Liam Ó Briain facts for kids

Liam Ó Briain (born September 16, 1888 – died August 12, 1974) was an Irish language expert and a person who worked to achieve political goals for Ireland.

Born in North Wall, Dublin as William O'Brien, he became very interested in the Irish language when he was young. While still at the O'Connell School, he started using the Irish version of his name. He also went to meetings of the Gaelic League, which promoted the Irish language. Later, he won a scholarship to University College Dublin (UCD). There, he studied French, English, and Irish, earning both a bachelor's and a master's degree.

Early Career and Activism

In 1911, UCD started offering one special scholarship each year for students to study abroad. Ó Briain won the very first one! He used it to travel to Germany. There, he studied with famous scholars like Kuno Meyer and Rudolf Thurneysen.

After three years, he came back home to Ireland. He rejoined the Gaelic League and began teaching French at UCD. He also joined the Irish Volunteers, a group formed to protect Ireland's rights. The next year, Seán T. O'Kelly convinced him to join the Irish Republican Brotherhood. This was a secret group working for an independent Ireland.

Role in the Easter Rising

During the Easter Rising in 1916, Ó Briain was involved in the fighting with the Irish Citizen Army. He had different ideas from his commander, Michael Mallin. Ó Briain wanted to try a different plan, but Mallin insisted they focus on taking Dublin Castle.

After the Rising, Ó Briain was held in prison for two months. Then, he spent six months in an internment camp. When he was finally released, he found out he had lost his teaching job. However, he quickly found a new job as a professor of Romance languages (like French and Italian) at University College Galway (UCG).

Political Involvement and Independence

Around this time, Ó Briain joined Sinn Féin, a political party working for an independent Ireland. He ran for election in Mid Armagh in 1918 but did not win. His election campaign led to him being sent to prison again.

After his release, he became a judge in the republican court system, which was not officially recognized by the government at the time. He also traveled to France and Italy to try and find weapons for the Irish Republican Army. In November 1920, he was arrested and held for over a year. Because of this, he missed the end of the Irish War of Independence. By the time he was released, the Anglo-Irish Treaty had been signed. This treaty created the Irish Free State. Ó Briain supported the treaty and did not take part in any more fighting.

Life in Independent Ireland

In the newly independent Ireland, Ó Briain continued to work as a professor in Galway. He also ran for a seat in the 1925 Seanad election (for the Irish Senate), but he was not successful.

He was a founder and the first secretary of the Taibhdhearc na Gaillimhe theatre. This theatre focused on plays in the Irish language. He also acted in many of its productions. Ó Briain spent a lot of time translating books and plays from English and other languages into Irish.

In 1945, he tried to become the president of UCG but was not chosen. In the 1940s and 1950s, many people knew him from his frequent appearances on television and radio.

On September 1, 1921, he married Helen Lawlor. Their only child was a journalist named Eibhlín Ní Bhriain.