James Hardiman (1782–1855), also known as Séamus Ó hArgadáin, was a librarian at

Queen's College, Galway The University of Galway ( ga, Ollscoil na Gaillimhe) is a public research university located in the city of Galway, Ireland. A tertiary education and research institution, the university was awarded the full five QS stars for excellence in 201 ...

. Hardiman is best remembered for his '' History of the Town and County of Galway'' (1820) and '' Irish Minstrelsy'' (1831), one of the first published collections of Irish poetry and songs. The

National University of Ireland, Galway The University of Galway ( ga, Ollscoil na Gaillimhe) is a public research university located in the city of Galway, Ireland. A tertiary education and research institution, the university was awarded the full five QS stars for excellence in 201 ...

(formerly Queen's College Galway)

library A library is a collection of materials, books or media that are accessible for use and not just for display purposes. A library provides physical (hard copies) or digital access (soft copies) materials, and may be a physical location or a vir ...

now bears his name. Hardiman Road in

Drumcondra, Dublin Drumcondra () is a residential area and inner suburb on the Northside of Dublin, Ireland. It is administered by Dublin City Council. The River Tolka and the Royal Canal flow through the area. History The village of Drumcondra was the central a ...

is named after him.

Biography

Hardiman was born in

Westport, County Mayo Westport (, historically anglicised as ''Cahernamart'') is a town in County Mayo in Ireland.Westport Before 1800 by Michael Kelly published in Cathair Na Mart 2019 It is at the south-east corner of Clew Bay, an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean on th ...

, in the west of Ireland around 1782. His father owned a small estate in County Mayo. He was trained as a lawyer and became sub-commissioner of public records in

Dublin Castle Dublin Castle ( ga, Caisleán Bhaile Átha Cliath) is a former Motte-and-bailey castle and current Irish government complex and conference centre. It was chosen for its position at the highest point of central Dublin. Until 1922 it was the se ...

. He was an active member of the

Royal Irish Academy The Royal Irish Academy (RIA; ga, Acadamh Ríoga na hÉireann), based in Dublin, is an academic body that promotes study in the sciences, humanities and social sciences. It is Ireland's premier List of Irish learned societies, learned socie ...

, and collected and rescued many examples of Irish traditional music. In 1855, shortly after its foundation, Hardiman became librarian of Queen's College, Galway.

Eponyms

The

(formerly Queen's College Galway)

was named in his honour. Hardiman Road in

is named after him. The Hardiman hotel in Galway is named after him.

Works

*''The History of the Town and County of the Town of Galway. From the Earliest Period to the Present Time'' (Dublin: W. Folds & Sons, 1820); reprint Galway: Connacht Tribune Printing and Publishing Co., 1958; second impression (of reprint): same publisher, 1985
Online in English
*''Ancient Irish Deeds and Writing, Chiefly Relating to Landed Property, from the Twelfth to the Seventeenth Century'' (Dublin: Graisberry, 1828) *''Irish Minstrelsy, or Bardic Remains of Ireland, with English Poetical Translations'' (London: J. Robins, 1831); reprint Shannon: Irish University Press, 1971; .

References

External links

NUI Galway library
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hardiman, James 1782 births 1855 deaths 19th-century Irish people 19th-century Irish historians Irish librarians Irish writers Members of the Royal Irish Academy People associated with the University of Galway People from County Mayo People from County Galway