Pádraig Ó Siadhail
Seánraí: Beathaisnéisí, Eagarthóir, Gearrscéalaí, Scríbhneoir acadúil, Úrscéalaí
Is as Doire Cholm Cille do Phádraig. Tá BA agus Ph. D. aige ó Choláiste na Tríonóide. Ó 1987 tá cónaí air i Halifax na hAlban Nua, Ceanada, mar a bhfuil sé ina Ollamh Comhlach le Léann na hÉireann in Ollscoil Mhuire Naofa. Tá saothair thaighde foilsithe aige — Stair Dhrámaíocht na Gaeilge 1900–1970 (1993), agus An Béaslaíoch, Beatha agus Saothar Phiarais Béaslaí, 1881–1965 (2007); leabhar neamhfhicsin, Idir Dhá Thír — Sceitsí ó Cheanada (2005); agus na húrscéalta, Párthas na gCleas (1991), Éagnairc (1994), Peaca an tSinsir (1996) agus Beirt Bhan Mhisniúla (2011), agus an cnuasach gearrscéalta, Na Seacht gCineál Meisce agus Finscéalta Eile (2001). Mar scríbhneoir, tá dúil ar leith aige i bhfeiniméan ar a dtugann sé ‘glaoch an dúchais’ — an dóigh ina músclaítear spéis san Éireannachas nó sa Ghaelachas i ndaoine a rugadh is a tógadh lasmuigh d’Éirinn. Luann sé leithéidí Phiarais Béaslaí agus Katherine Hughes ar an gcaoi seo. D'fhoilsigh sé an leabhar Katherine Hughes: A Life and a Journey (2014).
Pádraig Ó Siadhail was born in Derry and has a Ph. D. in Irish-language theatre from Trinity College Dublin. He lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia where he is Associate Professor in Irish Studies at Saint Mary’s University. His publications include Stair Dhrámaíocht na Gaeilge 1900–1970 (1993), a history of Irish-language theatre; An Béaslaíoch. Beatha agus Saothar Phiarais Béaslaí, 1881–1965 (2007), a biography of Piaras Béaslaí; Idir Dhá Thír: Sceitsí ó Cheanada (2005), a collection of non-fictional essays, four novels and a collection of short stories. Ó Siadhail is particularly interested in what he terms ‘the call of home’ — how members of the Irish Diaspora have contributed to the Irish language and its culture: for example, the Liverpool-born Irish-speaking political and cultural activist, Piaras Béaslaí; the Canadian-born Katherine Hughes, an Irish political activist in North America 1916–1921 who sought to establish a position as writer-in-residence for her friend, Pádraic Ó Conaire, at University College Galway; and the renowned Native American scholar, James Mooney, who published three major essays on Irish folk culture.