John Coleman was born 1855 in Ardboe, County Tyrone, at the west side of Lough Neagh. He married his sweetheart Mary Treanor at the age of 17 in Derrymacash, Lurgan. They went on to have 14 children.
John and Mary lived together in Cove Lodge for the rest of their lives. John died in 1938 and is buried in the graveyard at the Old Cross, Ardboe.
Brought up on the shores of Lough Neagh, John bought Cove Lodge in Ardboe, and farmed for much of his adult life. His poetry is alive with his connection to the land. His life was steeped in traditions, in the Celtic way of living off the land, in community and shared celebrations and sorrows. He writes tales of beautiful summers and harsh winters, and paints pictures of the ever-changing scenery through the seasons. As John gets older (he lived into his 80s) he reminisces of his own childhood and wonders at how much has changed since he was a boy.
Without the benefit of the internet, or as far as we know, travelling far, John is well-read and philosophical. He asks questions and ponders the meaning of life. Death does not seem to scare him, in fact, it is very much part of the circle of life. His faith has been passed down from his mother from an early age, and this comes to his mind more and more as he gets older. All of his life was lived on the shores of Lough Neagh – from the Coleman homestead to Cove Lodge – he was never far from his beloved Lough.
John has written a record of a distant past that survives only through the Celtic tradition of story-telling.
He lost many of his family, friends and neighbours across the Atlantic Ocean.
John Coleman’s poetry was first published from 1929 – 1938 in his local weekly paper, The Mid Ulster Mail. The poems have been recovered from the paper’s archives and brought together in one book for the first time. The great majority of the poems have not been available to view until now. His thoughts cover the issues of the day and many of the poems are still relevant in to-day’s world; especially in Ireland. This project is primarily for the extended Coleman family but as they are enjoyable and educational the poems are now available to be shared with everyone. The subjects covered are his beloved Lough Neagh and Ardboe, Ireland and the Exiles, The Seasons, Memories of Childhood, Religious Thoughts, Life and Death, Commentary of the Day, War and Story Telling.