John J. O'Meara
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John J. O'Meara (18 February 191512 February 2003) was an Irish classical scholar, historian of ancient and medieval philosophy (in particular Augustine and Eriugena), educationalist and writer.


Biography

John J. O'Meara was born in
Eyrecourt Eyrecourt, historically known as Donanaghta (), is a village in County Galway, Ireland. It is on the R356 regional road west of the Banagher bridge over the River Shannon. History The Eyres after whom the village is named, as well as other ...
(Co. Galway) to Mary Donelan and Patrick O'Meara on 18 February 1915, but lost his father when he was less than a year old. He had a younger brother, Patrick ('Paddy'). He was educated at Rockwell College and Garbally, Ballinasloe, becoming for a time a Jesuit scholastic. In his autobiographical book, ''The Singing Masters'', O'Meara describes the hard times of his childhood, including the terror brought by the British
Black and Tans The Black and Tans () were constables recruited into the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) as reinforcements during the Irish War of Independence. Recruitment began in Great Britain in January 1920, and about 10,000 men enlisted during the conflic ...
, and by the subsequent
Irish Civil War The Irish Civil War (; 28 June 1922 – 24 May 1923) was a conflict that followed the Irish War of Independence and accompanied the establishment of the Irish Free State, an entity independent from the United Kingdom but within the British Emp ...
. He also describes his early experience of the beauty of nature, and of the difficult experience of following and at last ending his engagement as a Jesuit novice. A collection of short stories, ''Remembering'' ''Eyrecourt. Vignettes and Tales of earlier Days,'' Eyrecourt 2003, also describes the world of his childhood. O'Meara took an M.A. degree in classics at
University College Dublin University College Dublin (), commonly referred to as UCD, is a public research university in Dublin, Ireland, and a collegiate university, member institution of the National University of Ireland. With 38,417 students, it is Ireland's largest ...
in 1939 and was awarded a scholarship allowing him to complete a Doctorate in Philosophy at the
University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...
(1942–45). ''The Singing Masters'' also describes war-time Oxford and the antiquated (and quaint) conditions in which he studied there. His thesis concerned Augustine's use of Porphyry and was later revised and published in Paris (1959). Returning to Dublin he was appointed Professor of Latin at University College Dublin in 1948, where he remained until his retirement in 1984. O'Meara held visiting appointments at the Princeton Institute of Advanced Study, Dumbarton Oaks (
Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
) and
Vassar College Vassar College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States. Founded in 1861 by Matthew Vassar, it was the second degree-granting institution of higher education for women in the United States. The college be ...
. In Ireland he played a major role in the effort to modernize education in the schools and universities, in particular the teaching of Latin and Irish, and the collaboration between University College Dublin and
Trinity College Dublin Trinity College Dublin (), officially titled The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, and legally incorporated as Trinity College, the University of Dublin (TCD), is the sole constituent college of the Unive ...
. His ideas were ahead of their time in the conservative and Church-dominated atmosphere in Ireland. O'Meara contributed to the founding of the Irish Association of Classical Teachers in 1959. In 1954 he published ''The Young Augustine'' (with many re-editions), an introduction to reading Augustine's ''Confessions'' which has kept its value. As well as being a leading internationally recognized scholar on Augustine, he did much to further the study of the early medieval Irish philosopher
John Scotus Eriugena John Scotus Eriugena, also known as Johannes Scotus Erigena, John the Scot or John the Irish-born ( – c. 877), was an Irish Neoplatonist philosopher, theologian and poet of the Early Middle Ages. Bertrand Russell dubbed him "the most ...
, founding the Society for the Promotion of Eriugenian Studies in 1970 which stimulated a spectacular development in the study of Eriugena. He published a monograph on the philosopher, ''Eriugena'' (1988), and when he died he was working on finishing a complete edition and English translation of Eriugena's masterpiece, the ''Periphyseon''. O'Meara also published English translations of Latin texts important to Ireland,
Giraldus Cambrensis Gerald of Wales (; ; ; ) was a Cambro-Norman priest and historian. As a royal clerk to the king and two archbishops, he travelled widely and wrote extensively. He studied and taught in France and visited Rome several times, meeting the Pope. He ...
' ''Topography of Ireland'' and ''The Voyage of Saint Brendan''. O'Meara was president of the Alliance Française in Ireland and was awarded the
Légion d'Honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...
. He was a member of the
Royal Irish Academy The Royal Irish Academy (RIA; ), based in Dublin, is an academic body that promotes study in the natural sciences, arts, literature, and social sciences. It is Ireland's premier List of Irish learned societies, learned society and one of its le ...
and of other international scholarly associations. In 1947 O'Meara married Odile de Barthes de Montfort, with whom he had three children and with whom he published a little book presenting new discoveries concerning Bernadette of Lourdes ''(Ordeal at Lourdes'').


Select bibliography

* A short biography and a bibliography of John O'Meara's publications in: ''From Augustine to Eriugena: Essays on Neoplatonism and Christianity in Honor of John O'Meara'', ed. F. X. Martin and J. A. Richmond, Washington, D. C., 1991, pages ix-xx. * ''The Topography of Ireland by Giraldus Cambrensis'', Dundalk 1951 (also in Penguin Classics) * ''The Young Augustine: the growth of
St. Augustine Augustine of Hippo ( , ; ; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430) was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Africa. His writings deeply influenced the development of Western philosop ...
's mind up to his conversion'',
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
, 1954 * ''Reform in Education'', Dublin 1958 * ''
Porphyry Porphyry (; , ''Porphyrios'' "purple-clad") may refer to: Geology * Porphyry (geology), an igneous rock with large crystals in a fine-grained matrix, often purple, and prestigious Roman sculpture material * Shoksha porphyry, quartzite of purple c ...
's philosophy from Oracles in St. Augustine'',
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
, 1959 * (with Odile de Montfort) ''Ordeal at Lourdes'', Dublin 1959. * ''Charter of Christendom:the Significance of St. Augustine's city of God'',
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
, 1962 * ''The Voyage of Saint Brendan'', Dublin 1976 (also Atlantic Highlands 1978). * ''Eriugena Periphyseon (The Division of Nature)'', translated by I. P. Sheldon-Williams revised by J. O'Meara, Montréal and Washington, D. C. 1987. * ''Eriugena, Oxford 1988.'' * ''The Singing Masters'', Dublin 1990. * ''Studies in Augustine and Eriugena'', edited by T. Halton, Washington, D. C., 1992. * ''Understanding Augustine'', Dublin 1997


References

* ''Galway Authors'', Helen Maher, 1976
Reference to the "late John J. O'Meara"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Omeara, John J. 1915 births 2003 deaths People from Eyrecourt 20th-century Irish Roman Catholic theologians Academics of the University of Oxford Academic staff of the University of Paris Alumni of University College Dublin 20th-century Irish philosophers Scholars and academics from County Galway