Irish Literature and Language

Irish Language

A multi-page research guide to Irish literature resources in the Boston College libraries

What's on This Page

This page has a lot on it. You can use the following anchors (links down the page) to jump straight to a relevant box.

Biographies

Beathaisnéis: 1882-1982 by Breathnach, Diarmuid.
Call Number: O'Neill Library: Reference PB1317.B327x 1986

ISBN: 9780903758550

Publication Date: 1986

Entries are in Irish.
Includes biographies of Irish-language writers from the late nineteenth to the late twentieth century.
Dictionary of Irish writers by Brian Talbot Cleeve
Call Number: O'Neill and Burns

Publication Date: 1967-1971

(O'Neill Library: Reference PR8706. C55; Burns Library: PR8727.C5 IRISH) A three-volume set. The third volume of this set covers Irish-language writers. The subjects "must be Irish by birth or culture" and popularly or critically successful.
Eolaire Chló Iar-Chonnachta de Scríbhneoirí by Gearóidín Uí Nia; Micheál Ó Conghaile
Call Number: O'Neill Stacks PB1325.U48 1998

Publication Date: 1998

(O'Neill Library: PB1325 .U48 1998) A directory, in Irish, of Irish language literary authors, with contact information and very brief outlines of literary careers. The entries contain little or no biographical information.
Portraidi na Scribhneoiri Gaeilge: portraits of Irish-Language writers by Comhar Teo (Publisher)
Call Number: O'Neill Stacks DA965.A1 P67 2016; Burns Reading Room Use Only DA965.A1 P67 2016 IRISH

ISBN: 9780993494666

Publication Date: 2016

Begins with a lengthy essay on writing in Irish between 1945 and 1995, followed by biographies of authors. Essay and entries are in Irish.

Online Resources

Corpus Stairiuil na Gaeilge 1600 - 1926
This online corpus makes 19 million
words of Irish, from over 3000 printed texts, freely available to read and
search.

more... less...

Search for a headword (lemma), for a standardised version, or for
an exact match of your search term. Results are displayed in context along
with historical variations charting the word's evolution. In addition,
results can be viewed in their original text which can be downloaded in a
variety of useful formats, such as TEI, ebooks, etc..
Dictionary and Language Library at teanglann.ie
The aim of the site is to provide users of the language with free, easy-to-use access to dictionaries and to grammatical and pronunciation information relating to words in the Irish language.
The Doegen Records Web Project
Early Irish language dialect recordings of folktales, songs and other material, from 1928 to 1931.
focal.ie
Gateway to electronic resources for the Irish language. Selected categories include folklore, surname, biographical, and place name resources.
An Foclóir Beag
Irish language dictionary (Irish only).
Gaeilge ar an Ghréasán
Links to web resources, in and about Irish Gaelic.
National Terminology Database for Irish
Developed by Fiontar agus Scoil na Gaeilge, DCU in collaboration with An Coiste Téarmaíochta, Foras na Gaeilge.

Print Dictionaries

Irish-English Dictionary (Focloir Gaeilge Bearla) by Niall O'Donaill, Tomás De Bhaldraithe
Call Number: O'Neill Stacks PB1291.O5x; O'Neill 3rd Floor Reference-Library Use Only PB1291 .O5x; Burns Reading Burns Library Room Use Only PB1291.F57 1992 REF

ISBN: 1857910370

Publication Date: 1992

he Irish vocabulary in this Irish-English dictionary is based on the living speech of the Gaeltacht. The dictionary is not an exhaustive compilation of all Irish words; rather, it is a list of those that have common equivalents in English.
Gearrfhoclóir Gaeilge-Béarla by William L. McSweeney [Accredited]
Call Number: O'Neill 3rd Floor Reference-Library Use Only PB1291.G4 1981; O'Neill Cataloging Dept. Reference PB1291.G4 1981; Burns Library: Advance notice needed Accession: C0091291

Publication Date: 1981

An abridged version of Ó Dónaill's Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla.
Dictionary of the Irish Language by E. G. Quin (Editor)
Call Number: O'Neill Library 3rd Floor Reference-Library Use Only: Reference PB1291.D48x 1983; Burns Library Reading Room Use Only: PB1291.D49 1990 REF

ISBN: 0901714291

Publication Date: 1984

Very small print which requires the use of a magnifying device. This compact edition brings together the extensive material, photographically reduced in a handsome single volume.
Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla. by Máiréad Ní Ghráda
Call Number: Burns Reading Room Use Only PB1291.F56 IRISH

Publication Date: 1996

This Irish-English dictionary was originally published in 1927 and presents traditional orthography. It includes a pronunciation guide. The Irish words are in the old script, and the words are gleaned from literary sources.
Innéacs Nua-Ghaeilge Don Dictionary of the Irish Language by Tomas De Bhaldraithe
Call Number: O'Neill Library 3rd Floor Reference -Library Use Only PB1291.D492x 1981

ISBN: 0901714186

Publication Date: 1981

This presents a modern Irish index to the RIA's 'Dictionary of the Irish Language'. This book is suitable for learners of old Irish and for those engaged in the historical study of modern Irish. The dictionary does not provide definitions or foreign language equivalents of Irish words.

