Modern
John O'Brien
John O'Brien was the pen name of Patrick Joseph Hartigan (1878–1952), an Australian Catholic priest and poet. Born in New South Wales to Irish-Australian parents, he was ordained in 1903 and spent his working life as a priest in country parishes, where the speech and stories of Irish-Australian farming families came to fill his verse.
He wrote under a pseudonym because clerical authors were expected to keep out of print. Around the Boree Log and Other Verses (Angus & Robertson, 1921) sold very widely in Australia and made him a popular bush poet. Its humorous and sentimental ballads of selectors' children, priests and country churches, including 'Said Hanrahan', are written largely in Irish-Australian dialect. He was later made a monsignor.
Poems (46)
- Around the Boree Log
- Calling to Me
- The Little Irish Mother
- One by One
- Ten Little Steps and Stairs
- The Trimmin’s on the Rosary
- The Birds Will Sing Again
- The Old Bush School
- Six Brown Boxer Hats
- The Libel
- When the Circus Came to Town
- His Father
- The Kookaburras
- Peter Nelson’s Fiddle
- The Church upon the Hill
- Currajong
- The Helping Hand
- Vale, Father Pat
- Josephine
- The Old Mass Shandrydan
- Pitchin’ at the Church
- Said Hanrahan
- The Tidy Little Body
- The Pillar of the Church
- Teddo Wells, Deceased
- Norah O’Neill
- The Presbyt’ry Dog
- Tangmalangaloo
- The Altar-Boy
- At Casey’s After Mass
- St. Patrick’s Day
- The Careys
- When Old Man Carey Died
- The Parting Rosary
- Ownerless
- Laughing Mary
- Moryah
- A Stranger in the Church
- Tell Me, What’s a Girl to Do?
- The Wiree’s Song
- Wisha, What Is the Matter with Jim?
- Said the White-Haired Priest
- Honeymooning from the Country
- Making Home
- Could I Hear the Kookaburras Once Again
- Come, Sing Australian Songs to Me!