(Translated by Patrick C. Power) The Midnight Court/Cúirt an Mheán-Oíche is a racy, word-rich bawdy poem that has earned it enduring popularity since it was first written by Clare poet Brian Merriman around 1780. It is regarded as one of the finest pieces of comic literature in Irish and until recently was censored or bowdlerised in academic texts for its frank sexual references and anti-clericalism.
This poem gives an excellent picture of rural Ireland in the late eighteenth century, and its feminism and enunciation of celibacy, including that of the clergy, make it seem contemporary. Patrick C. Power's translation endeavours to come as near as possible to the rural attitudes and style that are so much part and parcel of the flavour of the original.
To find out more about Brian Merriman, click here.
