Séamus Ó Néill

Séamus Ó Néill, (died 1981), was an Irish writer from Clarkhill, Castlewellan, County Down, Ireland. Following a primary degree from Queen's University, Belfast, he did historical research under Eoin MacNeill at University College, Dublin. He spent periods as editor of the journals ''An Iris'' and ''Comhar''.

The endpiece from ''Dánta do pháistí'' (Poems for Children), entitled "Subh Milis" ("Sweet Jam"), a poem dedicated to his mother (subtitle: "Ceann do Mhama"), is his best-known work, and one of the Irish language texts most frequently referenced in English language media [https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/one-day-there-ll-be-nobody-to-nag-about-homework-the-little-hands-will-be-gone-1.3367062] [https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2020/jun/14/at-the-end-of-isolation-long-days-and-short-weeks-are-measured-in-irish-poetry] [https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/books/me-myself-and-i-paul-howard-author-29758369.html]:

{| | valign="top" width=25%" | Original :''Bhí subh mhilis'' :''Ar bhaschrann an dorais'' :''Ach mhuch mé an corraí'' :''Ionam a d'éirigh,'' :''Mar smaoinigh mé ar an lá'' :''Nuair a bheas an bhaschrann glan,'' :''Agus an lámh bheag'' :''Ar iarraidh.'' | valign="top"| Translation :There was jam :On the doorhandle :But I suppressed the anger :That arose in me, :Because I thought of the day :when the doorhandle would be clean :And the little hand :Gone. |} Two of his novels, ''Tonn Tuile'' and ''Máire Nic Artáin'', dealt with marital breakdown - the first set during The Emergency and the latter in the religiously divided communities of Belfast during the First World War. Provided by Wikipedia