Irish Language

Ó Ceallaigh, Brian (1889–1936), Irish language enthusiast, was born 13 January 1889 in Killarney, Co. Kerry, son of John Kelly, shopkeeper and hotelier, and Brigid Kelly (née Cronin). He was educated at Clongowes Wood College (1900–03) and Blackrock College (1906–7). On 2 November 1907…

Ó Céileachair, Donncha (1918–60), writer, was born 27 November 1918 in Coolea, in the west Cork Gaeltacht, fifth child among four sons and two daughters of Dómhnall Bán, farmer, of Coolea, and his wife, Siobhán Ní Mhulláin (Johanna Mullins), of Scrahanagown. Dómhnall Bán was a renowned…

Ó Cléirigh, Conn R. (1927–95), Celtic scholar, was born 7 February 1927 in Dublin, the elder of two children of James Clery, publican, of Amiens Street, and his wife, Johanna (née Connolly); Conn had a sister, Alice. He was educated at the Loreto convent, North Great George's Street,…

Ó Cléirigh, Cú Choigcríche (O'Clery, Peregrine) (fl. 1630–62), one of the ‘four masters’, was from Baile Uí Chléirigh, Co. Donegal. His father, Diarmaid, might possibly be the Diarmaid son of An Cosnamhach found in an Ó Cléirigh genealogy, and/or the ‘Dermot O Clery’ pardoned…

Ó Cléirigh, Mícheál (O'Clery, Michael) (c.1590–1643), OFM, historian and scribe, chief of the ‘four masters’, was born into the learned family of Ó Cléirigh in Co. Donegal, fourth son of Donnchadh (son of Uilliam son of Tuathail) Ó Cléirigh and his wife Honora Ultach (Onora Ó…

Ó Cléirigh (O'Clery), Lughaidh (c.1580–a.1630?), historian and poet, was born in Co. Donegal, the eldest of the five sons of Maccon Ó Cléirigh (d. 1595), who was ‘Ollav to O'Donnell in history, an erudite and ingenious man, professed in history and poetry’ (AFM, vi,…

Ó Cobhthaigh, Diarmaid (Dermot O'Coffey) (fl. 1563), bardic poet, was descended from an important bardic family in Co. Westmeath. The Annals of the Four Masters record the deaths of members of the family in 1415 and 1452. In 1546 Tadhg Ó Cobhthaigh, called ‘chief preceptor of…

Ó Coileáin, Seán ‘Máistir’ (Collins, John ) (c.1754–1817), poet and scribe, was born probably on a farm rented by his father near Ballingurteen in Kilmeen parish, about 10 km from Dunmanway, Co. Cork. His father died while the poet was still an infant, and his mother (whose…

Ó Colmáin, Domhnall (c.1645–c.1704), writer, was born probably in the Knockraha area of Co. Cork. Little is known of his background. He was most likely a priest and in the preface to Fr Cornelius Mac Curtain's Agallamh na bhFíoraon, he is referred to as a doctor of law. A…

Ó Conaill, Seán (O'Connell, John) (c.1675–c.1725), poet, was a native of Iveragh, Kerry, and a dependant of MacCarthy Mór. He is referred to by Edward O'Reilly (qv) as ‘Roman catholic bishop of Ardfert’, who flourished…

Ó Conaire, Pádraic (1882–1928), novelist and short-story writer, was born 28 February 1882 in the ‘Lobster Pot Bar’ in Galway city, one of five children of Tomás Ó Conaire, publican, and his wife Cáit (née Ní Dhonncha). Much folklore surrounds Pádraic's life and his biographers have…

Ó Conaire, Pádraic Óg (1893–1971), author and translator, was born 11 March 1893 in Turlach Beag, Ros Muc, Connemara, Co. Galway, son of Pádraic Ó Conaire and Nan Ní Fhéinneadha. His grandfather used the surname Ó Maolchonaire and according to Ó Conaire family folklore, the family moved…

