Peadar Ua Laoghaire
Encyclopedia
Father Peadar Ua Laoghaire (ˈpʲad̪ˠəɾˠ oː ˈl̪ˠeːɾʲə; also Peadar Ó Laoghaire, sometimes known in English as Peter O'Leary; April 1839 – 21 March 1920) was an Irish
writer and Catholic priest
, who is regarded today as one of the founders of modern literature in Irish
.
, County Cork
, and grew up speaking Munster Irish
in the Muskerry
Gaeltacht
. He was a descendant of the Carrignacurra branch of the O'Leary
s of the ancient Corcu Loígde
.
He attended St Patrick's College, Maynooth
and was ordained a priest of the Roman Catholic Church
in 1867. He became a parish priest in Castlelyons
in 1891, and it was there that he wrote his most famous story, , and told it as a fireside story to three little girls. It was published in 1904. The plot of the story concerns a deal that the tailor Séadna struck with "the Dark Man". Although the story is rooted in the folklore the writer heard from shanachies by the fire during his youth, it is also closely related to the German
legend of Faust
. It was first published as a serial
in various Irish-language magazines.
Apart from Séadna, Ua Laoghaoire wrote an autobiography called ("My Own Story"). In addition, he translated some stories of medieval Gaelic literature into modern Irish, such as Eisirt and An Cleasaí, and translated an abridged version of the story of Don Quixote into his local dialect of Irish.
Peadar Ua Laoghaire became known for his support for , the real Irish of the people rather than any attempt to revive older forms of Irish. But he also drew careful distinctions between what he saw as good Irish and bad Irish, saying in chapter 5 of ,
Accordingly, he strongly promoted Cork Irish as what he saw as the best Irish for propagation among the Irish people.
He died in Castlelyons at the age of 80.
An article listing 487 of Ua Laoghaire's articles and works was published in Celtica in 1954.
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...
writer and Catholic priest
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
, who is regarded today as one of the founders of modern literature in Irish
Modern literature in Irish
Although Irish has been used as a literary language for more than 1500 years , and in a form intelligible to contemporary speakers since at least the sixteenth century, modern literature in Irish owes much to the Gaelic Revival, a cultural movement which began in the late nineteenth century.-Early...
.
Life
He was born in the parish of ClondrohidClondrohid
Clondrohid is a small village in County Cork, Ireland, four miles north of Macroom. Population is estimated as 55 people living in the village, with a further 45 living nearby. The name of the village means 'the meadow of the bridges'...
, County Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
, and grew up speaking Munster Irish
Munster Irish
Munster Irish is the dialect of the Irish language spoken in the province of Munster. Gaeltacht regions in Munster are found in the Dingle Peninsula Gaeltacht of west Kerry, in the Iveragh Peninsula in south Kerry, in Cape Clear Island off the coast of west Cork, in West Muskerry; Coolea,...
in the Muskerry
Muskerry
Muskerry is a central region of County Cork, Ireland which incorporates the baronies of Muskerry West and Muskerry East. It is located along the vallley of the River Lee and is bounded by the Boggeragh Mountains to the north and the Shehy Mountains to the south. The region is named after 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...
. He was a descendant of the Carrignacurra branch of the O'Leary
O'Leary
O'Leary is an Irish name, an anglicized version of the original Gaelic patronym Ó Laoghaire or Ó Laoire.The Uí Laoghaire clan, today associated with the Uibh Laoghaire parish in County Cork, is considered by scholars to have originated on the south-west coast, in the area of Ros Ó gCairbre , of...
s of the ancient Corcu Loígde
Corcu Loígde
The Corcu Loígde , meaning Gens of the Calf Goddess, also called the Síl Lugdach meic Itha, were a kingdom centered in West County Cork who descended from the proto-historical rulers of Munster, the Dáirine, of whom they were the principal royal sept...
.
He attended St Patrick's College, Maynooth
St Patrick's College, Maynooth
St Patrick's College, Maynooth is the "National Seminary for Ireland" , and a Pontifical University, located in the village of Maynooth, 15 miles from Dublin, Ireland. The college and seminary are often referred to as Maynooth College. The college was officially established as the Royal College...
and was ordained a priest of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
in 1867. He became a parish priest in Castlelyons
Castlelyons
Castlelyons is a small village in East County Cork in the Province of Munster in Ireland. It is situated south of Fermoy. In the 2002 census it recorded a population of 211....
in 1891, and it was there that he wrote his most famous story, , and told it as a fireside story to three little girls. It was published in 1904. The plot of the story concerns a deal that the tailor Séadna struck with "the Dark Man". Although the story is rooted in the folklore the writer heard from shanachies by the fire during his youth, it is also closely related to the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
legend of Faust
Faust
Faust is the protagonist of a classic German legend; a highly successful scholar, but also dissatisfied with his life, and so makes a deal with the devil, exchanging his soul for unlimited knowledge and worldly pleasures. Faust's tale is the basis for many literary, artistic, cinematic, and musical...
. It was first published as a serial
Serial (literature)
In literature, a serial is a publishing format by which a single large work, most often a work of narrative fiction, is presented in contiguous installments—also known as numbers, parts, or fascicles—either issued as separate publications or appearing in sequential issues of a single periodical...
in various Irish-language magazines.
