Niall Ó Dónaill (27 August 1908 – 10 February 1995) 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 ...

lexicographer Lexicography is the study of lexicons, and is divided into two separate academic disciplines. It is the art of compiling dictionaries. * Practical lexicography is the art or craft of compiling, writing and editing dictionaries. * Theoretica ...

from Ailt an Eidhinn, Loughanure,

County Donegal County Donegal ( ; ga, Contae Dhún na nGall) is a county of Ireland in the province of Ulster and in the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the town of Donegal in the south of the county. It has also been known as County Tyrconn ...

. He was the oldest of the six children of Tarlach Ó Dónaill and Éilis Nic Ruairí from Grial, Loughanure. They had a little land and a few cows. His father would spend June to November working in Scotland and died when Niall Ó Dónaill was 13 years old. Ó Dónaill himself would spend summers working in the tunnels in

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...

. During his time in university he would spend his summers teaching at Coláiste Bhríde, Rann na Feirste. Ó Dónaill is most famous for his work as editor of the 1977 Irish-English dictionary ''Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla'', which is still widely used today. Ó Dónaill received his education at Scoil Loch an Iúir in Loughanure before gaining a scholarship to

St Eunan's College St Eunan's College ( ; ga, Coláiste Adhamhnáin), known locally as The College to distinguish it from the cathedral and GAA club, is a voluntary Roman Catholic all-male secondary day school (and former boarding school) in County Donegal, Ire ...

in Letterkenny. Another scholarship took him to

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 member institution of the National University of Ireland. With 33,284 student ...

to study Irish, English and History. In June 1982 he was awarded a D.Litt by

Trinity College Dublin , name_Latin = Collegium Sanctae et Individuae Trinitatis Reginae Elizabethae juxta Dublin , motto = ''Perpetuis futuris temporibus duraturam'' (Latin) , motto_lang = la , motto_English = It will last i ...

. Ó Dónaill wrote the book ''Bruigheann Féile'' which is based on stories of pastimes in the Gaeltacht town Loughanure and its surrounding area. Ó Dónaill's book ''Na Glúnta Rosannacha'' was first published in 1952. He was awarded Gradam an Oireachtais at

Oireachtas na Gaeilge Oireachtas na Gaeilge (, “The Irish (language) Gathering”) is an annual arts festival of Irish culture, which has run since the 1890s. Inspired by the Welsh eisteddfodau, the festival has included different events connected with Irish lang ...

in 1980. Ó Dónaill died in 1995.

Bibliography

Dictionary: 1977 - Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla - Irish-English dictionary known as Foclóir Uí Dhónaill Books: 1934 - Bruighean feille - a collection of short stories and historical events in Loughanure 1937 - Beatha Sheáin Mhistéil - The life of

John Mitchel John Mitchel ( ga, Seán Mistéal; 3 November 1815 – 20 March 1875) was an Irish nationalist activist, author, and political journalist. In the Famine years of the 1840s he was a leading writer for ''The Nation'' newspaper produced by the ...

1951 - Forbairt na Gaeilge 1952 - Na Glúnta Rosannacha - the history of

The Rosses The Rosses (officially known by its Irish language name, ''Na Rosa''; in the genitive case ''Na Rosann'') is a geographical and social region in the west of County Donegal, Ireland, with a population of over 7,000 centred on the town of Dungloe, ...

and the story of the O'Donnell dynasty Translation work: 1932 - Scairt an dúthchais (

The Call of the Wild ''The Call of the Wild'' is a short adventure novel by Jack London, published in 1903 and set in Yukon, Canada, during the 1890s Klondike Gold Rush, when strong sled dogs were in high demand. The central character of the novel is a dog named ...

Jack London John Griffith Chaney (January 12, 1876 – November 22, 1916), better known as Jack London, was an American novelist, journalist and activist. A pioneer of commercial fiction and American magazines, he was one of the first American authors to ...

