Dáithí Ó hÓgáin (13 June 1949 – 11 December 2011), Irish folklorist, was professor of

Irish folklore Irish folklore ( ga, béaloideas) refers to the folktales, balladry, music, dance, and so forth, ultimately, all of folk culture. Irish folklore, when mentioned to many people, conjures up images of banshees, fairies, leprechauns and people gath ...

University College Dublin University College Dublin (commonly referred to as UCD) ( ga, Coláiste na hOllscoile, Baile Átha Cliath) is a public research university in Dublin, Ireland, and a collegiate university, member institution of the National University of Ireland ...

. Born in

Co. Limerick "Remember Limerick" , image_map = Island_of_Ireland_location_map_Limerick.svg , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Ireland , subdivision_type1 = Province , subdivision_name1 = Munster , subdivision ...

, he was a writer well-versed both in English and Irish, as well as being an academic.

Life and works

Dáithí Ó hÓgáin was born in

Bruff Bruff () is a town in east County Limerick, in the midwest of Ireland, located on the old Limerick–Cork road ( R512). The town lies on the Morning Star river, with two bridges in the town itself. The horseshoe lake of Lough Gur is nearby ...

, on 13 June 1949, a son of former jockey Davy Hogan and his wife Mary (née Tyrell). He obtained a BA in Modern Languages (Irish, English) History and Philosophy, then an MA in 1971 in the Irish Language Irish at the

, followed by a PhD in Folklore in 1976. His doctoral thesis at UCD, overseen by

Bo Almqvist Bo Gunnar Almqvist (5 May 1931 – 9 November 2013) was a Swedish academic and folklorist. Early life Bo Gunnar Almqvist was born on 5 May 1931 in Edsgatan, a small community in Alster, a farming district in the province of Varmland, Sweden, a ...

was later republished as ''An File'' in 1983. Its theme was the lore on how poets received the gift of poetry, and the supernatural powers poetry could manifest according to folk tradition. Before obtaining his doctorate, he had an 18-month stint as a radio journalist at the

Raidió Teilifís Éireann Raidi (; ; also written Ragdi; born August, 1938) is a Tibetan politician of the People's Republic of China. He served as a vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress from 2003 to 2008, and the highest ranking Tibeta ...

(RTÉ). While at the department, he gained acquaintance with three important scholars in the field, Seán Ó Súilleabháin, Caoimhín Ó Danachair and

Séamus Ó Duilearga Séamus Ó Duilearga (born James Hamilton Delargy; 26 May 1899 – 25 June 1980) was an Irish folklorist, professor of folklore at University College Dublin and Director of the Irish Folklore Commission. Born in Cushendall, Co Antrim, he was one ...

, the founding father of Irish folklore scholarship. He also served as rector of '' An Cumann Gaelach'' while at UCD. Dáithí Ó hÓgáin has written many books, including six

poetry Poetry (derived from the Greek ''poiesis'', "making"), also called verse, is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language − such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre − to evoke meanings i ...

collections and one in English, and three

short story A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest ...

collections, eight research books, and numerous research articles on

literature Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include ...

folklore Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging ...

history History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the History of writing#Inventions of writing, invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbr ...

and

etymology Etymology ()The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p. 633 "Etymology /ˌɛtɪˈmɒlədʒi/ the study of the class in words and the way their meanings have changed throughout time". is the study of the history of the Phonological chan ...

, in scholarly journals and in encyclopaedias. One notable effort was the massive tome, ''Myth, Legend and Romance - an Encyclopaedia of the Irish Folk Tradition'' (1990), later reissued under the title ''The Lore of Ireland: an Encyclopaedia of Myth, Legend and Romance'' (2006), covering a wide range of folkloric material, from ancient times into the modern. He was instrumental in drafting

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

's recommendations on the protection of world folklore in 1987, and was co-founder of the European Center for Traditional Culture in

Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...

in 1994. He rose from associate professor to professor at the Folklore Department at UCD, but was forced into early retirement in 2009 due to failing health. He has lectured and read his poetry throughout Ireland and other countries: England, Comre, Scotland, France, Monaco, Belgium, Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Estonia, Russia, Hungary and Iceland. He is well known as a radio and television broadcaster, and has produced four radio dramas.

