Seán Ó Donnabháin

Ba é an ceathrú mac d’Éamonn Ó Donnabháin agus d’Eileanóir Hoberlin ó Bhaile an Róistigh é.[3] Rugadh é in Áit an Tí Móir i bparóiste Cill Cholm i gContae Chill Chainnigh agus fuair sé oideachas in Acadamh Hunt i bPort Láirge.[4]

Chrom sé ar Ghaeilge agus ar Laidin a fhoghlaim in aois a naoi mbliana, de réir mar a dúirt sé féin, agus faoin mbliain 1819 b’fhéidir leis Gaeilge a thras-scríobh réasúnta maith. Bhain sé Baile Átha Cliath amach sa bhliain 1823 agus chuaigh ar ‘Scoil Laidine’ lena ullmhú do Choláiste Mhaigh Nuad, ach níorbh í an tsagartacht ba dhual dó.

Mhúin sé Gaeilge do Thomás Larcom, scoláire, ar feadh tréimhse ghearr sa bhliain 1828 agus d’oibrigh do Mhaolmhuire Sheáin Ó Raghallaigh, bailitheoir lámhscríbhinní.

I mBaile Átha Cliath thosaigh sé ag bailiú eolais do James Hardiman, ársaitheoir, ó pháipéir stáit agus ó fhoinsí eile in Oifig na dTaifead Poiblí.

George Petrie, Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland (1916)

Ba iad an Donnabhánach, a chara George Petrie agus an Ridire Samuel Ferguson an triúr a fuair réidh le teoiricí áiféiseacha na n-ársaitheoirí a tháinig rompu. Áiríodh an Donnabhánach agus Eoghan Ó Comhraí, deartháir a chéile[5], ar phríomhúdaráis a linne ar an teanga Ghaeilge agus ar sheandachtaí Éireannacha. Bhí an Donnabhánach ina chúl taca ag a lán cumann léannta – Cumann Seandálaíochta Chill Chainnigh, Cumann Seandálaíochta Uladh agus an Cumann Ceilteach.

Chuaigh an Donnabhánach ag obair don Roinn Dinnseanchais i Suirbhéireacht Ordanáis Éireann i Mí Dheireadh Fómhair 1830 faoi stiúradh George Petrie. Lasmuigh de thréimhse gearr sa bhliain 1833, rinne sé taighde ar logainmneacha anuas go dtí an bhliain 1842, agus tháinig ar mhórán lámhscríbhinní. Bhí lé ar leith aige le Contae an Chláir de bharr a raibh de sheanchas ann, cé gurbh éigean dó cur suas le leapacha taise agus drochbhia.

Ar ais i mBaile Átha Cliath dó d’oibríodh sé dólámhach ag tras-scríobh a raibh bailithe aige. Ina dhiaidh sin ní raibh sé chomh sáite sin san obair, cé go ndéanadh sé corrbhabhta taighde de réir mar ba ghá. Is iomaí léarscáil agus lámhscríbhinn a scrúdaigh sé i leabharlanna agus i gcartlanna na hÉireann agus Shasana chun eolas cruinn a fháil ar a oiread de bhailte fearainn a thíre agus ab fhéidir.

Litriú "tuath-aitheachda" ag Seán Ó Donnabháin sa bhliain 1853.

Tá an-tábhacht leis na litreacha a scríobh an Donnabhánach mar chuntas ar sheanchas na hÉireann. Tá fáil fós ar chuid mhór de na litreacha a scríobh sé chun William Reeves idir na blianta 1845 agus 1860.[6]

An Ridire Samuel Ferguson (1810 – 1886)

Rinneadh iarracht ar dheontas a fháil ón Rialtas chun cuidiú leis agus é ag cur lámhscríbhinní in eagar, ach diúltaíodh dó. Sa bhliain 1842 cuireadh deireadh le Roinn Dinnseanchais na Suirbhéireachta. Fuair an Donnabhánach cúnamh ó chairde, rud a lig dó sraith eagrán de shaothair Ghaeilge, in éineacht le réamhráite suntasacha agus nótaí, a chur amach idir na blianta 1842 agus 1861.

