Seán Ó Tuama

Seán Ó Tuama (1926, Cork, Ireland – September 2006) was an Irish poet, playwright and academic.

Life

Raised in the southern city of Cork and educated at the North Monastery (North Mon) school and University College Cork, Ó Tuama first came to prominence in 1950 with his anthology of modern Irish language poetry titled Nuabhéarsaíocht 1939-1949.

Notable academic works include An Grá in Amhráin na nDaoine, an analysis of medieval and Renaissance European influences on Irish song, which is credited as being a source for inspiration for poets including Liam Ó Muirthile and Gabriel Rosenstock. The anthology An Duanaire: Poems of the Dispossessed, a collection of poems in the Irish language dating from the 16th to 19th centuries selected by Ó Tuama and accompanied by translations of the poems into English by Thomas Kinsella, was published in 1981.

Ó Tuama was the Professor of Irish Literature at University College Cork, and visiting professor at Harvard, Oxford and Toronto University. He was also chairman of Bord na Gaeilge for a time. and a member of the Arts Council of Ireland.

Awards

• 1983 American Book Award

Works

Poetry

• Faoileán Na Beatha (Baile Átha Cliath, An Chlochomar Tta., 1962)

Plays

• An Grá in Amhráin na nDaoine (An Clochomhar Tta., 1960)
• An Grá i bhFilíocht na nUaisle (1988)

Anthologies

• Coiscéim na hAoise Seo, and an anthology of 20th century poetry in Irish

Essays

• Cúirt, Tuath agus Bruachbhaile, An Clóchomhar Tta, 1990
• Nuabhearsaiocht 1939-1949 (as editor, Baile Atha Cliath, Sairseal agus Dill, 1950)

External links

• http://www.irishwriters-online.com/seanotuama.html