Pádraic Ó Conaire

Sitting contemplatively upon the wall at the North face of Eyre Square is the most beloved statue in Galway. The statue depicts Pádraic Ó Conaire, one of Galway's most cherished writers. The statue itself was commissioned shortly after the authors death in 1928, and by 1935 the work was unveiled by Eamon de Valera before a vast crowd, many of whom marveled at the resemblance to the real Pádraic.

Ó Conaire was a gentle man who wrote all of his work in Irish and is largely remembered as a wandering storyteller who travelled the countryside with his cart and donkey, often stopping by the pub for a pint or two. He was born in Galway City, in 1882, and he lost his mother at an early age. His father sent him away to school, where Pádraic's love of the Irish language was inspired by a schoolteacher. Ó Conaire's mastery of the Irish language and his gift for writing would lead him to win the Oireachtas Prize in 1904 and 1909, after he had set aside both the priesthood and the civil service in favour of teaching and writing.

Pádraic Ó Conaire is perhaps best known for his short story M'Asal Beag Dubh (My Little Black Donkey). The story, which continues to be read by school children, tells of how Pádraic encountered his famous little donkey and purchased it from a tinkerman, only to have subsequent trials and tribulations with the animal.

Jeremy M. Usher
November 2000