Publications

;Poetry * ''Cois Camhaoireach'' (1981). Baile Átha Cliath: Clóchomhar. 64 pp. * ''Cóngar na gCrosán'' (1985). Baile Átha Cliath: Coiscéim. 62 pp. * ''Idir an Dá Dhealbh'' (1988). Baile Átha Cliath: Coiscéim. 63 pp. *'' Gadaí an Cheoil'' (1994). Baile Átha Cliath: Clóchomhar. 88 pp. * ''Footsteps From Another World'' (2001). London: Philome. 171 pp. * ''Ár gCogar Ciúin'' (2002). Baile Átha Cliath: Clóchomhar. 80 pp. ;Short stories * ''Breacadh'' (1973). Corcaigh and Baile Átha Cliath: Mercier. 118 pp. * Imeall an Bhaile (1986). Baile Átha Cliath: Clóchomhar. 103 pp. * Scéalta Nua (2001). Baile Átha Cliath: Clóchomhar. 90 pp.

Research

* ''An File'' (1982). Baile Átha Cliath: Foilseacháin Rialtais. 475 pp. taidéar ar chumhachtaí osnádúrtha an fhile agus na filíochta i dtraidisiún na Gaeilge * ''The Hero in Irish Folk History'' (1985). Dublin: Gill & Macmillan / New York:St Martin's Press. 354 pp. * ''Fionn Mac Cumhaill: Images of the Gaelic Hero'' (1988). Dublin: Gill & Macmillan. 361 pp. * ''Myth, Legend and Romance - an Encyclopaedia of the Irish Folk Tradition'' (1990), London: Ryan Publishing; (1991), Prentice Hall: New York. 453 pp. *'' Irish Superstitions'' (1995). Dublin: Gill & Macmillan, 96 pp.; repr. (2002), 126 pp. * ''Celtic Warriors'' (1999), London: Pegasus, 128 pp. * ''The Sacred Isle: belief and religion in pre-Christian Ireland'' (1999). Cork: Collins Press: / Suffolk: Boydell & Brewer. 259 pp. * ''Historic Ireland'' (2001). London: Salamander / Dublin: Gill & Macmillan. 144 pp. * ''The Celts - a History'' (Collins Press: Cork / Boydell Press: Suffolk, 2002), 297 pp. *'' Ireland – People and Places'' (2003). London: Salamander / Dublin: Gill & Macmillan. 144 pp.

Edited works

* ''Duanaire Osraíoch'', ed., (1980). Baile Átha Cliath: Clóchomhar. 149 pp. oetry from Kilkenny * ''Duanaire Thiobraid Árann'', ed., (1981). Baile Átha Cliath: Clóchomhar. 108 pp. oetry from Tipperary * ''Leabhar Stiofáin Uí Ealaoire'', ed., with Séamus Ó Duilearga (1981). Dublin: Irish Folklore Council. 363 pp. olklore from County Clare * ''Gold under the Furze'', eds., with Alan Gailey (1982). Dublin: Glendale. 253 pp. estschrift for Dr Kevin Danaher * ''An Cultúr agus an Duine'', eds., with Diarmaid Ó Gráinne (1993). Baile Átha Cliath: Coiscéim. 91 pp. ssays on culture and creative literature * ''Binneas thar Meon'', Vol 1, ed., (1994). Dublin: Irish Folklore Council. 269 pp. raditional songs and music from the counties of Waterford, Tipperary, Limerick and Cork * ''Skálda: Éigse is Eachtraíocht sa tSean-Lochlainn'', ed., with Bo Almqvist (1995). Baile Átha Cliath: Clóchomhar. 78 pp. rish translations of Old Norse lays * ''An Mangaire Súgach: Aindrias Mac Craith, a bheatha agus a shaothar'', ed., with Máire Comer Bruen (1996). Baile Átha Cliath: Coiscéim. 264 pp. ork of the famous 18th century poet * ''A Portrait of Bray'', eds., with Eva Ó Cathaoir; Jason Forde (1998). Bray: Pelican Publications. 169 pp. * ''Islands and Water-Dwellers'', eds., with Patricia Lysaght; Séamas Ó Catháin (1999). Dublin: DBA Publications. 414 pp. Proceedings of the Celtic-Nordic-Baltic Folklore Symposium held at University College Dublin 16–19 June 1996. n the folklore of seas, lakes and rivers * ''Binsín Luachra: Gearrscéalta agus Seanchas'' eds., with Proinsias de Róiste (2001). Baile Átha Cliath: Clóchomhar. 144 pp. rish folklore and short stories from Limerick * ''Labhrann Laighnigh: Téacsanna agus cainteanna ó shean-Chúige Laigheanle'' (2011). Baile Átha Cliath: Coiscéim. 247 pp.

References

;Citations Sat, 00:0 ;Bibliography * 1949 births 2011 deaths Writers from County Limerick Irish writers Alumni of University College Dublin Irish folklorists