Seán Ó hEochaidh
Encyclopedia
Seán Ó hEochaidh, Irish
folklorist, born February 9, 1913 - died January 18 2002.
, County Donegal
, Ó hEochaidh worked as a fisherman
in his youth. Despite a basic education, from an early age he made a written record of the oral folklore
of his area. In 1935, James Delargy of the Irish Folklore Commission
appointed Ó hEochaidh to be full-time folklore collector for the Gaeltacht
area of Donegal. Besides keeping written records, Ó hEochaidh recorded stories and songs on wax cylinders. In some cases, all his powers of persuasion were needed, as some viewed his 56lb Ediphone as the work of the Devil
. Up to a dozen cylinders could be recorded in the course of a single day, all of which he painstakingly transcribed in meticulous handwriting by night. He once estimated that he spoke to at least one thousand five hundred people.
His detailed obituary
in The Guardian
concurred, noting that "His is the largest collection of Irish folklore ever compiled by one individual."
During the 1960's he briefly guest lectured at Queen's University, Belfast, in the Celtic Department. With the dissolution of the Irish Folklore Commission in 1971, he joined the Department of Irish Folklore at University College, Dublin. In 1988 he received a honorary doctorate in Celtic literature
from University College, Galway. The following year he was made President of the Oireachtas
, the Gaelic
cultural festival held yearly in Glencolmcille
, Donegal. In 1995 he was named Donegal Person of the Year
.
of his father-in-law
, Micí Mac Gabhann
(1865-1948), published in 1959 as Rotha Mór an tSaoil. It won an Irish book award.
It was in 1973 translated by Valentin Iremonger
as The Hard Road to Klondike (1973).
With Máire Mac Néill and Séamas Ó Catháin, he produced Síscéalta ó Thír Chonaill ("Fairy Legends From Donegal") in 1978.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
folklorist, born February 9, 1913 - died January 18 2002.
Biography
A native of TeelinTeelin
Teileann is a Gaeltacht village in County Donegal, Ireland. It is near Slieve League, at the northwest end of Donegal Bay. Its population is about 250–300....
, County Donegal
County Donegal
County Donegal is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Donegal. Donegal County Council is the local authority for the county...
, Ó hEochaidh worked as a fisherman
Fisherman
A fisherman or fisher is someone who captures fish and other animals from a body of water, or gathers shellfish. Worldwide, there are about 38 million commercial and subsistence fishermen and fish farmers. The term can also be applied to recreational fishermen and may be used to describe both men...
in his youth. Despite a basic education, from an early age he made a written record of the oral folklore
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
of his area. In 1935, James Delargy of the Irish Folklore Commission
Irish Folklore Commission
The Irish Folklore Commission was set up in 1935 by the Irish Government to study and collect information on the folklore and traditions of Ireland....
appointed Ó hEochaidh to be full-time folklore collector for the Gaeltacht
Gaeltacht
is the Irish language word meaning an Irish-speaking region. In Ireland, the Gaeltacht, or an Ghaeltacht, refers individually to any, or collectively to all, of the districts where the government recognises that the Irish language is the predominant language, that is, the vernacular spoken at home...
area of Donegal. Besides keeping written records, Ó hEochaidh recorded stories and songs on wax cylinders. In some cases, all his powers of persuasion were needed, as some viewed his 56lb Ediphone as the work of the Devil
Devil
The Devil is believed in many religions and cultures to be a powerful, supernatural entity that is the personification of evil and the enemy of God and humankind. The nature of the role varies greatly...
. Up to a dozen cylinders could be recorded in the course of a single day, all of which he painstakingly transcribed in meticulous handwriting by night. He once estimated that he spoke to at least one thousand five hundred people.
His detailed obituary
Obituary
An obituary is a news article that reports the recent death of a person, typically along with an account of the person's life and information about the upcoming funeral. In large cities and larger newspapers, obituaries are written only for people considered significant...
in The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
concurred, noting that "His is the largest collection of Irish folklore ever compiled by one individual."
During the 1960's he briefly guest lectured at Queen's University, Belfast, in the Celtic Department. With the dissolution of the Irish Folklore Commission in 1971, he joined the Department of Irish Folklore at University College, Dublin. In 1988 he received a honorary doctorate in Celtic literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
from University College, Galway. The following year he was made President of the Oireachtas
Oireachtas
The Oireachtas , sometimes referred to as Oireachtas Éireann, is the "national parliament" or legislature of Ireland. The Oireachtas consists of:*The President of Ireland*The two Houses of the Oireachtas :**Dáil Éireann...
, the Gaelic
Gaels
The Gaels or Goidels are speakers of one of the Goidelic Celtic languages: Irish, Scottish Gaelic, and Manx. Goidelic speech originated in Ireland and subsequently spread to western and northern Scotland and the Isle of Man....
cultural festival held yearly in Glencolmcille
Glencolmcille
Gleann Cholm Cille is a coastal town in the southwest Gaeltacht of County Donegal, Ireland...
, Donegal. In 1995 he was named Donegal Person of the Year
Person of the Year
Person of the Year is an annual issue of the United States newsmagazine Time that features and profiles a person, couple, group, idea, place, or machine that "for better or for worse, ...has done the most to influence the events of the year."- History :The tradition of selecting a Man of the Year...
.
Publications
Ó hEochaidh's published work included an edition of the autobiographyAutobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
of his father-in-law
Father-in-law
A parent-in-law is a person who has a legal affinity with another by being the parent of the other's spouse. Many cultures and legal systems impose duties and responsibilities on persons connected by this relationship...
, Micí Mac Gabhann
Micí Mac Gabhann
Micí Mac Gabhann was a seanchaí and memoirist from the County Donegal Gaeltacht. His posthumously published memoir Rotha Mór an tSaoil was dictated to his folklorist son-in law Seán Ó hEochaidh and translated into English by Valentin Iremonger as The Hard Road to Klondike...
(1865-1948), published in 1959 as Rotha Mór an tSaoil. It won an Irish book award.
It was in 1973 translated by Valentin Iremonger
Valentin Iremonger
Valentin Iremonger was an Irish diplomat and poet.He was born in Dublin and joined the diplomatic service. He served as Irish Ambassador to Sweden, Norway, Finland, India and Luxembourg....
as The Hard Road to Klondike (1973).
With Máire Mac Néill and Séamas Ó Catháin, he produced Síscéalta ó Thír Chonaill ("Fairy Legends From Donegal") in 1978.
Personal life
His wife, Anna Ní Gabhann, died in 1996. He was survived by his brother Tomás and sister Cáit.External links
- http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/2002/feb/04/guardianobituaries.books1
- http://research.culturalequity.org/get-audio-detailed-recording.do?recordingId=7432
- http://www.iftn.ie/news/?act1=record&only=1&aid=73&rid=2162&tpl=archnews&force=1
- http://www.dun-na-ngall.com/nw29.html
- http://www.askaboutireland.ie/reading-room/history-heritage/folklore-of-ireland/Folklore-of-ireland/tellers-and-their-tales-i/anna-nic-an-luain-%281884-1/