Ó Conbhuidhe (Conway), Séamus (Colmcille) (1909–92), Irish-language scholar, poet and historian, was born James Conway on 26 September 1909 at 53 Gladstone Street, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, the eldest son of Patrick Joseph Conway, a paper merchant, and his wife Kate (née Dwyer). Patrick…

Ó Conluain, Proinsias (1919–2013), broadcaster, author and promoter of the Irish language and music, was born on 17 August 1919 in Sessiaghmagaroll, Co. Tyrone, the eldest of three children and only son of Bernard Conlon and Mary Conlon (née Heron). His father was from a farming…

O'Connell, Frederick William (1876–1929), clergyman and Irish-language scholar, was born 22 October 1876 in Clifden, Co. Galway, son of Reverend W. Morgan O'Connell, rector of Clifden. Educated at the High School, Dublin, he entered Trinity College Dublin (TCD) with entrance prizes in…

O'Connell, Peter (Ó Conaill, Peadar) (1755–1826), schoolmaster and lexicographer, was born at Carne, Killimer, Co. Clare (a townland latterly designated as Carrowdotia, on the Shannon estuary 8 km east of Kilrush), one of four sons and two daughters of Tadhg Ó Conaill and Áine Ó Conaill…

O'Connor, Dermot (ÓConchubhair, Diarmaid) (c.1690–c.1730), Irish scribe and translator of the history by Geoffrey Keating (qv), was the son of Tadhg Roe O'Connor of Limerick, a descendant of the O'…

O'Conor, Charles (1710–91), Irish language scholar, antiquarian, and catholic activist, of Belanagare (Bellanagare), Co. Roscommon, was born at Kilmactranny, Co. Sligo, in early January 1709/10, eldest of six sons and three daughters. Family His father was Denis (Donnchadh Liath) O'…

O'Conway, Matthias James (1766–1842), linguist and lexicographer, was born 3 February 1766 in Galway, son of Matthew O'Conway (who was according to one source a ‘merchant’ of that city) and his wife Elizabeth O'Hogan. We know of only one other sibling, an older brother, John. A native…

Ó Creag, Séamus (Craig, James Patrick) (1863–1934), Irish–language teacher, writer, and scholar, was born into the large Irish-speaking family of Pádraig Ó Creag, small farmer of Droim na Soileach in the Glenties, Co. Donegal, and Ann (or Máire) Gildea, from nearby Mín na Tine townland…

Ó Criomhthain, Tomás (1854/5–1937), author, was born on the Great Blasket Island, Co. Kerry, youngest child among three sons and five daughters of Dónall Mac Criomhthain and Cáit Ní Shé (m. 26 January 1837). He lived all his life on the island, with visits to Dún Chaoin and Daingean Uí…

Ó Cuív, Brian (1916–99), Irish-language scholar, was born 20 November 1916 in Dublin, sixth child of Shan Ó Cuív (qv), journalist, and his wife Hannah O'Keeffe. He was educated at the O'Connell Schools and afterwards matriculated to…

Ó Cuiv, Shan (1875–1940), journalist and writer, was born in Macroom, Co. Cork, as John Michael O'Keefe, son of John O'Keefe, tanner, and Margaret O'Keefe (née Duggan), both of Macroom. He attended schools in Macroom and Dunmanway but the major event of his formative years was…

O'Curry (Curry, Ó Comhraí), Eugene (Eoghan) (1794–1862), Irish scholar, was born 20 November 1794 at Dunaha, about three miles south of Kilkee, Co. Clare, third among four children of Eoghan ‘Mór’ O'Curry (c.1740–1825) and Catherine O'Curry (née Madigan) of Dunaha. His father,…

Ó Dálaigh, Aonghus (Aengus O'Daly) (d. 1617), bardic poet, was of the family of Ó Dálaigh Cairbreach (O'Daly of Carbery) a branch of the O'Dalys of Desmond and hereditary poets to the O'Mahony chieftains. Known as Aonghus na n-Aor (Aenghus of the satires), or as an Bard Ruadh (the Red…