Gerald Griffin (; 12 December 1803 – 12 June 1840) was an Irish-born novelist, poet and playwright. His novel The Collegians was the basis of Dion Boucicault's play The Colleen Bawn. Feeling he was "wasting his time" writing fiction, he joined the Christian Brothers, a Catholic religious congregation founded by Edmund Ignatius Rice to teach the children of the poor. "When free from his books he was wont to roam through the neighbouring countries, so rich in ruins, which told him of the past glories of his native land. At that time, too he got an insight into the customs of the people and became familiar with the popular legends and folk-tales which he later worked into his stories."

London

In 1820 the family at Fairy Lawn was broken up. The parents with several of the children emigrated to America and settled in the state of Pennsylvania. Gerald, with one brother and two sisters, was left behind under the care of his elder brother William, a practising physician in Adare, County Limerick.

Experience led Griffin to modify his expectations in relation to literary work, and, with a view to the legal profession, he entered as a law student at the University of London, but in a short time removed to Dublin for the study of ancient Irish history, preparatory to his work "The Invasion", which was published in 1832. This work had a good sale and was highly praised by scholars, but never became popular.

Christian brother

With the exception of a tour through Scotland and a short trip on the Continent, he lived with his brother, keeping up to some extent his literary labours. By 1833, Griffin was increasingly concerned that "he was wasting his time", and began to devote himself to teaching the poor children of the neighbourhood. In 1838, Griffin burnt all of his unpublished manuscripts and joined the Congregation of Christian Brothers, a Catholic religious order which has as its special aim the education of children of the poor. Writing to an old friend he said "he felt a great deal happier in the practice of this daily routine than he ever did while roving about the great city, absorbed in the modest project of rivalling Shakespeare and throwing Scott in the shade". The novel was later adapted for the stage as The Colleen Bawn by Dion Boucicault.

He has a street named after him in Limerick City and another in Cork City, Ireland. Loughill/Ballyhahill GAA club in west Limerick play under the name of Gerald Griffins.

Works

  • Tales of the Munster Festivals (1827)
  • The Collegians (1829)
  • Tales Illustrative of the Five Senses (1830)
  • Poetical Works and Tragedy of Gisippus
  • The Rivals; and, Tracy's Ambition (1830)
  • The Invasion (1832)
  • Tales of My Neighbourhood (1835)
  • The Duke of Monmouth (1836)
  • The Fate of Cathleen: a Wicklow Story (1841)
  • Tales of the Jury Room (1842)

References

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Selected bibliography

  • Griffin, D. The Life of Gerald Griffin, Vol. I (London: 1843). online.
  • The Life of Gerald Griffin, Daniel Griffin, James Duffy, Dublin, 1872.