Apart from Séadna, Ua Laoghaoire wrote an autobiography called ("My Own Story"). In addition, he translated some stories of medieval Gaelic literature into modern Irish, such as Eisirt and An Cleasaí, and translated an abridged version of the story of Don Quixote into his local dialect of Irish.
Peadar Ua Laoghaire became known for his support for , the real Irish of the people rather than any attempt to revive older forms of Irish. But he also drew careful distinctions between what he saw as good Irish and bad Irish, saying in chapter 5 of ,
Before I left Liscarrigane, I had never heard from anybody's mouth phrases such as "tá mé", "bhí mé", "bhí siad"; I always used to hear "táim", "bhíos", "bhíodar", etc. Little things! – but little things that come repeatedly into conversation. A taut mode of expression, as against one that is lax, makes for finish in speech; in the same manner, a lax mode of expression as against the taut, makes for speech that is deficient. Besides, the taut speech possesses a force and a vigour that cannot be contained in speech that is falling apart...The loose mode of expression is prominent in Gaelic today and English is nothing else. English has fallen apart completely.
Accordingly, he strongly promoted Cork Irish as what he saw as the best Irish for propagation among the Irish people.
He died in Castlelyons at the age of 80.
Works
The following is a partial list of his works.- Ar nDóithin Arán, 1894
- Mion-chaint: an easy Irish phrase book, compiled for the Gaelic League, 1899
- Eólas ar áireamh, arithmetical tables in Irish, 1902
- An Soísgéal as Leabar an aifrinn, 1902
- Irish prose composition: a series of articles, including several upon the Irish autonomous verb, 1902
- Aesop a Tháinig go hÉirinn, 1903
- Sgothbhualadh, a series of articles in Irish reprinted from the "Leader", 1904
- Séadna, 1904 (originally serialized in 1898)
- An Craos-Deamhan, 1905
- An Bealach Buidhe, a drama, 1906
- Tóruigheacht Dhiarmuda agus Ghráinne, 1906
- Niamh 1907
- Eisirt, 1909
- Seanmóin agus trí fichid, sermons for every Sunday and holy day of the year, 1909–10
- An sprid: Bas Dalláin: Tadhg Saor, three short plays, 1911
- An Cleasaidhe, 1913
- Caitilina, 1913
- Aithris ar Chríost, 1914 (a translation into Irish of Thomas à KempisThomas à KempisThomas à Kempis was a late Medieval Catholic monk and the probable author of The Imitation of Christ, which is one of the best known Christian books on devotion. His name means, "Thomas of Kempen", his home town and in German he is known as Thomas von Kempen...
' 'Imitatio Christi') - Sliabh na mban bhFionn agus Cúan Fithise, 1914
- Lughaidh Mac Con, 1914
- Bricriu, 1915
- Na Cheithre Soisgéil as an dTiomna Nua, 1915 (a translation into Irish of the Four Gospels)
- Mo Sgéal Féin, 1915
- Guaire, 1915
- Ag Séideadh agus ag ithe, 1918
- An teagasg críosdaidhe, edited by Ua Laoghaire, 1920
- Don Cíchóté, (A partial translation of CervantesCervantes-People:*Alfonso J. Cervantes , mayor of St. Louis, Missouri*Francisco Cervantes de Salazar, 16th-century man of letters*Ignacio Cervantes, Cuban composer*Jorge Cervantes, a world-renowned expert on indoor, outdoor, and greenhouse cannabis cultivation...
' novel Don Quixote, 1921 - Gníomhartha na nAspol, 1922 (a translation into Irish of the Acts of the ApostlesActs of the ApostlesThe Acts of the Apostles , usually referred to simply as Acts, is the fifth book of the New Testament; Acts outlines the history of the Apostolic Age...
) - Lúcián, 1924
- Sgéalaidheachta as an mBíobla naomhtha, 1924 ((stories from the BibleBibleThe Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
) - Críost Mac Dé, 1925
- Sgealaidheacht na Macabéach, 1926 ((the stories of the MaccabeesMaccabeesThe Maccabees were a Jewish rebel army who took control of Judea, which had been a client state of the Seleucid Empire. They founded the Hasmonean dynasty, which ruled from 164 BCE to 63 BCE, reasserting the Jewish religion, expanding the boundaries of the Land of Israel and reducing the influence...
from the ApocryphaApocryphaThe term apocrypha is used with various meanings, including "hidden", "esoteric", "spurious", "of questionable authenticity", ancient Chinese "revealed texts and objects" and "Christian texts that are not canonical"....
) - Aodh Ruadh, an adaptation of the life of Aodh Ruadh Ó Domhnaill originally by Lughaidh O'Clery in the 17th century, 1929
- Notes on Irish words and usages
- Papers on Irish idiom : together with a translation into Irish of part of the first book of Euclid, by the late canon Peter O'Leary ; edited by Thomas F. O'Rahilly.
- Cómhairle ár leasa, articles published in the "Leader"
- Mo shlighe chun Dé : leabhar urnaighthe
An article listing 487 of Ua Laoghaire's articles and works was published in Celtica in 1954.