Nollaig Ó Gadhra
Nollaig Ó Gadhra | |
|---|---|
| Born | 16 December 1943 Feenagh, County Limerick, Ireland |
| Died | 13 August 2008 (aged 64) Furbo, County Galway, Ireland |
| Alma mater | University College Cork |
Nollaig Ó Gadhra (Irish pronunciation:
Early life
Ó Gadhra was born on a family farm in
Ó Gadhra studied at University College Cork, where he graduated with a bachelor's degree in Irish and History in 1966.[3][4] He also earned a teaching diploma from UCC as well.[3]
Career
Ó Gadhra relocated to Dublin following his graduation where he began reporting as a journalist for both broadcast and print media. He began working for as a reporter for the Irish language publication, Inniu in 1966.[3][4] He also began working as a presenter and television producer at RTÉ's Irish language current affairs division.[1][3] He moved to the United States for a few years, settling in Boston, where he briefly attended Harvard University.[3]
He took a position as an information officer with Gaeltarra Éireann from 1970 until 1972.[3] He then left and became a publicity manager for Ireland West Tourism, based in Galway, until 1974.[3] He and his family relocated from Dublin to County Galway during this time period.[3]
In 1974, Ó Gadhra became a lecturer of journalism, Irish language, communications, European studies and modern history at Galway Regional Technical College (now Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology.[3][4] He continued to lecture at GMIT for the remainder of his career.[3]
He was a founding member of
He authored several important academic works, including biographies of Edmund Ignatius Rice, Mahatma Gandhi, Mayor of Chicago Richard J. Daley and John Boyle O'Reilly, many of which were written in Irish.[1][3] Ó Gadhra's Irish-language biography of Richard Daley is considered to be one of the most thorough and comprehensive biographies ever written in the language, according to his successor as president of Conradh na Gaeilge, Daithí Mac Carthaigh.[3] He also wrote a landmark book on the First Dáil which is regarded by some as an authoritative history on the subject.[1]
For years, he was one of the only authors who contributed works to Irish language literary genre.[3] Much of his journalistic writings, short stories, poems and books were written exclusively in Irish, before later being translated into English.[3]
Death
Ó Gadhra died on 13 August 2008, at the age of 64 at his home in Furbo, in Connemara.[1][3] His funeral mass was held at Furbo Parish Church.[5] He was survived by his wife, Mairín, and three children.
The then
A book was launched in his memory in late 2017 by his eldest daughter.
References
- ^ Irish Times. Retrieved 18 August 2008.
- ^ Bhreathnach, Bridget (17 August 2008). "Nollaig Ó Gadhra 1943–2008". Foinse. Retrieved 18 August 2008. [dead link]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Byrnes, Martin (23 August 2008). "Nollaig, champion of the native tongue, passes away". Limerick Leader. Retrieved 23 August 2008. [dead link]
- ^ Lá Nua. Retrieved 18 August 2008.
- ^ "Taoiseach pays warm tribute to historian". Irish Independent. 15 August 2008. Retrieved 18 August 2008.
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