Introduction

Biography

Drennan’s sur­name is an Ang­li­ciz­ation of the Iri­sh clan name Ó Draigh­náin.

He was edu­cat­ed at the Uni­vers­ity of Glas­gow, Scot­land (MA 1771, MD 1778), and prac­ticed me­di­cine in Bel­fast.

At one time he ed­it­ed the Bel­fast Month­ly Ma­ga­zine.

Works

• Letters of Or­el­la­na, an Ir­ish He­lot, 1784–85
• Erin, 1794 (con­tains the first known pub­lished ref­erence to Ire­land as the Em­er­ald Isle)
• Wake of Will­iam Orr, 1797
• Fugitive Piec­es in Prose and Verse (Bel­fast, North­ern Ire­land: 1815)
• Memoirs, pub­lished by his sons, 1859