Neil Buttimer
Photographer: Moira Sweeney
Usage rights: COMHAR
Date: 6 July 2023
Setting: Beside the River Lee, Cork
Genres: Academic writer, Historian, Commentator
Corcaíoch, a rugadh in 1955, ar céimí é (BA, 1975; MA, 1977) de chuid Choláiste na hOllscoile, Corcaigh. Chaith seal mar Scoláire i Scoil an Léinn Cheiltigh, Institiúid Ard-Léinn Bhaile Átha Cliath (1977–78), is bhain dochtúireacht amach sa Léann Ceilteach in Ollscoil Harvard (1983). Thionscain colloquium bliantúil na Ceiltise in Harvard, agus d’fheidhmigh mar leas-eagarthóir ar Proceedings tosaigh an imeachta úd (1981). Thug breis is daichead bliain ag teagasc nó ag léachtóireacht sa Nua-Ghaeilge in UCC (1975–77, 1982–2021). Bhunaigh cúrsaí fochéime is iarchéime, ar a raibh BCL Dlí agus Gaeilge, fara máistreacht san Oidhreacht Chultúrtha. An cur chuige ab ansa leis sna léachtaí agus ina scríbhinní acadúla ná an anailís téacsúil. Sin modh oibre dar thug suntas nuair a chonaic a chuid ollúna Fraincise ina bhun, is go bhfaca máistrí cosúil le Seán Ó Tuama nó Seán Ó Coileáin á chleachtadh i ngort na Gaeilge. Ar na brainsí staidéir aige, áirítear saíocht na Sean-Ghaeilge, go háirithe an Rúraíocht agus Scéalaíocht na Ríthe, Éire roimh an Drochshaol, polasaithe an Stáit i réimse an chultúir, mar aon le foinsí eolais dóibh seo. Gheofar blaiseadh dá shaothar sna foilseacháin a leanas: Catalogue of Irish Manuscripts in Houghton Library, Harvard University (University of Notre Dame Press, 2022); The Art and Ideology of Terence MacSwiney: Caught in the Living Flame (Cork University Press, 2022); Tréimhse Phromhaidh (Coiscéim, 2012); The Heritage of Ireland (The Collins Press, 2000); Cork History and Society: Interdisciplinary Essays on the History of an Irish County (Geography Publications, 1993); Catalogue of Irish Manuscripts in the University of Wisconsin-Madison (DIAS, 1989). Iar-eagarthóir Oinigh, nó leas-eagarthóir oinigh, in éineacht é ar Journal of the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society (1999–2003).
My academic work is centred on interpreting texts written, or spoken, in the Irish language. Reaction to textual evidence is instinctive. It can involve texts that are not necessarily highly elaborate, together with more creative products. Much of the training I received comprised learning how to put those intuitive impressions into words, as well as locating text-oriented data. Contextualising relevant material required engaging with practitioners of other disciplines, including anthropology, archaeology, history, geography, law, linguistics, or philosophy. Connections between all phases of Irish are of interest, in light of shared, but contrasting, experiences texts from these eras express. They reflect variously over time on themes like forms of social organisation; good or bad leadership; coping with success or distress, in individual and communal terms. Records relating to such issues survive due to the intellectual cadres that perpetuated the tradition. My university lecturing dealt with topics in those areas, grounded on categories of text which illustrate them. It sought to impart to students some of the analytic skills conveyed to me, coupled with a sense of the imaginative reach of Irish as a language. This subject’s fascination endures during the current retirement stage. So too the impetus to continue research in subfields I find absorbing or important.
Birth date: 1955
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Bonn a chur faoi chaidreamh Thraolaigh ar an dtraidisiún Gaelach a scrúdú an méid a triaileadh thuas. Gné thábhachtach é dá bheatha, mo thuairim, atá i ngátar a fhiosruithe a thuilleadh. Is léir gur chaith seisean dua leis an dteanga, agus go bhfaightear buneolas ar a imeachtaí oibre is pearsanta féin sa mhéid a ghraif inti, nó bainteach léi ina chuid breacaireachta eile, pé cuma é. Seans go bhfuil luach leis an sórt seo taighde, ní hamháin maidir le hoibriú na hintleachta aige a shonrú, ach chomh fada le lucht na haimsire a thabhairt ar ais ina steillebheatha chugainn. Is áitithe gur fearr i bhfad an cur amach ar Eoin Mac Néill (1867–1945), ar Dhubhghlas de hÍde (1860–1949) agus ar Phádraig Mac Piarais (1879–1916), chomh fada lena dteagmháil siúd leis an nGaeilge. Dream iad sin a dhein machnamh fairsing ar thosca is ar dhán na hurlabhra, mar aon le bheith ag saothrú go praiticiúil ar a son. Ní déarfá go raibh Traolach Mac Suibhne ar aon chéim leo chomh fada le bheith ag scríobh ar bhealach teoiriciúil faoin dteanga (beagán dá shaghas aige in Principles [of Freedom (1921)] 134–35, mar shampla), ná é gafa ar fad aici ar slite nach iad. B’fhusa é a aicmiú sa mhéid sin i measc catagóir daoine ar a n-áireofaí Tomás Mac Curtáin, Mícheál Ó Coileáin nó Éamon de Valera, dar tagraíodh níos luaithe. Is éard atá i bpáirt acu ceathrar, agus ag ceannródaithe dealraitheach leo, an beagán cuntais a tugadh go fóill ar a mbeartais chultúir. Níorbh fhuirist eachtraí ar an idirghabháil chéanna, toisc a fhairsinge is a scaipthe is atá na foinsí ina comhair, rud a thagann sa treis i gcás an tSuibhnigh leis. Ba shaibhrede ar a shon sin ár dtuairim díobh, agus den ré ina rabhadar i mbun aicsin, tabhairt faoin sórt staidéir a bhfuiltear dá cheal.
‘Traolach Mac Suibhne (1879–1920), an tIdéalachas agus Éire na nGael’, Feasta, iml. 73, uimh. 5 (Bealtaine 2020), lch 8.
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