Léargas ar Úna Ní Fhaircheallaigh (1874–1951)

Mar chuid den bhailiúcháin leabhar a bhronn Conradh na Gaeilge ar Ollscoil na Gaillimhe, tá roinnt foilseacháin ó pheann Úna Ní Fhaircheallaigh, scoláire agus ollamh ar fáil i Leabharlann Shéamais Uí Argadáin, (Bailiúcháin Speisíalta).

(English version below)

  

Luathshaol agus oideachas

Rugadh agus tógadh Úna Ní Fhaircheallaigh (nom-de-plume 'Uan Uladh'; Agnes O'Farrelly) in aice le Achadh an Iúir i gContae an Chabháin. Tar éis seal le Eoin Mac Néill mar múinteoir Gaeilge aici, bhain sí céim amach i gColáiste Ollscoile Bhaile Átha Cliath (An Ollscoil Ríoga), (BA 1899, MA 1900). Tuairim an ama chéanna. chaith sí téarma i bPáras ag staidéar faoi Henri D’Arbois de Jubainville, ollamh le Cheiltis sa Collège de France.

 

Oileáin Árann

Thug sí cuairt ar Oileáin Árann don chéad uair sa bhliain 1898 agus d’fhan sí ar Inis Meáin i dteach an iascaire a bhí fágtha ag Synge díreach roimpi. Lean sí ar aghaidh ina dhiadh sin ag tabhairt cuairte ar an oileán chuile bhliain agus i mí Lúnasa 1899 bhunaigh sí ‘Craobh na mBan’ de Chonradh na Gaeilge, bliain tar éis bhunadh Chraobh na bhFear den Chonartha in Inis Mór agus Inis Meáin. Choinnigh sí dialann taistil agus i 1902 foilsíodh 'Smuainte ar Árainn' ag Conradh na Gaeilge, cáipéis luachmhar shóisialta agus chultúrtha, ina bhfuil grianghrafanna comhaimseartha ar fáil inti. Foilsíodh eagrán nua dhá-theangach: Smaointe ar Árainn ag an Dr Ríona Nic Congáil sa bhliain 2010.

Conradh na Gaeilge agus cúrsaí foilseachán

Bhí baint mhór ag an triúr: Úna Uí Fhaircheallaigh, Máire Ní Chinnéide agus Máire de Buitléir, le forbairt Chonradh na Gaeilge mar ghníomhaithe teanga. Foilsíodh a húrscéilín  Grádh agus Crádh i 1901  agus deirtear gurb í an chéad banúrscéalaí ag scríobh sa Ghaeilge. Le cois sin bhi sí ina stiúrthóir leis an chlódóir gaelach: An Cló-Chumann Teoranta. Chuir sí in eagar Filidheacht Sheagháin Uí Neachtain, an t-aon saothar amháin léinn dá cuid, a foilsíodh i 1911. Rugadh an file agus scoláire Seaghán Ó Neachtain c.1640 i bparóiste an Droma, Co. Ros Comáin ach chaith sé an chuid is mó dá shaol i mBaile Átha Cliath i gceantar Shráid Thomáis.

Gairm acadúil

Chabhraigh sí le Cumann Céimithe na mBan agus Ábhair Chéimithe a bhunú in éineacht le Máire Ní Aodáin agus throid siad ar son comhdheise agus cothramaíochta do mhná san ollscolaíocht. Ceapadh Úna ina léachtóir le Nua-Ghaeilge nuair a bunaíodh Ollscoil na hÉireann i 1909 agus ceapadh ina hOllamh le Nua-Ghaeilge í, tar éis imeacht Dubhghlas de hÍde ar scor i 1932. 

Coláistí Samhraidh agus imeachtaí eile

Bhí sí i lár an aonaigh maidir le h-imeachtaí cultúrtha eile freisin. Mar shampla, sa bhliain 1914 bhí páirt lárnach aici nuair a bunaíodh An Cumann Camógaíochta in Ollscoil na hÉireann, Baile Átha Cliath. D’iarr sí ar a cara, Edward Gibson, Lord Ashbourne (deartháir Violet), corn a bhronnadh don chomórtas camogaíochta tríu léibhéal: An Corn Ashbourne. B'í an ceathrú uachtarán ar Chumann Camógaíochta na hÉireann. Deirtear go raibh sí ar cheann de na gníomhaígh teanga ba dúthrachtaí ag an am sin. Bhí sí ina cathaoirleach ar Chomhchoiste na gColáistí Samhraidh agus baint aici le bunú agus réachtáil na gcoláistí samhraidh i gCloich Chionnaola; i dTuar Mhic Éadaigh agus Coláiste Laighean.

