James Clarence Mangan Monument - St Stephens Green

James Clarence Mangan (1 May 1803 - June 1849) was an Irish poet born in Dublin. A bronze bust of the poet stands in St Stephens Green in Dublin. James Clarence Mangan was born in Dublin in 1803. The son of a poor grocer, he worked as a lawyers clerk among other things. His true talent, however , was poetry. He started learning languages with the guidance of a Fr. Graham who taught him Latin, Spanish, French and German. He wrote ‘charades, enigmas & riddles’ for almanacs and directories under pseudonyms. He died in the cholera epidemic of 1849 after a life of unrelieved poverty. Mangan has been called one of the greatest poets of the nineteenth century. His life, however, may only be considered miserable; he was an opium addict at one time and a hard drinker.