’MydearLeFanu，’Inreadingoveryourbrother’spoemwhileIcrossedtheAtlantic，Ibecamemoreandmoreimpressedwithitsgreatbeautyanddramaticeffect——somuchsothatIdeterminedtotestitseffectinpublic，andhavedonesohere，onmyfirstappearance，withthegreatestsuccess。
NowIhavenodoubttherewillbegreatpraisesofthepoem，andpeoplewillsuppose，mostlikely，thatthecompositionismine，andasyouknowItakeforgrantedthatIwouldnotwishtowearaborrowedfeather，Ishouldbegladtogiveyourbrother’snameastheauthor，shouldhenotobjecttohaveitknown；butashiswritingsareoftenofsodifferentatone，Iwouldnotspeakwithoutpermissiontodoso。Itistruethatinmyprogrammemynameisattachedtootherpieces，andnonameappendedtotherecitation；sofar，youwillsee，IhavedoneallIcouldtoavoid“appropriating，“thespiritofwhichImighthavecaughthere，withIrishaptitude；butIwouldliketohavethemeansoftellingallwhomitmayconcernthenameoftheauthor，towhoseheadandheartitdoessomuchhonour。Pray，mydearLeFanu，inquire，andanswermeherebynextpacket，orassoonasconvenient。Mysuccessherehasbeenquitetriumphant。
’Yoursverytruly，’SAMUELLOVER。’
Wehavehearditsaidthoughwithouthavinginquiredintothetruthofthetraditionthat’ShamusO’Brien’wastheresultofamatchatpseudo-nationalballadwritingmadebetweenLeFanuandseveralofthemostbrilliantofhisyoungliteraryconfreresatT。C。D。Buthoweverthismaybe，LeFanuundoubtedlywasnoyoungIrelander；indeedhedidthestoutestserviceasapresswriterintheConservativeinterest，andwasnodoubtprovokedaswellasamusedattheunexpectedpopularitytowhichhispoemattainedamongsttheIrishNationalists。
Andhereitshouldberememberedthattheballadwaswrittensomeelevenyearsbeforetheoutbreakof’48，andatatimewhena’98subjectmightfairlyhavebeenregardedaslegitimateliterarypropertyamongstthemostloyal。