author
Séamus Ó Dubhghaill
A pioneering Irish-language storyteller, Séamas Ó Dubhghaill drew on the oral tradition of County Kerry to create lively, accessible fiction for new readers of Irish. Writing under the name “Beirt Fhear,” he helped bring the language of everyday people into print.
1 Audiobook
Prátaí Ṁíċíl Ṫaiḋg
by Séamus Ó Dubhghaill
About the author
Séamas Ó Dubhghaill (1855–1929) was born on 25 July 1855 in Cúil Éanaigh, County Kerry, to John Doyle and Kate Horgan. Although his parents spoke English at home, he grew up hearing both English and Irish, and remembered Irish storytelling and folklore from the people around him. He did not see an Irish-language book until he was about twenty, but later learned to read the language and began collecting stories from oral tradition.
Ó Dubhghaill became best known by the pen name Beirt Fhear. His books include Tadhg Gabha and Prátaí Mhicíl Thaidhg, while Cathair Chonroí grew from a story he heard in Kerry and reconstructed from memory. His work is valued for its natural spoken style and its close connection to the voices of ordinary Irish speakers.
He was also an active supporter of the Irish-language revival. In March 1877, he wrote to Freeman’s Journal arguing that the public should establish an Irish-language periodical. His writing helped make Irish reading material more approachable at a time when the language was gaining new literary and cultural energy.