Máirtín Ó Cadhain
Máirtín Ó Cadhain | |
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Irish Republicanism, modern Irish prose | |
Literary movement | Modernism, social radicalism |
Notable works | Cré na Cille, An Braon Broghach, Athnuachan |
Spouse | Máirín Ní Rodaigh |
Relatives | Seán Ó Cadhain (father), Bríd Nic Conaola[2] (mother) |
Signature | |
Máirtín Ó Cadhain (Irish pronunciation:
Literary career
Born in
Ó Cadhain's politics were
As a writer, Ó Cadhain is acknowledged to be a major part of the revival of
He was a prolific writer of short stories. His collections of short stories include Cois Caoláire, An Braon Broghach, Idir Shúgradh agus Dháiríre, An tSraith Dhá Tógáil, An tSraith Tógtha and An tSraith ar Lár. He also wrote three novels, of which only Cré na Cille was published during his lifetime. The other two, Athnuachan and Barbed Wire, appeared in print only recently. He translated
He and Diarmaid Ó Súilleabháin were considered the two most innovative Irish language authors to emerge in the 1960s.[6] Ó Cadhain had frequent difficulties getting his work edited, but unpublished writings have appeared at least every two years since the publication of Athnuachan in the mid-nineties.
In 1956, aged 50 years of age, he was appointed as a lecturer in the Department of Irish in Trinity College Dublin despite not having a degree or other typical academic credentials. He was appointed associate professor of Irish and Head of department fourteen years later in 1969. In 1970 he was appointed as Chair (full professor) and was made a fellow of the university before his death that same year.[7]
A lecture hall in Trinity College Dublin is named after Ó Cadhain.[8] There is also a bronze bust of him in the Irish department of the university.
Political activity
Ó Cadhain's interest in
In 1932 Ó Cadhain along with Mac Mathúna and Críostóir Mac Aonghusa (a local teacher, activist and county councillor) founded Cumann na Gaedhealtachta (The Gaeltacht Association), a pressure group to lobby on behalf of those living in Ireland's Gaeltacht areas. He formed a similar group in 1936 called Muinntir na Gaedhealtachta (the Gaeltacht People). One of the successes of these groups was the establishment of the Ráth Chairn Gaeltacht, in which a new Irish-speaking community was created in County Meath. Ó Cadhain had argued the only way by which Irish language speakers could thrive was if efforts to promote the language were coupled with giving Irish speakers good land to work, so as to give them an opportunity at economic success as well.[9]
By 1936, Ó Cadhain had been working as a school teacher in
In 1940 he gave an oration at the funeral of his friend Tony Darcy, who had died on hunger strike in
Following his time in the Curragh, Ó Cadhain pulled back from politics to focus on his writing. For a long period he became bitter about Irish republicanism, but by the 1960s once again identified with its outlook. At the onset of the Troubles in Northern Ireland, he welcomed resistance to British rule as well as the idea of an armed struggle, and once again stated his Marxist outlook on the situation; "capitalism must go as well as the Border".
During the 1960s, he once again threw himself into campaigning on behalf of the Irish language, this time with the group Misneach ("Courage"). The group resisted efforts by reform groups to no longer make it compulsory for a student to pass an Irish examination to receive a
Ó Cadhain was a key figure in the 1969 civil rights movement, Gluaiseacht Chearta Sibhialta na Gaeltachta.
Personal life
He died on 18 October 1970 in Dublin and was buried in
Works
Novels
- Athnuachan. Coiscéim. Baile Átha Cliath 1995 (posthumous)
- Barbed Wire. Edited by Cathal Ó hÁinle. Coiscéim, Baile Átha Cliath 2002 (posthumous)
- Cré na Cille. Sáirséal agus Dill, Baile Átha Cliath 1949/1965.
- Translated as The Dirty Dust. Yale Margellos, New Haven 2015; Graveyard Clay. Yale Margellos, New Haven 2016.
Short story collections
- An Braon Broghach. An Gúm, Baile Átha Cliath 1991
- Cois Caoláire. Sáirséal – Ó Marcaigh, Baile Átha Cliath 2004
- Idir Shúgradh agus Dáiríre. Oifig an tSoláthair, Baile Átha Cliath 1975
- An tSraith dhá Tógáil. Sáirséal agus Dill, Baile Átha Cliath 1970/1981
- An tSraith Tógtha. Sáirséal agus Dill, Baile Átha Cliath 1977
- An tSraith ar Lár. Sáirséal Ó Marcaigh, Baile Átha Cliath 1986
- The Road to Brightcity. Poolbeg Press, Dublin 1981
- Dhá Scéal / Two Stories. Arlen House, Galway 2007
- An Eochair / The Key. Dalkey Archive Press, Dublin 2015
- The Dregs of the Day. Yale University Press, New Haven 2019
Journalism and miscellaneous writings
- Foclóir Mháirtín Uí Chadhain. (lexicographical work written and compiled between 1937 and 1946) An Gúm, Baile Átha Cliath 2021
- Caiscín. (articles published in the Irish Times 1953–56. Edited by Aindrias Ó Cathasaigh.) Coiscéim, Baile Átha Cliath 1998
- Tone Inné agus Inniu. Coiscéim, Baile Átha Cliath 1999
- Ó Cadhain i bhFeasta. Edited by Seán Ó Laighin. Clódhanna Teoranta, Baile Átha Cliath 1990
- An Ghaeilge Bheo – Destined to Pass. Edited by Seán Ó Laighin. Coiscéim, Baile Átha Cliath 2002.
- Caithfear Éisteacht! Aistí Mháirtín Uí Chadhain in Comhar (i.e. Máirtín Ó Cadhain's essays published in the monthly magazine Comhar). Edited by Liam Prút. Comhar Teoranta, Baile Átha Cliath 1999
See also
- Pádraic Ó Conaire, earlier Irish language modernist
- Muintir na Gaeltachta, co-founded by Ó Cadhain
References
- ^ "Bibliography". Archived from the original on 7 July 2012. Retrieved 3 January 2013.
- ^ as réamhleathanaigh An tSraith ar Lár
- ^ [1] Ó Cadhain at Ricorso
- ^ Reporter (20 October 1970), "Obituary", The Irish Times, p. 13
- ^ "Irish Archives Resource - Archive Details". www.iar.ie.
- ISBN 978-1-59884-964-6.
- ^ Máirtín Ó Cadhain (Aitheasc Luan na Tríonóide 2002) máirtínócadhain.ie
- ^ Seanad Éireann Proceedings – referencing ó Cadháin as Professor in TCD Archived 25 September 2012 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b c d Ní Ghallchobhair, Fidelma. "Ó Cadhain's life". máirtínócadhain.ie. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
- ^ a b O'Cathasaigh, Aindrias (18 October 2011). "Listening to Máirtín Ó Cadhain". lookleftonline.org. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
- ^ "HISTORY: Remembering Máirtín Ó Cadhain". dublinpeople.com. 16 January 2016. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
By now Ó'Cadhain was a committed Marxist. For him, the decline of the Irish language and the utter neglect of Gaeltacht communities by the Irish Free State was a class issue. The language could only be restored through the 'Re-conquest of Ireland'. Ó Cadhain began to encourage Irish speakers across the country to adopt socialism as the only viable method to save both the language and the struggling Gaeltacht communities.
- ^ Breathnach, Diarmuid; Ní Mhurchú, Máire. "Ó CADHAIN, Máirtín (1906–1970)". ainm.ie (in Irish). Retrieved 24 November 2019.