Tá cuntas air ag Breandán Ó Conchúir in Scríobhaithe Chorcaí 1700-1850, 1982 agus deir sé gur ar an mBinn Uachtair i bparóiste na hArdachadh in Uíbh Mac Coille, Co. Chorcaí, a rugadh é. Snoíodóir cloiche a bhí ann agus tá a shaothar le feiceáil in Eaglais Naomh Muire i bPort an Phápa, Corcaigh, agus ar leaca uaighe ar fud Co. Chorcaí. Tá na lámhscríbhinní a rinne sé liostaithe, 24 díobh, ag Ó Conchúir, agus na leabharlanna ina bhfuil siad, an Leabharlann Náisiúnta, an tAcadamh Ríoga, agus leabharlanna ollscoile ina measc. Bhí sé ar dhuine de na scríobhaithe a sholáthair lámhscríbhinní don Easpag Seán Ó Murchú in 1817-18, agus i measc a lucht aitheantais bhí Dáibhí de Barra. In Journal of the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society, 1968 tugtar samplaí dá fheartlaoithe Gaeilge agus, ag tagairt do cheann díobh i reilig Charraig Ruacháin Beag, deirtear: ‘The epitaphic quatrain of Gaelic verse is the first of only 8 such inscribed over the signature of Seán Ó Dreada (John Draddy) which have come to light following an examination of 12,500 monuments in 100 burial grounds extending from Macroom to Youghal and from Whitechurch south to the coast.’

Chuir Séamus Ó Casaide fógra a bháis i gcló in The Irish Book Lover, Eanáir-Feabhra 1928 agus thuairimigh gurbh i Márta 1840 a d’éag sé: ‘On Sunday, 23d ultimo, at Evergreen, aged seventy years, Mr John Draddy, stone cutter, one of the most zealous, correct and indefatigable Irish copyists of the present day. For the last thirty years of his useful and meritorious life his leisure hours were mostly employed in rescuing from ruin and oblivion, by beautiful and correct transcripts, the various Irish Manuscripts, prose and verse, that he could possibly collect, or in instructing through the medium of their native language his poorer brethern in the principles of religion and morality . . .’.

Diarmuid Breathnach

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