Boglands bard's debut a century late

By Paddy O'Flaherty
BBC News

Susan Elliot and Sam McAughtry spoke of their admiration for Moses Teggart

Although poet Moses Teggart died almost a century ago, veteran writer and broadcaster Sam McAughtry still feels a strong link with him.

"He was content to see his poems published in the local newspapers - that's just how I always felt when I started writing back in the 40s," he said.

The 84-year-old was speaking after the publication of the first collection of Teggart's poems.

Known as the Bard of the Boglands, Teggart was born in 1854 in the Birches, near Portadown.

More than 300 of his poems appeared in newspapers in the United States and in his native County Armagh.

"I'm glad to see them published in this collection," said Sam.

"It's important that these old poems are preserved. What's astonishing is the scale of the output - and there are some real weekers among them."

'Indelible bonds'

Another guest at the book launch, US Consul General to Northern Ireland Susan Elliott, discovered that like her, Teggart had spent much of his life near Springfield, Massachusetts.

She said the poet's life and work exemplified the indelible bonds between Ulster and America.

"While he - like so many others - made the United States his home, the memories and meaning of his native land never lost their salience to him," she said.

"These ties remain. They make the connection between our countries uniquely strong, and make Northern Ireland an especially rewarding place to serve my government as Consul General in Belfast."

Moses Teggart - Bard of the Boglands is published by the South Lough Neagh Regeneration Association with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund.