Anthony Raftery
Brief history of Kiltimagh's famous poet from Kiltimagh National School

 

This memorial stands in the Square in Kiltimagh

Anthony Raftery was born in Killaiden, near Kiltimagh in the year 1784 .
There were three families living quite close to each other on
Frank Taffes land - the Delaneys, Brennans, and Raftery.
There were nine children in the Raftery family but after
an outbreak of small pox only Anthony survived and he lost his sight as a result of the illness .
In later years he became known as The Blind Poet.

Frank Taafe loved to sit under the huge trees listening to the stories, and music played by Raftery. He also encouraged the boy to entertain the locals with his music and song.  Anthony was permanently employed by Frank Taafe. He acted as household messenger and horseback was his mode of travel to the various places, and it was on one of these journeys that an accident occurred. On his way home from Kiltimagh, he tried to jump his horse across a drain, but the animal failed to reach the other side, and had its neck broken in the fall. Raftery was afraid of Franks temper, so he set off on his travels. He loved Mayo, and was heartbroken leaving as he so often made clear in his poems. Officially he never returned, but we are told he slipped back for his violin. His wanderings took him to County Galway, playing and entertaining as he went along. He died there in 1835, and is buried in Craughwell - "Relig na bhfile".