Outlaw of Loch Lene, The

DESCRIPTION: The outlaw lives in the wood. "All the wealth that I sought, one fair kind glance from my love." His lover lives down by the lake. He remembers when his lover swam Loch Lene to find him. He imagines them alone, "far off on the deep"
AUTHOR: unknown (translated by J. J. Callanan)
EARLIEST DATE: 1888 (Sparling)
KEYWORDS: love nonballad lover outlaw separation
FOUND IN: Ireland
REFERENCES (4 citations):
OLochlainn-MoreIrishStreetBallads 55, "The Outlaw of Loch Lene" (1 text, 1 tune)
ADDITIONAL: H. Halliday Sparling, Irish Minstrelsy (London, 1888), pp. 228, 496, "Outlaw of Loch Lene"
Donagh MacDonagh and Lennox Robinson, _The Oxford Book of Irish Verse_ (Oxford, 1958, 1979), p. 42, "The Outlaw of Loch Lene" (1 text)
Walter de la Mare, _Come Hither_, revised edition, 1928; #365, "The Outlaw of Loch Lene" (1 text)
NOTES [126 words]: OLochlainn-MoreIrishStreetBallads: "One of J.J.[Jeremiah Joseph] Callanan's [1795-1839] best translations of Gaelic songs." - BS
There is a certain amount of confusion about this author. Most sources list his name as James Joseph Callanan, but he is also sometimes listed under the name "Jeremiah" (and, yes, it is known that it is the same guy). Most sources agree that he was born in 1795, but his death date seemingly varies; Hoagland and MacDonagh/Robinson give 1829. He wrote some poetry of his own, but is probably best known for his translations from Gaelic. Works of his found in this index include "The Convict of Clonmel," "The Outlaw of Loch Lene," "Sweet Avondu," "The Virgin Mary's Bank," "Gougane Barra," and a translation of "Drimindown." - RBW
File: OLcM055

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