Liam O’Ceallaigh: Historian and teacher of the Irish Language
Last summer, I had the privilege of speaking to Róisín Taafe, daughter of Liam O’Ceallaigh, the highly respected teacher and historian who for many years lived and worked in Bailieborough. His love of the Irish language, and his written research into the placenames of the county, are consulted by scholars at Johnston Central Library, Cavan, to this day. In 1990, the Fermanagh Herald praised O’Ceallaigh, whom they called ‘a distinguished teacher and historian’, celebrated and respected ‘throughout the Northern Province’ for his ‘scholarship and selflessness'. In another newspaper, they praised the patriotism he showed towards his country from its foundation. Before continuing, I would like to say thank you to Róisín for sharing her recollections.
Róisín recalls her father lived in ‘Henry Street, Bailieborough,’ and was ‘headmaster at the Vocational school there.’ He first came to the town in the 1920s and in 1936 he became a teacher at the old Vocational and later the school’s principal. This school ceased in 1964, when they joined with the Sisters of Mercy Secondary School. Róisín’s father ‘retired at that time even though he was well over the age limit'.
Liam O’Ceallaigh was married to Rose O’Ceallaigh (née Smith), and their children were, Colm, who became a dentist; daughters, Sr Maureen, S.S.L., California; Mrs Eilish McDonnell, and Mrs Roisin Taafe. As a pupil, Róisín attended her father’s school where ‘he was a teacher of general subjects including Irish'. Continuing, she says, ‘I was the first person to do a Group Cert there, spending two years, with my father, as I had two sisters boarding in St Louis School in Carrickmacross’ and ‘I was too young and had to wait my turn'.
With great fondness, she remembers her father as ‘a brilliant teacher’ who ‘made it so interesting,’ adding, that to this day, ‘I still remember stories and examples he told us to make a point.’
Tyrone native
Born on September 29, 1902, Liam (William) O’Ceallaigh was the eldest of 15 siblings to Daniel and Lizzie Mallon Kelly. The Kelly family were native to Drummond, Moy, Co Tyrone. According to Róisín, Irish was Liam’s real love and taking up the story of how he became so interested, she says that when he was about eight years old, when he first saw a book written in the old Irish print he exclaimed, I’m going to learn that!’ He mastered the language during his schooldays in Dungannon and began a lifelong passion, spending his youthful summers in the Gaeltacht, mainly in Donegal. Those summers saw him involved in anything with ‘Irish Language, history, music and dancing'. He had a huge interest in many subjects and Róisín reminisces about the many books he collected ‘as he could afford', and adds with a smile, ‘our house was full of books – mostly Irish.’ Liam’s brother, Art Kelly, became a chemist in Omagh, Co Tyrone.
In the 1920s, Liam began as a travelling Irish teacher, cycling from parish halls to private homes teaching ‘all things Irish'. Róisín says that her father first arrived in Bailieborough in 1922. He was known to everyone in them days as Master Kelly (O’Ceallaigh) and ‘if the people were tracing their ancestors, they were sent to him and he took them to old graveyards and Parish registers,’ recalls Róisín. His place in the community was highly respected and he worked to help others in a dedicated and selfless manner. Róisín talks of his kindness: ‘He often wrote letters for people and applied for grants,’ and ‘he gave Irish lessons to Protestant students who might want a job in the Civil Service, and he never took payment’ because he said, ‘it was a privilege’ to help people. Róisín’s recollections confirm that her father ‘was a much-loved man’.
Fianna Fáil
O’Ceallaigh became active in Bailieborough’s social and political life. He was a supporter of Fianna Fáil from 1927, thereafter, chairman of the local cumann, holding a similar role in the Comhairle Ceanntair, and served on the County Executive. At his funeral, in January 1990, a guard of honour was provided by local Cumann Fianna Fáil members. His interest in the social matters, was witnessed in his work as a member of the St Vincent De Paul Society in Bailieborough. Liam was one of its most active workers until his death on December 30, 1989.
A ’mean village’
Mr O’Ceallaigh wrote up his research for numerous publications including The Heart of Breifne, edited by Anna Sexton. In 1969, he prepared an article, ‘Bailieborough – Historical Background’ for a booklet, printed during the Bailieboro Festival and Trade Fair. In 1980, he wrote about The Story of Bailieborough, for the Cavan Association of Dublin’s yearbook, in 1980. The article began, ‘Bailieborough is a very mean village in the same barony, which is Clankee,’ however, the words were not Liam’s, but those of the opinionated Sir Charles Coote, who furthered stated, ‘I know of no town more neglected, or which has better capabilities than Bailieborough.’
In the paragraphs thereafter, O’Ceallaigh gave a history while expressing all that was good about the town, including the arrival of Messrs George Earl & Co from Leicester who formed a shoemaking enterprise in a portion of the old workhouse. Liam could take credit as one of those directly involved in inviting Earl & Co to set up in Bailieborough.
O’Ceallaigh’s Placenames
Liam O’Ceallaigh also wrote articles for Dúiche Néill, journal of the O’Neill Historical Society in Co Tyrone, and Breifne, the journal of Cumann Seanchais Bhreifne. One of his abiding passions was placenames, especially townlands and their Irish meanings. A copy of his unpublished book of placename translations of Co Cavan, known to researchers as O’Ceallaigh’s Placenames, is kept in the Johnston Central Library’s local studies; while his daughters Róisín and Eilish each have their own treasured copies. Says Róisín, ‘I can’t say when he started out on this programme’ to translate ‘the names of all the parishes in the Dioceses of Kilmore – their used names, Irish names and the direct translation of the names.’ To accomplish this task, Mr O’Ceallaigh went by bus to Dublin, and as Róisín says, often spending many ‘hours in the National Library’ trawling through historical records for golden nuggets of information. And what does Róisín make of her father’s years of research? Bearing in mind the recognition scholars have for her father’s work, she replies with a twinkle: ‘Research maybe? For him it was a labour of love.’
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