particularly for Thomas's Slieveardagh Area where there were 6,778 Irish speakers or 25.4% of the population.

As for O'Hickey's neighbours, it is clear that Irish was not acceptable to all of them. Thomas notes "I remember when I was at school that there was threatening of any child who spoke a word of Irish, and it was a cause for discipline and penalty by putting strings around ours necks and beating so that out hearts would be shaking in our breasts with fear, as I grew older and wiser and heard the beautiful Irish stories, and people greatly praising those who read them, from then on I took upon myself to learn the language although it took a long time without book or teaching". O'Hickey says, "I did not find anyone to guide me in my wandering", which is unusual given the Gaelic scribes in the general locality at that time:

Tadhg Mac Carrthaig in Cashel, Sean O'Neill in Maoldroim, Tomas O'Briain in Lios A'Mhaghna in 1797, Eoghan Caomhanach came to Cluainin on his way to Limerick, add to that the Heritage of Gleann An Oir as written by Eoghan O'Neill.

It can be said also that Irish was not generally used by the clergy of the day, although the Parish Priest of Gortnahoe gave a sermon in Irish in 1824. The same priest spent some time in Killenaule.

Many scribes were teachers for the Protestant society, i.e. the Irish society for promoting the education of the native Irish through the medium of their own language. Among those teachers were, Tomas O'Briain, Muiris O'Buadha and Sean O'Floinn from Mullinahone, Peadar O'Hainle from Knockraffon was one of the stewards of the Society.
It is unlikely that Thomas O'Hickey was involved given his strong connection with the clergy.

In 1821 Thomas applied for a post with the Iberno Celtic Society and gave as a reference the name of Seamus O'Meara from Clonmel. However, Thomas learned his trade and learned it well, his first venture was to copy a prayer book and translate it from English to Irish this was "An Labair Dubh".

He then found acquaintance of an Irish language scribe who was Fr. Simon Walsh. Thomas transcribed a manuscript for the priest in 1823 and Fr. Walsh gives great praise to O'Hickey when writing to Hardiman in 1828. "If you should want another to help to write out the Irish Minstrelsy", I don't know of any more capable of succeeding than Thomas O'Hickey, whose name you heard been mentioned so often. He is by far the best Irish scholar I have ever met".

Thomas had however another priest as patron before Fr. Walsh that was Fr. Patrick Wall P.P. of Carrickbeg. When Fr. Wall was transferred to Stradbally in 1829, Thomas O'Hickey went with him. Around this time Philip Barun founded his Irish college in Baile Ui Lainnin, and Thomas got a post there. The college did not last too long - a dispute between the founder and his team - a point of grammar was the bone of contention, and it is said Thomas had to take to the road.

However Thomas soon met Dr. Doiminic O'Briain of St. John's college in Waterford who accepted him into the college as a translator of Religious matters to Irish, and also to teach the Irish language. He spent twenty years in the college until he returned to Killenaule in 1854 where he remained on and off. He spent part of 1854 and 1855 in the house of Fr. Bourke in Ardfinnan. He wrote his last work "Eochairsciath An Aifrinn" for Fr. Patrick 0'Donnell parish priest of Ballylooby, he died five days later and was buried at MaghCorbain. His obituary in "The Nation Paper" read:

On Saturday the 11th instant, Mr. Thomas O'Hickey the Great Celtic Scholar of the South breathed his last, in his humble and quiet cottage near the town of Killenaule of Co. Tipperary having attained his 80th year.

It is a long time since the death of a person in humble life has caused so general and widespread a feeling of sincere regret in the district. His gentle retiring and unassuming manners endeared him to all who had the good fortune to know him, whilst his varied literary attainments and especially his being in the present age one of the most accomplished scholars of the Irish tongue, rendered him an object of general admiration. He was a patriot of the loftiest sentiments, pure and unsullied in his motives, and though an old man, full of fire and enthusiasm. He never despaired of Ireland's freedom.

When the dark pall of woe and desolation spread it's sable folds over the land; when famine, with it's manifold accompanying evils, stalked through our cities; when the rulers, with folded arms, looked heedlessly on the unparalleled scenes of human misery presented to their view - yes, and even mocked and jibed at us in our distress; when the miscreants whom the people raised to a position of influence wherein they would be able to wring some measure of justice for the poor country, Judas like grasped the pro offered bribe, struck their colours and betrayed their sacred trust - still the venerable old man did not despair. From behind this dark and dismal drapery he hoped a bright and cheering prospect would issue forth, and that, ere death would conduct him to a better and happier home, he might see the salvation of his country. But heaven had decreed otherwise; he went to his true country before he witnessed the realisation of his hopes. "Mr. Hickey was Professor of Irish for upwards of twenty years in St. John's College, Waterford, during which time he was respected and esteemed by the professors and students of that college. Very many priests of the diocese of Waterford and Lismore studied the Irish language under his direction".

"When age and an impaired constitution rendered him no longer adequate to the discharge of the duties attending his distinguished office, he vacated the Professor's chair which he had so long occupied with honour to himself and advantage to others and returned to the humble home of which he was the life and pride. However, he did not incline to pass the evening of his life unemployed and inactive. He was almost constantly engaged in some useful literary pursuit. He translated several remarkable works into the Irish language. Among the books he translated are the Roman Missal, the Glories of Mary and the greater portion of the Bible.

"I never saw any specimens of pensmanship executed with such taste and accuracy as his manuscripts written in the Irish characters".

"The clergy who knew him well constantly visited him in his retirement and rendered his declining years smooth and happy by their unvarying kindness and attachment".

A source of information on the end of his life is a letter which Seamus O'Meachair of Mullinahone received in 1949 from another Thomas O'Hickey of Derrickanew, Killenaule. This Thomas revealed that the older people remembered the writer that he used to travel to Waterford by foot, carrying a satchel. He said "Thomas had a small shop in the place that O'Keefe's pub is at Lagansbridge, (now O'Connell's), that he held Irish classes there and that his father attended them.

Sources and Research:

Waterford History and Society 1700 - 1900 by Eoghan O'Suilleabhain.
Dr. William Nolan, Department of Geography, University College Dublin.
Mary Guinan Darmody, Local Studies, County Library, Thurles.
Translations by Olive M. Cornelia, Scoil Ruain, Killenaule.
Tipperary Historical Journal, County Library, Thurles.


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