Ba é a eagrán d’Annála Ríochta Éireann a phríomhshaothar, eagrán a críochnaíodh sa bhliain 1851 agus a thuill pinsean de £50 in aghaidh na bliana dó ón Rialtas, in éineacht le Bonn Óir Cunningham ó Acadamh Ríoga na hÉireann agus céim LL.D. ó Choláiste na Tríonóide. Bhí socair ag an Donnabhánach ar dhul go dtí Meiriceá, ach choinnigh bunú Choimisiún an Fhéineachais ag obair in Éirinn é.

Rinneadh Ollamh na dTeangacha Ceilteacha den Donnabhánach in Ollscoil na Banríona i mBéal Feirste agus glacadh leis mar abhcóide sa bhliain 1847. Toghadh é mar bhall comhfhreagrach d’Acadamh Ríoga Beirlín sa bhliain 1856, ar mholadh Jacob Grimm.

Ní raibh sé tinn seachtain féin nuair a d’éag sé 10 Nollaig 1861, beagán i ndiaidh an mheán oíche, ina theach féin ag 36 Sráid Íochtarach[7] Buckingham, Baile Átha Cliath. Ní raibh an tsláinte go rómhaith aige riamh Cuireadh é i Reilig Ghlas Naíon ar 13 Nollaig 1861. Tholg sé slaghdán, a dúradh, in aice na fuinneoige agus gurbh in a chuir tús leis an bhfiabhras daitheacha ba thrúig bháis dó.[1]

• Andrews, J.H.. A Paper Landscape, the Ordnance Survey in Nineteenth-Century Ireland, 1993, Four Courts Press. ISBN 1-85182-664-5
• Boyne, Patricia. John O'Donovan (1806—1861): A Biography, Kilkenny: Boethius, 1987. ISBN 0-86314-139-0
• De hÓir, É.. Seán Ó Donnabháin agus Eoghan Ó Comhraí, Baile Átha Cliath, 1962.
• MacSweeney, P.. A Group of Nation-Builders: O’Donovan — O’Curry — Petrie. Dublin, 1913
• Lalor, Brian. Encyclopaedia of Ireland, 2003, Gill and MacMillan, lach 813. ISBN 0-7171-3000-2
• Ó Muráile, N.. 'Seán Ó Donnabháin, An Cúigiú Máistir' in Léachtaí Cholm Cille XXVII: Scoláirí Gaeilge, eag. R. Ó hUiginn. Maigh Nuad, 1997, lgh 11-82.

• O'Donovan, John, ed. (1842), The Banquet of Dun Na n-Gedh and The Battle of Magh Rath, An Ancient Historical Tale, Dublin: The Irish Archaeological Society, http://books.google.com/?id=ngIGAAAAQAAJ

• O'Donovan, John, ed. (1843), The Tribes and Customs of Hy-Many, commonly called O'Kelly's Country, Dublin: Irish Archaeological Society, http://www.archive.org/details/tribescustomsofh00odonuoft

• O'Donovan, John, ed. (1844), The Genealogies, Tribes, and Customs of Hy-Fiachrach, Commonly Called O'Dowda's Country, Dublin: The Irish Archaeological Society, http://books.google.com/?id=fgMGAAAAQAAJ

• O'Donovan, John (1845), A Grammar of the Irish Language, Dublin: Hodges and Smith, http://books.google.com/?id=hH0iAAAAMAAJ

• O'Donovan, John, ed. (1847), Leabhar na gCeart, or The Book or Rights, Dublin: The Celtic Society, http://books.google.com/?id=zOCJKksIrEYC

• O'Donovan, John, ed. (1849), Miscellany of the Celtic Society, Dublin: The Celtic Society, http://www.archive.org/details/miscellanyofcelt00celtuoft

• O'Donovan, John, ed. (1851), The Tribes and Territories of Ancient Ossory; Comprising the Portions of O'Heerin's and O'Dugan's Topographical Poems Which Relate to the Families of That District, Dublin: J. O'Daly, http://www.archive.org/details/tribesterritorie00odonrich

• O'Donovan, John (1852), "Introduction, and an Historical Account of the Family of O'Daly", The Tribes of Ireland: A Satire, by Aenghus O'Daly, Dublin: John O'Daly, http://books.google.com/?id=IIgNAAAAYAAJ