); 1932 - Ise ( She: A History of Adventure by H. Rider Haggard); 1935 - Máire (

Marie (novel) ''Marie'' is a 1912 novel by H. Rider Haggard featuring Allan Quatermain. The plot concerns Quatermain as a young man and involves his first marriage, to the Boer farm girl, Marie Marais. Their romance is opposed by Marie's anti-English father, ...

by H. Rider Haggard); 1935 - Cineadh an fhásaigh (The kindred of the wild by Charles G. D. Roberts); 1935 - Mac rí na hÉireann (

The King of Ireland's Son ''The King of Ireland's Son'' is a children's novel published in Ireland in 1916 written by Padraic Colum, and illustrated by Willy Pogany. It is the story of the eldest of the King of Ireland's sons, and his adventures winning and then finding ...

Padraic Colum Padraic Colum (8 December 1881 – 11 January 1972) was an Irish poet, novelist, dramatist, biographer, playwright, children's author and collector of folklore. He was one of the leading figures of the Irish Literary Revival. Early life Col ...

); 1936 - An chloch órtha ( The Talisman (Scott novel) by

Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet, playwright and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European and Scottish literature, notably the novels '' Ivanhoe'', '' Rob Roy ...

); 1936 - Roibeart Emmet (

Robert Emmet Robert Emmet (4 March 177820 September 1803) was an Irish Republican, orator and rebel leader. Following the suppression of the United Irish uprising in 1798, he sought to organise a renewed attempt to overthrow the British Crown and Prote ...

Raymond Postgate Raymond William Postgate (6 November 1896 – 29 March 1971) was an English socialist, writer, journalist and editor, social historian, mystery novelist, and gourmet who founded the '' Good Food Guide''. He was a member of the Postgate fa ...

); 1937 - An Ministir Ó Ceallaigh (Parson Kelly by A.E.W. Mason and

Andrew Lang Andrew Lang (31 March 1844 – 20 July 1912) was a Scottish poet, novelist, literary critic, and contributor to the field of anthropology. He is best known as a collector of folk and fairy tales. The Andrew Lang lectures at the University o ...

); 1938 - Commando (Commando by Denys Reitz); 1938 - Maighistir Bhaile na Trágha (

The Master of Ballantrae ''The Master of Ballantrae: A Winter's Tale'' is an 1889 novel by the Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson, focusing upon the conflict between two brothers, Scottish noblemen whose family is torn apart by the Jacobite rising of 1745. He w ...

Robert Louis Stevenson Robert Louis Stevenson (born Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson; 13 November 1850 – 3 December 1894) was a Scottish novelist, essayist, poet and travel writer. He is best known for works such as ''Treasure Island'', ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll a ...

) 1939 - An tOllphéist (Juggernaut by Alice Campbell); 1946 - Seachrán na nAingeal (The Demi-Gods by James Stephens); 1958 - Dhá choinneal do Mhuire (a religious publication by H.B. Zimmerman) Cathair Phrotastúnach (a book about

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom ...

Denis Ireland Denis Liddell Ireland (29 July 1894 – 23 September 1974) was an Irish essayist and political activist. A northern Protestant, after service in the First World War he embraced the cause of Irish independence. He also advanced the social credit id ...

) Unpublished - An Bealach chun na Róimhe (The path to Rome by

Hilaire Belloc Joseph Hilaire Pierre René Belloc (, ; 27 July 187016 July 1953) was a Franco-English writer and historian of the early twentieth century. Belloc was also an orator, poet, sailor, satirist, writer of letters, soldier, and political activist. H ...

)

References

External links

Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla (Ó Dónaill, 1977)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Odonaill, Niall 1908 births 1995 deaths 20th-century Irish writers Irish-language writers Alumni of University College Dublin Linguists from the Republic of Ireland Irish lexicographers People educated at St Eunan's College People from County Donegal 20th-century linguists 20th-century lexicographers