Life
1794-1846 [Michael John O’Sullivan]; b. Cork, ed. Maginn’s Academy; studied law and took to journalisml ed. Freeman’s Journal from 1818; also conducted The Theatrical Oberver, The Star, The Correspondent, et. al.; made luareate of the Freemasons in Ireland, 1820; songs in Harmonica (Cork 1818); his operas include Lalla Rookh, 1815 (ran 100 nights in Dublin). PI DIW RAF MKA
References
D. J. O’Donoghue, The Poets of Ireland: A Biographical Dictionary (Dublin: Hodges Figgis & Co 1912); The Prince of the Lake, or the O’Donoghue of Rosse, poem in 2 cantos (Lon. and Cork, 1815); A Fasciculus of Lyric Verses (Cork 1846), with memoir and portrait; several plays and operas incl. Lalla Rookh (1815) and The Corsair (1814), both with Miss O’Neill amd many songs.
Patrick Rafroidi, Irish Literature in English, The Romantic Period, 1789-1850 (Gerrards Cross: Colin Smythe 1980), Vol. I; born in Cork, studied with Dr. Mangan before taking law exams and working as a journalist; wrote two unpublished plays, with music by J. Blewitt and C. Horn respectively, The Corsair (1814), and The Prince of the Lake (1818). [NOTE, This information clashes with PI.] Also, poetry collections, The Prince of the Lake (1815), and Fasciculus of Lyric Verse (1846), both printed in Cork.
Brian McKenna, Irish Literature, 1800-1875: A Guide to Information Sources (Detroit: Gale Research Co. 1978) : 1794-1846; Prince of the Lake ... (Bolster, 1815); Fasciculus of Lyric Verses by the Late M. J. O’Sullivan (Cork 1846) [‘many of his minor poems’]. Commentaries, D. J. O’Donoghue (Shamrock 1890) [MJ O’S confined himself to drawing room entertainment though he could do better]. ‘Memoir of the Author’ (in Fasciculus) [A friend of Thomas Crofton Croker, William Maginn, and Thomas Moore, his wrote pop. songs of the day]. Ed. Freeman’s Journal, Theatrical Observer, and other papers. contrib. Fraser’s Lit. Chronicle.
Peter Kavanagh, The Irish Theatre (Tralee: The Kerryman 1946): 1794-1845; [PI] The Corsair or The Pirate’s Island (Crow St. 1814), mus. J. Blewitt, and Lalla Rookh (Crow St. 1818), mus. C. Horn, ran 100 nights; Poet laureate of Freemason’s in Ireland in 1820. And compare with other writers on the theme of “The O’Donoghue of the Lake”.
Hyland Books (Cat 1997) lists A Fasciculus of Lyric Verses (Cork 1846), port., 84pp.
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