The legacy of Darby Ryan, the renowned Tipperary poet and patriot best known for his ballad The Peeler and the Goat, is being commemorated with the launch of the Darby Ryan International Poetry Contest in his native village of Bansha.
Born Diarmuid O’Ríain at Ashgrove, Bansha in 1777, Ryan was celebrated for his patriotic poetry and ballads, many of which championed Irish nationalism. His most famous work, The Peeler and the Goat—also known as The Bansha Peeler—gained widespread popularity across Ireland and among Irish emigrants worldwide. The song was notably revived and popularized in the 1970s and 1980s by the iconic Irish band The Wolfe Tones.
Throughout his life, Ryan composed poetry in both Irish and English, often capturing key local and national events in verse, earning him recognition as a bard of his era.
Ryan’s descendants, John Grogan of Bansha and the United States, and Claire Grogan Williams, have established the poetry contest to honor his enduring contribution to Irish culture. The competition is now open for submissions, with entries accepted until July 31.
The winner of this year’s contest will be announced in August and invited to present a reading of their work at an event in Bansha on August 20.
