As Ó Raifteirí's father was a weaver, he had not experienced the worst of that era's poverty, but it would be much more difficult for his son to escape hardship.

[citation needed] His work draws on the forms and idiom of Irish poetry, and although it is conventionally regarded as marking the end of the old literary tradition, Ó Raifteirí and his fellow poets did not see themselves in this way.

According to An Craoibhín (Douglas Hyde) one version of the story is that Antóine wrote Cill Aodáin (as DH Kileadan, County Mayo, his most famous work apart from Anach Cuan, to get back in Frank Taaffe's good books.

[5] None of his poems were written down during the poet's lifetime, but they were collected from those he taught them to by An Craoibhín Aoibhinn Douglas Hyde, Lady Gregory and others, who later published them.

In 1900, Lady Gregory, Edward Martyn, and W. B. Yeats erected a memorial stone over his grave, bearing the inscription "RAFTERY".

Ó Raifteirí's most enduring poems include Eanach Chuin and Cill Aodain which are still learned by Irish schoolchildren.

A Rí na nGrást a cheap neamh is párthas, Nar bheag an tábhacht dúinn beirt no triúr, Ach lá chomh breá leis gan gaoth ná báisteach Lán a bháid acu scuab ar shiúl.

'S gurb é gléas a bpósta a bhí dá dtoramh 'S a Rí na Glóire nár mhór an feall.

King of Graces, who died to save us, T'were a small affair but for one or two, But a boat-load bravely in calm day sailing Without storm or rain to be swept to doom.

And boys there lying when crops were ripening, From the strength of life they were borne to clay In their wedding clothes for their wake they robed them O King of Glory, man's hope is in vain.

Anois teacht an earraigh beidh an lá ag dul chun síneadh, Is tar éis na féil Bríde ardóidh mé mo sheol.

Féach anois mé mo dhroim le balla, Ag seinm ceoil do phocaí folamh.