Barra Ó Donnabháin (1941–2003) was a columnist with the New York

Irish Echo ''The Irish Echo'' is a weekly Irish-American newspaper based in Manhattan in the United States. In 2007, Máirtín Ó Muilleoir, Irish businessman and publisher of the '' Andersonstown News'', purchased the paper. Founded in 1928, it bills i ...

newspaper. His weekly article in Irish entitled ''Macalla'' spoke of the

Irish language Irish (Standard Irish: ), also known as Irish Gaelic or simply Gaelic ( ), is a Celtic language of the Indo-European language family. It is a member of the Goidelic languages of the Insular Celtic sub branch of the family and is indigenous ...

and its people in Ireland and the United States. A selection of his articles were edited and translated by Hilary Mhic Suibhne and Eibhlín Zurell in a volume entitled ''Súil Siar: Cnuasach Aistí le Barra Ó Donnabháin'' (2008). He also wrote for ''Treoir'', the magazine of

Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann (; meaning "Society of the musicians of Ireland") is the primary Irish organisation dedicated to the promotion of the music, song, dance and the language of Ireland. The organisation was founded in 1951 and has pr ...

, as well, as the newspapers

Foinse ''Foinse'' (; Irish for "''Source''") was an Irish-language newspaper in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It was first published October 1996 and had both print and online editions until September 2013 when its publisher, Móinéar Teo, announced ...

and Saol. He would read out his Irish language column from the

on the weekly radio program ''Míle Fáilte'' on

WFUV WFUV (90.7 FM) is a non–commercial radio station licensed to New York, New York. The station is owned by Fordham University, with studios on its Bronx campus and its antenna atop the nearby Montefiore Medical Center. WFUV first went on the ...

.Súil Siar, p. 298. He also taught Irish at the weekends, organized by Daltaí na Gaeilge. Born in West Cork, Ireland, Barra Ó Donnabháin immigrated to the United States in 1963 where he worked as a software engineer.

Barra Ó Donnabháin Commemorative Lectures

In 2006, the Glucksman Ireland House of

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...

established the Annual Barra Ó Donnabháin Lecture in honor of his memory and contribution to the Irish language community. The inaugural lecture in 2006 was given by Prof. Tomás Ó hÍde. A sample of subsequent speakers in the years that followed have included

Éamon Ó Cuív Éamon Ó Cuív (; born 23 June 1950) is an Irish former Fianna Fáil politician who served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Galway West constituency from 1992 to 2024. He previously served as deputy leader of Fianna Fáil from 2011 to 2012, a ...

, T.D., Padraic Ó Ciardha,

Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill (; born 1952) is a modern Irish poet whose works have been described as having a "major influence in revitalizing the Irish language in modern poetry". Biography Born in Lancashire, England, of Irish parents, she moved t ...

, Prof. Alan Titley, Dr.

Louis de Paor Louis de Paor (born 1961) is a well-known poet in the Irish language. Born in Cork in 1961 and educated at Coláiste an Spioraid Naoimh, de Paor edited the Irish-language journal ''Innti'', founded in 1970 by Michael Davitt, Nuala Ní Dhomhna ...

, Prof. Brian Ó Conchubhair, and Prof. Breandán Mac Suibhne.

References

*Ó Donnabháin, Barra, ''Súil Siar: Cnuasach Aistí le Barra Ó Donnabháin'', Hilary Mhic Suibhne and Eibhlín Zurell (eds.). Daltaí na Gaeilge 2008

External links

2017 Lecture

2020 Lecture
{{DEFAULTSORT:O Donnabhain, Barra 1941 births 2003 deaths Irish-language writers Irish columnists Linguists from Ireland Irish language activists 20th-century Irish people 21st-century Irish people 20th-century linguists WFUV people