The pearl of the kingdom : a study of Afhir léghtha an leabhráin bhig by Giolla Brighde Ó hEódhasa

Published precisely 400 years ago, it is the first Irish Counter-Reformation poem to appear in print; it comes therefore from close to the end of the bardic period when, as a result of cata­clysmic socio-political changes, the poetic schools were becoming a thing of the past. Written by a poet trained in the Irish tradition and exposed to the radical ideas of European humanism and ecclesiastical reform, in its layering of meaning and breadth of allusion it represents something of a new departure. Yet it stands firmly within the bardic tradition and, to my mind, illustrates the concision and aesthetic vitality of the genre. Indeed, it might be suggested that this little poetic miniature gives us a glimpse of the potential begin­nings of a new tradition and how Irish poetry might have evolved had it been afforded an oppor­tunity to flourish and develop into the modern era. While I have long felt that a study such as this would be of some value, my literary interests have generally had to