An t-Athair Liam Ó Beirne () was an

Irish language Irish ( Standard Irish: ), also known as Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Insular Celtic branch of the Celtic language family, which is a part of the Indo-European language family. Irish is indigenous to the island of Ireland and was ...

writer and activist. Liam Ó Beirne was born at Milltown,

County Galway "Righteousness and Justice" , anthem = () , image_map = Island of Ireland location map Galway.svg , map_caption = Location in Ireland , area_footnotes = , area_total_km2 = ...

in August 1871 in the townland of Carrownageehy to Thomas and Bridget (née Quinn) Beirne. Irish was the spoken language at home. Beirne attended

Ballindine Ballindine () is a village in County Mayo, Ireland. It is located along the Western Railway Corridor, 6.5 km (4 miles) south of Claremorris. The N17 road passes through the village, carrying over 10,000 vehicles daily, and it connects ...

National School in

Co. Mayo County Mayo (; ga, Contae Mhaigh Eo, meaning "Plain of the Taxus baccata, yew trees") is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. In the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Conn ...

. After completing his primary educating, Beirne attended St Jarlath's College in

Tuam Tuam ( ; ga, Tuaim , meaning 'mound' or 'burial-place') is a town in Ireland and the second-largest settlement in County Galway. It is west of the midlands of Ireland, about north of Galway city. Humans have lived in the area since the Bron ...

. He then went on to join the priesthood, registering at

St Patrick's College, Maynooth St Patrick's Pontifical University, Maynooth ( ga, Coláiste Naoimh Phádraig, Maigh Nuad), is the "National Seminary for Ireland" (a Roman Catholic college), and a pontifical university, located in the town of Maynooth, from Dublin, Ireland. ...

on 3 September 1892. He was ordained a priest for the Tuam Archdiocese in Galway City on 19 November 1899. He Wrote under

pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...

s ''An Beirneach'' and ''An Fear Mór Maoil''. His books ''An Troid agus an tUaigneas'' and ''Seo Suid'' won him much acclaim. Fr. Beirne died in 1949, aged 78 years. He is buried at Kilclooney Graveyard, Milltown. His ordination chalice, with his parents' marriage tokens affixed to it, is on display in the Milltown Heritage Centre. In 1999, the centenary of Fr. Byrne's ordination in 1899, was celebrated in his native Milltown in recognition of the village's Irish language past. The celebration also marked the centenary of the death of his fellow Milltown man and prominent Gael, Mícheál Ó Lócháin. At this celebration, a wreath was laid on "An Beirneach's" grave at Kilclooney Cemetery, Milltown by his two surviving relatives. This was followed by Mass in Irish in St. Joseph's Church, Milltown and an interlude of Irish music performed by local musicians.

Bibliography

* ''An Troid agust an tUaigneas'', Mc Ghuill, 1926. * ''Seo Siúd'', O'Gorman, 1934. * ''The Irish Speaker examined home'' (attributed).

References

Irish language activists People from County Galway 19th-century Irish people Irish writers {{Ireland-writer-stub