Philip O'Leary

Genres: Translator, Critic, Editor, Historian

Rugadh agus tógadh Philip O’Leary in Worcester, Massachusetts. Bhain sé amach céimeanna M. A. agus Ph. D sa Léann Ceilteach in Ollscoil Harvard in 1973 agus 1978 faoi seach. Tá an iliomad aistí foilsithe aige ar ghnéithe de litríocht na Gaeilge, sean agus nua, in Éigse, Ériu, Celtica, Cambridge / Cambrian Medieval Celtic Studies, Éire-Ireland, The Journal of Irish Literature, Proceedings of the Harvard Celtic Colloquium, agus Journal of the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society. Ina theannta sin, tá léirmheasanna go leor foilsithe aige ar shean- agus nua-litríocht na Gaeilge in Irish University Review, Dublin Review of Books, and Irish Literary Supplement. Is iad na leabhair is tábhachtaí dá chuid The Prose Literature of the Gaelic Revival 1881-1921: Ideology and Innovation (Pennsylvania State University Press, 1994), Gaelic Prose in the Irish Free State 1922-1939 (Pennsylvania State University Press, 2004), Irish Interior: Keeping Faith with the Past in Gaelic Prose (University College Dublin Press, 2010), Writing Beyond the Revival: Facing the Future in Gaelic Prose 1940-1951 (University College Dublin Press, 2011), An Underground Theatre: Major Playwrights in the Irish Language 1930-1980 (University College Dublin Press, 2017), agus Setting the Stage: Transitional Playwrights in Irish 1910-1950 (Cork University Press, 2021). In 1995, foilsíodh a leabhar Déirc an Dóchais: Léamh ar Shaothar Phádhraic Óig Uí Chonaire (Cló Iar-Chonnachta). Bhí sé ina chomh-eagarthóir (leis an Ollamh Margaret Kelleher) ar an dá imleabhar den Cambridge History of Irish Literature (Cambridge University Press, 2004), (leis an Ollamh Brian Ó Conchubhair agus Ronan Doherty) ar Úrscéalta na Gaeilge (Cló Iar-Chonnacht, 2017), agus (leis an Ollamh Brian Ó Conchubhair) ar Drámaíocht na Gaeilge: ón Dara Cogadh Domhanda ar Aghaidh (Cló Iar-Chonnacht, 2022). Foilsíodh an t-aistriúchán a rinne sé den úrscéal An Bhóinn agus an Bhóchna (1915-1916) le Liam P. Ó Riain in 2019 (Arlen House). Bhronn Ollscoil na hÉireann D. Litt. (honoris causa) air sa bliain 2009. Tá sé ag obair anois ar leabhar faoi Chú Chulainn i litríocht na hÉireann i nGaeilge agus i mBéarla ó ré na Rúraíochta go dtí anois féin. Tá sé ina Ollamh Emeritus i Roinn an Bhéarla, Boston College.

A native of Worcester, Massachusetts, where he graduated from the College of the Holy Cross in 1970, Philip O’Leary received his Ph. D. in Celtic Languages and Literatures from Harvard University in 1978. He has published a wide range of articles on various aspects of medieval and modern literature and also reviewed many books in or dealing with Irish. His most significant works are The Prose Literature of the Gaelic Revival 1881-1921: Ideology and Innovation (Pennsylvania State University Press, 1994), Gaelic Prose in the Irish Free State 1922-1939 (Pennsylvania State University Press, 2004), Irish Interior: Keeping Faith with the Past in Gaelic Prose (University College Dublin Press, 2010), Writing Beyond the Revival: Facing the Future in Gaelic Prose 1940-1951 (University College Dublin Press, 2011), An Underground Theatre: Major Playwrights in the Irish Language 1930-1980 (University College Dublin Press, 2017), and Setting the Stage: Transitional Playwrights in Irish 1910-1950 (Cork University Press, 2021). In 1995, Cló Iar-Chonnachta published his Déirc an Dóchais: Léamh ar Shaothar Phádhraic Óig Uí Chonaire in the series Aistí Léirmheasa. He has also co‑edited the two-volume Cambridge History of Irish Literature (Cambridge University Press, 2004) with Professor Margaret Kelleher; Úrscéalta na Gaeilge (Cló Iar-Chonnacht, 2017) with Professor Brian Ó Conchubhair and Ronan Doherty; and Drámaíocht na Gaeilge ón Dara Cogadh Domhanda ar Aghaidh (Cló Iar-Chonnacht, 2022) with Professor Brian Ó Conchubhair. He is currently at work on a book about Cú Chulainn in works in Irish and English from the medieval period to the present. He is now Professor Emeritus in the English department at Boston College.

Birth date: 17 April 1948

Share this portrait:

Ar an drochuair níl troid ar bith ar siúl i sráideanna na cathrach, agus dá bhrí sin níl sé ar chumas an laoich, Séamus Ó Dónaill, bás ceart crólinnteach ar son na cúise a fháil agus a leannán dílis a fhágáil ina baintreach bhreá bhuanchruthach. Níos léanmhaire fós, Home Rulers is ea an bheirt anseo, daoine dáiríre tírghrácha a chreideann gan aon chuntar – mar a chreid an t-údar féin, b’fhéidir, cé gur dócha go raibh cuntair go leor i gceist ansin – go mbeidís ag comhlíonadh a ndualgais do Róisín Dubh dá ndéanfaidís a ndílseacht agus a seirbhís a thairiscint don Rí agus don Impireacht. Agus sin é go díreach a dhéanann siad agus iad ag freastal ar chruinniú earcaíochta sa Rotunda in 1914, lánmhuiníneach go gcuirfidh an Rí sin a bhuíochas in iúl trí Féinrialtas a bhronnadh ar na hÉireannaigh a chruthaigh a ndílseacht agus a bhfiúntas i dtrinsí an Chogaidh Mhóir. Ní dóigh liom féin go bhfuil slí níos fearr ar fáil leis an mbearna idir Éire 1914 agus Éire 1916 a mheas agus a thuiscint ná an dá leabhar seo le Máire a léamh i ndiaidh a chéile.

—

'Leabhar gur fiú a léamh' le Philip O'Leary, réamhrá sa leabhar Mo Dhá Róisín le Máire, in eagar ag Nollaig Mac Congáil (Coiscéim, 2010), lgh xxxi-xxxii.