Breandán Ó Buachalla
Thomas J. and Kathleen O'Donnell Chair of Irish Language and Literature
Breandán Ó Buachalla is the first Thomas J. and Kathleen O'Donnell Chair in Irish Language and Literature. Breandán is a former Professor of Modern Irish in University College Dublin (1978-1996) and Professor of Irish in the School of Celtic Studies at the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (1973-1978). He has held the Parnell Fellowship at Cambridge University and visiting professorships at Notre Dame, New York University, and Boston College.
The leading authority on the literature and ideology of early modern Ireland, he has published extensively on the impact of the Counter-Reformation on Irish political thought, early modern historiography and the cult of the Stuarts in Irish literature. His Aisling Ghéar: Na Stíobhartaigh agus an tAos Léinn, 1603-1788 (An Clóchomhar, 1996) is a monumental study of Irish political poetry in the period 1603-1788 and comprises the first comprehensive analysis of Irish Jacobitism.
He is also the author of I mBéal Feirste Cois Cuain (An Clóchomhar, 1968, 1978), an award-winning study of scribal and antiquarian circles in late eighteenth and early nineteenth century Belfast, and An Caoine agus an Chaointeoireacht (Cois Life, 1998), a radical reappraisal of the literature of lament in modern Irish. He has edited Peadar Ó Doirnín: Amhráin (An Clóchomhar, 1969) and Cathal Buí: Amhráin (An Clóchomhar, 1975), definitive collections of verse by two 18th-Century poets, and is also co-editor (with Pádraig de Brún, and Tomás Ó Concheanainn) of Nua Dhuanaire I, II (Institiúid Ard-Léinn, 1971, 1976), landmark anthologies of early modern verse. Besides cultural studies, literature and politics, he has published extensively in the field of linguistics; his most recent book is An Teanga Bheo: Gaeilge Chléire (Institiúid Teangeolaíochta Éireann, 2003), an analysis of the dialect of Irish spoken in Cape Clear, west Cork. Other recent publications include Dánta Aodhagáin Uí Rathaille : Reassessments Irish Texts Society, 2004), The crown of Ireland (Arlen House, 2006) and Aogán Ó Rathaille (Field Day Publications, 2007). He was recently honored by a festschrift, Aistí ar an Nua-Ghaeilge in ómós do Bhreandán Ó Buachalla, edited by Aidan Doyle and Siobhán Ní Laoire (Cois Life, 2006).
Ó Buachalla is currently editing a new series of editions of the works of eighteenth-century Irish poets published by Field Day.
Telephone, Fall Semester: (574) 631-5122;
Spring Semester, Ireland (01) 418-9170
Facsimile, Fall Semester: (574) 631-3620;
Fall 08 Office Hours Wed 5-6 & Th 1-2 Flanner Hall 416
Spring Semester, Ireland (01) 418-9169
Email: O'Buachalla.2@nd.edu
