Owen Connellan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Owen Connellan
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| Born | 1797 |
| Died | 4 August 1871 |
| Resting place | Mount Jerome Cemetery |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Occupation | Translator, Professor of Irish |
| Employer | Royal Irish Academy |
| Known for | Translation of the Annals of the Four Masters into English |
Owen Connellan (1797 – 4 August 1871) was an important Irish scholar. He was known for translating old Irish writings into English. His most famous work was translating the Annals of the Four Masters. This book tells the history of Ireland from ancient times.
Contents
Owen Connellan: Irish Scholar
Early Life and Work
Owen Connellan was born in 1797 in County Sligo, Ireland. His father was a farmer. Owen loved learning about Irish history and stories. He became a scribe, which meant he copied old books by hand. He worked for the Royal Irish Academy. For twenty years, he carefully copied many old texts. These included parts of the famous Book of Lecan and the Book of Ballymote.
A Royal Translator
When King George IV visited Ireland, Owen Connellan helped out. He translated the King's message to the Irish people into the Irish language. Because of this, he was given a special job. He became the King's Irish historian. Later, when Queen's College opened, Owen became a professor. He taught the Irish language at the Cork campus. He held this important teaching job until 1863. Owen Connellan lived in Dublin for many years. He passed away in 1871.
His Important Books
Owen Connellan worked on many important books. His most famous work was translating The Annals of Ireland from the Irish of the Four Masters in 1846. This huge book is a collection of Irish history.
Another important book he worked on was Imtheacht na Tromdhaimhe. This title means The proceedings of the great Bardic Institution. It tells a famous Irish story. The story is about how Senchán Torpéist found the Táin Bó Cúailnge again. This is one of the most well-known tales from ancient Irish bards.
A Disagreement About Language
In the 1830s, Owen Connellan had a disagreement with another scholar. His name was Henry J. Monck Mason. Mason had published a book about Irish grammar. But Owen Connellan believed Mason's book had many mistakes. Owen wrote a strong reply to show these errors. Other scholars, like John O'Donovan, agreed with Owen. This showed how important it was to be very accurate when studying the Irish language.
Works
- Grammatical Interlineary Version of the Gospel of St. John (1830)
- Grammatical Praxis on the Gospel of St. Matthew (1830)
- Dissertation on Irish Grammar (1834)
- A Practical Grammar of the Irish Language (1844)
- Translation of The Annals of Ireland from the Irish of the Four Masters (1846)
- Translation of Imtheacht na Tromdhaimhe, or, The proceedings of the great Bardic Institution (1860)
See also
