Geoffrey Keating (Seathrún Céitinn) was one of the most influential figures in early modern Irish literature and historiography. Born near Clogheen some time around 1580, he was likely the son of James fitz Edmund Keating, and received his early education at a bardic school run by the Mac Craith family in Ballylooby,where he mastered Irish literary traditions. Like many Catholic scholars of his era, Keating pursued theological studies abroad due to restrictions in Ireland,earning a Doctor of Divinity, probably at the University of Rheims. He was later associated with the Irish College in Bordeaux before returning to his home diocese of Lismore around 1610, where he served as a priest and preacher.
Keating’s writings reflect his Counter-Reformation outlook and deep knowledge of Irish language and lore. His major works include Eochair-sgiath an Aifrinn (a treatise on the Mass), Trí Bior-ghaoithe an Bháis(moral reflections on death), and numerous poems and elegies. His most celebrated achievement is Foras Feasa ar Éirinn (c.1634), a sweeping history of Ireland from the creation of the world to the Norman invasion. Written inelegant Irish prose, it sought to defend Ireland against hostile portrayals by writers such as Giraldus Cambrensis and Richard Stanihurst. Combining myth,legend, and historical sources, Keating presented Ireland as an ancient and autonomous kingdom, reinforcing Catholic identity during a time of political upheaval. The work circulated widely in manuscript and later in translation, shaping Irish historical consciousness for centuries.
Keating died sometime before 1644, as indicated by a commemorative plaque, asking for prayers for his soul, at Cillín Chiaráinchapel in Tubrid, near Clogheen. It is generally agreed that he was also buried there, and a memorial cross to that effect was erected inside the ruined chapel in the early twentieth century. Few personal artefacts survive, but one remarkable relic is a small silver chalice inscribed: “Dominus Galfridus Keatinge, Sacerdos Sacrae Theologiae Doctor mefieri fecit 23 February 1634.” This chalice, preserved in the Waterford Museum of Treasures, offers a rare tangible link to the historian.
Regarded as the father of modern Irish prose, Keating preserved invaluable historical material and his works remain central to understanding Irish identity, language, and culture in the seventeenth century.
Sources:
https://www.dib.ie/biography/keating-geoffrey-ceitinn-seathrun-a4417
https://celt.ucc.ie/keat_cunn.html
https://historyireland.com/geoffrey-keatings-foras-feasa-ar-eirinn/
https://www.libraryireland.com/biography/GeoffreyKeating.php