• O'Donovan, John, ed. (1856), The Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland by the Four Masters, From the Earliest Period to the Year 1616, I, Dublin: Hodges, Smith, and Co, http://www.archive.org/details/annals01odonuoft

• O'Donovan, John, ed. (1856), The Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland by the Four Masters, From the Earliest Period to the Year 1616, II (2nd ed.), Dublin: Hodges, Smith, and Co, http://www.archive.org/details/annals02odonuoft

• O'Donovan, John, ed. (1856), The Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland by the Four Masters, From the Earliest Period to the Year 1616, III (2nd ed.), Dublin: Hodges, Smith, and Co, http://www.archive.org/details/annals03odonuoft

• O'Donovan, John, ed. (1856), The Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland by the Four Masters, From the Earliest Period to the Year 1616, IV (2nd ed.), Dublin: Hodges, Smith, and Co, http://www.archive.org/details/annals04odonuoft

• O'Donovan, John, ed. (1856), The Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland by the Four Masters, From the Earliest Period to the Year 1616, V (2nd ed.), Dublin: Hodges, Smith, and Co, http://www.archive.org/details/annals05odonuoft

• O'Donovan, John, ed. (1856), The Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland by the Four Masters, From the Earliest Period to the Year 1616, VI (2nd ed.), Dublin: Hodges, Smith, and Co, http://www.archive.org/details/annals06odonuoft

• O'Donovan, John, ed. (1856), The Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland by the Four Masters, From the Earliest Period to the Year 1616, VII (2nd ed.), Dublin: Hodges, Smith, and Co, http://www.archive.org/details/annals07odonuoft

• O'Donovan, John, ed. (1860), Three Fragments, Copied from Ancient Sources by Dubhaltach Mac Firbisigh, Dublin: The Irish Archaeological and Celtic Society, http://books.google.com/?id=KgMGAAAAQAAJ

• O'Donovan, John (1891), O'Conor, Charles Owen, ed., The O'Conors of Connaught: An Historical Memoir, Dublin: Hodges, Figgis, and Co, pp. 292–297, http://books.google.com/?id=Y6e15eKndYIC

• O'Donovan, John, ed. (1861), The Topographical Poems of John O'Dubhagain and Giolla Na Naomh O'Huidhrin, Dublin: The Irish Archaeological and Celtic Society (published 1862), http://books.google.com/?id=Eg8OGXGk3LAC

• O'Donovan, John; Todd, James Henthorn; Reeves, William, eds. (1864), The Martyrology of Donegal. A Calendar of the Saints of Ireland, Dublin: The Irish Archaeological and Celtic Society, http://books.google.com/?id=clR5GAXu0V8C

• O'Donovan, John (1864), "Supplement", O'Reilly's Irish-English Dictionary (New ed.), Dublin: James Duffy, http://books.google.com/?id=B5QCAAAAQAAJ

• O'Donovan, John; O'Curry, Eugene, eds. (1865), Ancient Laws of Ireland, I, Dublin: Alexander Thom, http://books.google.com/?id=9AYKAAAAIAAJ

• O'Donovan, John; O'Curry, Eugene, eds., Ancient Laws of Ireland, II

• O'Donovan, John; O'Curry, Eugene, eds. (1873), Ancient Laws of Ireland, III, Dublin: Alexander Thom, http://books.google.com/?id=sSgNAAAAYAAJ

• O'Donovan, John; O'Curry, Eugene, eds. (1879), Ancient Laws of Ireland, IV, Dublin: A. Thom & Co, http://books.google.com/?id=_SgNAAAAYAAJ

• O'Donovan, John; O'Curry, Eugene, eds. (1901), Ancient Laws of Ireland, V, Dublin: Alexander Thom, http://books.google.com/?id=USkNAAAAYAAJ

• O'Donovan, John; O'Curry, Eugene, eds. (1901), Ancient Laws of Ireland, VI, Dublin: Alexander Thom, http://books.google.com/?id=jykNAAAAYAAJ

• O'Donovan, John, ed. (1868), Cormac's Glossary, Calcutta: The Irish Archaeological and Celtic Society, http://books.google.com/?id=-ZANAAAAYAAJ

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