Colm Ó Lochlainn facts for kids

Colm Ó Lochlainn (born in 1892, died on June 26, 1972) was a very talented Irish person. He was a printer, someone who designed fonts (a typographer), and a collector of old Irish songs called ballads. He also played the Uilleann pipes, a special type of Irish bagpipes. He is best known for his books, Irish Street Ballads (published in 1939) and More Irish Street Ballads (published in 1965).

Colm Ó Lochlainn's Life Story

Early Years and Adventures

Colm Ó Lochlainn was born in Kilkenny, Ireland. When he was a young man, he joined the Irish Volunteers in 1916. This group was involved in a big event in Irish history called the Easter Rising.

Colm was part of a team sent on a secret mission. Their goal was to get radio equipment to help communicate with a German ship. This ship was bringing weapons to Ireland for the Easter Rising. Colm and a friend, Denis Daly, reached their destination safely. However, another car with three other team members crashed into a river. Sadly, three people, Con Keating, Donal Sheehan, and Charlie Monaghan, died in this accident.

A Passion for Books and Printing

In 1916, Colm Ó Lochlainn started his first printing business, called the Candle Press. His work was so good that in 1924, his press won a bronze medal for bookbinding. This shows how skilled he was at making beautiful books.

He later started his own publishing house in 1926. He named it At the Sign of the Three Candles Press. This was a very important place for many people. A famous Irish musician, Seamus Ennis, got his first job there. Seamus Ennis also worked with Colm on his popular Irish Street Ballads books. Colm also became the editor of a magazine called Irish Book Lover in 1930.

Teaching and Music

From 1933 to 1943, Colm Ó Lochlainn worked at University College Dublin. He was an assistant in the department that taught modern Irish. Later, he became a professor there, teaching Irish Language and Literature. He also helped to start An Óige, which is a youth hostel organization in Ireland.

Around 1940, he began publishing a series of Irish-language song sheets. These were called An Claisceadal, which means "choral singing." This name came from an informal group of Irish-language singers he had helped create in Dublin in 1928.

Colm Ó Lochlainn passed away in a nursing home in Dublin in June 1972. He was buried in Glasnevin Cemetery.

His Family's Musical Legacy

Colm Ó Lochlainn's family continued his love for music. Seamus Ennis was the godfather to Colm's son, Ruan. Ruan became a well-known musician. He played with a band called Bees Make Honey. He also recorded music with famous artists like Bryan Ferry and Link Wray. Ruan was also a founding member of Ronnie Lane's band, Slim Chance.

Colm's other son, Dara, was a jazz musician. He played with the Chicago Jazz Seven. His daughter, Aifric, is an artist and an art therapist. Colm's grandson, Fionn Ó Lochlainn, is also a highly praised musician and recording artist.

What He Wrote

Colm Ó Lochlainn wrote and published many interesting works. Here are some of his selected publications:

• A Printer's Device, in The Irish Book Lover, Jan. & Feb. 1928
• The Printer on Gaelic Printing, Irish Book Lover vol. XVI, July–Dec. 1928
• Roadways in Ancient Ireland, in Feil-Sgribhinn Eoin MacNeill, 1940
• The Devil's Puzzle: A Survey of Men's Notions of Man, Robert Gregg Bury, 1949
• Anglo-Irish Songwriters, 3 Candles, 1958
• Irish Street Ballads, Three Candles Press, 1939/1952; Irish Book Centre, 1962
• More Irish Street Ballads, Three Candles Press, Dublin 1965, ISBN: 0-330-25316-6

See Also

• Traditional Irish Singers