Ní beag sin!

Spotlight on  Úna Ní Fhaircheallaigh (1874–1951) 

The collection of books recently donated by Conradh na Gaeilge to the University of Galway includes a number of publications by Úna Ní Fhaircheallaigh, academic and writer, which are now available  to researchers in the James Hardiman Library, (Special Collections).

Early life and education

Úna Ní Fhaircheallaigh (Agnes O'Farrelly; nom-de-plume 'Uan Uladh') was born and raised near Virginia  in Co. Cavan. She studied the Irish language first with Eoin Mac Néill  and later graduated from the Royal University of Ireland (BA 1899, MA 1900). During this period she spent a term in Paris studying under Henri D’Arbois de Jubainville, professor of Celtic languages  in the  Collège de France.

Aran Islands

She visited the Aran Islands for the first time in 1898 and she stayed in a fisherman's house on Inis Meáin which had  been vacated by Synge just before her arrival. She continued to visit the island every summer and in August 1899 she founded Craobh na mBan (women's branch) of Conradh na Gaeilge following the establishment of the men's branch of Conradh na Gaeilge on Inis Mór and Inis Meáin. She kept a travel diary and in 1902, Smuainte ar Árainn was published by Conradh na Gaeilge, a valuable social and cultural document which includes contemporary photographs. A new bilingual edition: Smaointe ar Árainn was published by Dr Ríona Nic Congáil in 2010.

 

Conradh na Gaeilge and publishing activities

Together with Máire Ní Chinnéide  and Máire de Buitléir, Úna Uí Fhaircheallaigh played a significant part as language activists in the development of Conradh na Gaeilge.  Her short novel, Grádh agus Crádh was published in 1901 resulting in  her being the first Irish language female novelist. In addition, she was a director with the Gaelic printing house: An Cló-Chumann. Her edition of a selection of poetry by Seaghán Ó Neachtain: Filidheacht Sheagháin Uí Neachtain was published in 1911.  The poet and scholar Seaghán Ó Neachtain was born c.1640 in the parish of Drum, Co. Roscommon but he spent most of his adult life living in the Thomas Street area of  Dublin city.

Academic life

A founder member in 1902, along with Mary Hayden, of the Irish Association of Women Graduates and Candidate Graduates, to promote equal opportunity in university education, she gave evidence to the Robertson (1902) and Fry (1906) commissions on Irish university education, arguing successfully for full co-education at UCD. In 1909 Úna Uí Fhaircheallaigh was appointed lecturer in modern Irish upon the establishment of the National University of Ireland. She took over from Douglas Hyde  as Professor of Modern Irish in University College Dublin on his retirement in 1932; she was president of the Irish Federation of University Women (1937–9) and of the National University Women Graduates' Association (NUWGA) (1943–7).

Irish summer colleges and other activities 

Úna Uí Fhaircheallaigh poured her energy into many cultural activities. For example, in 1914 she played a central role in the founding of An Cumann Camógaíochta (the Camogie club),  in  University College Dublin. Through her influence, her friend Edward Gibson, Lord Ashbourne (a brother of Violet),  donated a cup for the third level colleges camogie competition established in 1915: the Ashbourne Cup.   She was the fourth president of the Camogie Association of Ireland and one of the most dedicated Irish language activists of her time. She chaired Comhchoiste na gColáistí Samhraidh (Joint committee of the Irish summer colleges) and was involved in the founding and administration of the Irish summer colleges in Cloich Chionnaola;  Tuar Mhic Éadaigh and Coláiste Laighean.

Tuilleadh eolais:

McMahon, Timothy G. 'All Creeds and All Classes?? Just Who Made Up the Gaelic League?' Eire-Ireland 37 no3/4 118–68 Fall/Wint 2002

Ní Shéaghdha, Nessa. ‘Irish Scholars and Scribes in Eighteenth-century Dublin’, Eighteenth-century Ireland/Iris an dá chultúr, Vol. 4 (1989), pp 41-54.

Nic Congáil, Ríona, Úna Ní Fhaircheallaigh agus an fhis útóipeach ghaelach, Dublin : Arlen House ; Syracuse, NY : Syracuse University Press, 2010.

Scríofa ag/written by Patricia Moloney, Catalógaí, Bailiúcháin Speisíalta/Cataloguer, Special Collections