author
Eleanor Hull
1860–1935
A key figure in the Irish literary revival, this scholar and writer helped bring early Irish literature to new readers through editing, translation, and popular history. She is also remembered for the well-known English versification of "Be Thou My Vision."
2 Audiobooks
Cuchulain, the Hound of Ulster
by Eleanor Hull
The Northmen in Britain
by Eleanor Hull
About the author
Born in Manchester on January 15, 1860, to a family with roots in County Down, she was educated at Alexandra College in Dublin and went on to study Irish literature and language. She became known as a writer, journalist, and scholar of Old Irish, working at a time when interest in Ireland’s early texts and traditions was growing quickly.
She was a co-founder of the Irish Texts Society in 1899 and served it for many years, helping support the publication of important early manuscripts. Her books included studies of Irish literature and history for general readers, and her work played a real part in introducing medieval Irish stories and traditions to wider audiences.
She died in January 1935. Alongside her scholarship, many readers know her through her 1912 poetic English version of the ancient Irish hymn commonly called "Be Thou My Vision," which helped carry an old Irish text into lasting popular use.