Gallagher family commonplace book by Charles Gallagher;
Call Number: MS2012-005

Publication Date: 1757-1947, (1785-1812)

Contains Irish legends, prayers, poems, and recipes, mainly in Gaelic with some English. Also includes some family history and lists real estate holdings in New York for the Gallagher and Hanigan families. This volume was kept mainly by Charles Gallagher, a doctor in New York City at the end of the 18th century, and was added to by his descendants. Available online and in the Burns Reading Room.
Beatha S. Mairghread : manuscript
Call Number: MS1986-085-001

Publication Date: 1819-1822.

Book of devotions in Irish containing life of St. Margaret and a prayer to St. Partick. Home-made binding with name of Margaret O'Brien, Nov. 23, 1822 on last page.
Available online and in the Burns Reading Room
Irish prose and poetry.
Call Number: MS.1986.085.007

Publication Date: 1823-1828.

Miscellany of Irish prose and poetry, religious and secular. Includes poems by Carolan and Fiachra MacBradaigh; scribes include Michael Mac an Bhaird and Padruic Mac an Bhaird both of Co. Leitrim. First p. begins with Clar an Leabhair, i.e. Table of Contents. First title is An Sioguide Romanac.
Available online and in Burns Reading Room

Burns Library has other Irish language manuscripts available for use in the reading room, including works of Irish poets or authors who write in both English and Irish.

To locate these materials, try an advanced search in the library database where language=Irish and Material Type= Archives and Manuscripts.

Find Irish Language Articles

MLA International Bibliography
The MLA International Bibliography is a subject index for books, articles and websites published on modern languages, literatures, folklore, and linguistics. Produced by the Modern Language Association (MLA), this electronic version of the Bibliography dates back to 1925 and contains over 2.2 million citations from more than 4,400 periodicals (including peer-reviewed e-journals) and 1,000 book publishers.

Clár Litridheacht na Nua-Ghaedhilge 1850-1936 by Richard J. Hayes, Brighid Ó Donnchadha (Joint Author)
Call Number: O'Neill Stacks PB1306 .H39 1938

Publication Date: 1938-40

ndexes books in Irish; Irish-language poetry and song in periodicals; and Irish language prose material in periodicals.
Bibliography of Irish philology and of printed Irish literature by National Library of Ireland
Call Number: O'Neill 3rd Floor Reference-Library Use Only PB1213.N275x 1913; Burns Library: Advance notice needed: Accession: C0097741

Publication Date: 1970

Divided into two broad categories: Irish philology and Irish literature. "Mr. Richard Irvine Best ... has had entire charge of the production of this bibliography." --Preface.
Bibliography of Irish Philology and Manuscript Literature: Publications 1913-1941 by R. I. Best
Call Number: Burns Library: Z2037.D82 REF; O'Neill Library Reference: PB1213.B377x 1969

Publication Date: 1942

Divided into two broad categories: Irish Philology and Literature. A parallel work of Best's to his work on philology and printed literature.
Bibliography of Irish linguistics and literature, 1942-71 by Rolf Baumgarten
Call Number: O'Neill Library: PB1213.Z99 B38 1986; Burns Library: PB1213.Z99 B38 1986 REF

Publication Date: 1986

This bibliography indexes words & proper names, first lines of verse, sources, and authors.
Year's work in modern language studies by Modern Humanities Research Association
Call Number: O'Neill Library: Reference Index Area, PB1 .Y45 (current 5 years); earlier years in O'Neill stacks (no loan);

Publication Date: 1930-1994

Includes descriptive essays on bibliographical sources, especially linguistics. Coverage of Celtic studies began in 1974, and includes Welsh, Breton & Cornish, Irish, and Scottish Gaelic studies. Full-text online is available from 1930 through 1994 through Periodicals Archive Online.

O'Neill Library

Bapst Library

Burns Library

Educational Resource Center

Law Library

Social Work Library

Theology & Ministry Library

O'Connor Library

Institute for Advanced Jesuit Studies

Irish Literature and Language

Irish Language

What's on This Page

Biographies

Online Resources

Print Dictionaries

Find Irish Language Articles