Teresa Brayton

Who was Teresa Brayton?

Teresa Brayton was an Irish nationalist, writer and poet.

She was born Teresa Boylan at Kilbrook, Kilcock, in County Kildare. She emigrated to America in 1895 and settled first in New York but later moved to Boston. She married Richard Brayton, a French-Canadian and became well known in Irish-American circles. She published extensively in many American newspapers and magazines and was closely associated with the 1916 Rising.

In 1913 she published her first book of poetry called Songs of the Dawn, The Flame of Ireland appeared in 1926 and Christmas Verses in 1934. Her main themes were the exile's nostalgic loss of homeland, nationalism and religion.

She visited Ireland frequently and was acquainted with many of the Irish political leaders of the time. She returned permanently to Ireland in 1932 and died in her home in Kilbrook, County Kildare, in 1943. A memorial to her was erected by President De Valera in Kilbrook in 1959.

Her best-known poem is "The Old Bog Road", set to music by Madeline King O'Farrelly from Rochfortbridge, County Westmeath. It has been recorded by Eileen Donaghy, Josef Locke, Johnny McEvoy, Hank Locklin, Finbar Furey, Anthony Kearns, Daniel O'Donnell, Finbar Wright and many other artists up to the present day.