Risteard Ó Foghludha facts for kids

Risteard Ó Foghludha (born Richard Foley) was an important Irish writer, teacher, and journalist. He was born in County Cork, Ireland, in 1871 and lived until 1957. He spent much of his life working with the Irish language. He was also known by his pen name, Fiachra Éilgeach.

Growing Up in Cork

Risteard Ó Foghludha was born in County Cork. His father, Richard, was a farmer. His mother was Peg Long. Risteard was the oldest of many children. He had seven sisters and five brothers. Both of his parents spoke Irish as their first language.

Risteard went to the Christian Brothers school in Youghal. There, he won a prize for his skills in the Irish language. He later dedicated his first book, Carn Tighearnaigh, to Máirtín Ó Buadhacháin. Máirtín was the first person who taught Risteard to read and write in Irish.

His Career and Work

Around 1888, Risteard Ó Foghludha moved to Dublin. He likely worked at the Royal Dublin Society for two years. This is where he began to learn shorthand, a fast way of writing.

In the early 1890s, he became a reporter for the Freeman's Journal. It is said that he reported on the last speech of a famous Irish leader, Charles Stuart Parnell. This speech happened in County Galway in 1891.

Risteard then spent eight years in England. He worked with wholesale typing machines. He sold machines for the Underwood Typewriter Company. This company sent him back to Ireland in the early 1900s. For a while, he worked in Belfast. But he always returned to Dublin on weekends. From 1905 to 1907, he also taught at Blackrock College.

The Gaelic League

In 1901, Risteard helped start a new branch of the Gaelic League. This group is called 'Craobh an Chéitinnigh'. He founded it with friends like Seosamh Ó Tórna. The Gaelic League works to promote and preserve the Irish language.

Risteard chose a motto for their branch: 'Múscail do mhisneach, a Bhanba'. This means 'Awaken your courage, Ireland'. He served as the honorary secretary for nine years.

Family Life

Risteard Ó Foghludha married Eily Barnes in June 1910. Eily was born in Ranelagh in 1884. They had one son together, named Garrett.

His Writings and Editing

On August 17, 1901, Risteard published his first prose work. It appeared in a newspaper called An Claidheamh Soluis. He used the pen name 'An Corcaigheach Macánta', which means 'The honest Corkonian'. Later, in 1903, he started using his most famous pen name, 'Fiachra Éilgeach'.

Risteard spent most of his life editing the works of important poets from Munster, a region in Ireland. He helped publish the poems of many famous writers. These included Brian Merriman and Eoghan Rua Ó Súilleabháin.

He also published his own books. In 1935, he released a Dictionary of Irish Place-names. This book listed 7,000 Irish place names with their English meanings. He also translated many books from French and Russian into Irish. Some of these were works by Leo Tolstoy and Anton Chekhov.

Later Career

Risteard Ó Foghludha was a manager at the Underwood Typewriter Co. until 1936. After that, he started working for An Gúm. This is an Irish government publisher. He was also an editor at 'Brown and Nolan'.

In 1946, Éamon de Valera, who was a leader in Ireland, appointed Risteard to the Placenames Commission. This group works on Irish place names. He also helped edit the translation of the Constitution of Ireland in 1936.

Legacy and Recognition

Risteard Ó Foghludha passed away on August 20, 1957. Years later, in 1974, a plaque was put on his birth home. This was done by Tom O'Donnell, a government minister.

A local primary school is named Scoil Fhiachra Éilgeach in his honor. This shows how much he is remembered. In 1939, the National University of Ireland gave him an honorary degree. This was called D. Litt. Celt. and recognized his great contributions to Irish language and literature.