Eugene O'Growney

Eugene O'Growney (Irish: Eoghan Ó Gramhnaigh; born 25 August 1863 at Ballyfallon, Athboy, County Meath, died 18 October 1899 in Los Angeles, California), was an Irish priest and scholar, and a key figure in the Gaelic revival of the late 19th century.

Early life and education

O'Growney was born near Athboy in County Meath, where the Irish language was no longer widely used and neither of his parents spoke it. He first became interested in the language at school in St. Finian's College and later again when he chanced upon Irish lessons in the nationalist newspaper Young Ireland. He had help at first from a few old people who spoke the language, and while at St Patrick's College, Maynooth, where he continued his studies for the priesthood from the year 1882, he spent his holidays in Irish-speaking areas in the north, west and south. He got to know the Aran Islands and wrote about them in the bilingual Gaelic Journal (Irisleabhar na Gaedhilge), which he was later to edit. He was ordained priest in 1888.

Priest

He served for a short time as a curate in the Diocese of Meath but because of his proficiency in the language was appointed to the re-established Chair of Irish at Maynooth in 1891. He was editor of the Gaelic Journal between 1894 and 1899 and during his tenure ensured that more material was published in Irish.

For O’Growney language, nationality and religion were closely linked. In 1890, writing in the Irish Ecclesiastical Review, he described literature in Irish as "the most Catholic literature in the world". He was aware, however, of its other aspects, adding that "even if Irish were to perish as a spoken language, it would remain valuable from the pure literature point of view".

His Simple Lessons in Irish, first published in the newspaper the Weekly Freeman, proved so popular that they were published in booklet form. There were five books in the series, and by 1903 320,000 copies had been sold. In a foreword he states:

The following course of simple lessons in Irish has been drawn up chiefly for the use of those who wish to learn the old language of Ireland, but who are discouraged by what they have heard of its difficulties... But the difficulties of Irish pronunciation and construction have always been exaggerated. A I myself was obliged to study Irish as a foreign language, and as I have been placed in circumstances which have made me rather familiar with the language as now spoken, I have at least a knowledge of the difficulties of those who, like myself, have no teacher.

He was a founding member of the Gaelic League, which was created in Dublin in 1893 "for the purpose of keeping the Irish language spoken in Ireland", and later became its vice-president.

Ill health and death

In 1894, failing health caused him to go to Arizona and California, where he died. Some years after, with the aid of Irish sympathisers in the United States, his body was brought back to Ireland

His funeral, held on 26 September 1903 at the Catholic Pro-Cathedral, Dublin, was attended by 6000 people, including members of the trade guilds, clerics, politicians, members of the nationalist Gaelic Athletic Association and students.

He is buried in the cemetery attached to St. Patrick's College, Maynooth.

There is a statue of Fr. Eugene O'Growney in Athboy by famed Irish sculptor James Power.

From the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia

Eugene O'Growney — Priest, patriot, and scholar, b. 25 August, 1863, at Ballyfallon, County Meath; d. at Los Angeles, 18 Oct., 1899. Neither parent spoke Irish and it was little used where he was born; in fact, he was ignorant of the existence of a language of Ireland until a student at St. Finian's seminary at Navan.

His interest in the language begun there continued at Maynooth, where from his entrance in 1882 he devoted himself to the study of the Irish language, antiquities, and history. His holidays he spent in the Irish-speaking parts of the country where he acquired his knowledge of the spoken language. Ordained in 1888, in 1891 he was appointed professor of Irish at Maynooth, and at about the same time became editor of the "Gaelic Journal". At the instance of the Archbishop of Dublin he began his series of "Simple Lessons in Irish', first published in the "Weekly Freeman", which have done more than any other book in the last two centuries to familiarize thousands of Irish with the language of their ancestors. He was one of the founders of the Gaelic League, organized in Dublin in 1893 "for the purpose of keeping the Irish language spoken in Ireland", and later became its vice-president, which position he held until his death.

In 1894, failing health sent him to Arizona and California, where he died. Some years after, with the aid of the Irish in the United States, his body was brought back to Ireland and buried at Maynooth. An earnest and tireless worker, his services to the Gaelic League out-weigh those of all his fellow-workers to the present day, not that his scholarship was above criticism, but because he came at the moment when a man of his kind was needed.

The memorials of Father O'Growney have been collected by O'Farrelly, Leabhar an Athar Eoghan (The O'Growney Memorial Volume), (Dublin, 1904).

Bibliography

Sources

Caerwyn Williams J.E & Ní Mhuiríosa, Máirín. Traidisiún Liteartha na nGael. An Clóchomhar Tta 1979.

McMahon, Timothy G. Grand Opportunity: The Gaelic Revival and Irish Society, 1893-1910. Syracuse University Press 2008. ISBN 978-0-8156-3158-3

O’Leary, Philip. Prose Literature of Gaelic Revival, 1881-1921. Pennsylvania State Press 1994. ISBN 978-0-2710-2596-4

External links

• The Irish Ecclesiastical Record
• Looking at places
• Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Eugene O'Growney". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
• Archived 11 May 2012 at the Wayback Machine