Pádraic Ó Conaire

Pádraic Ó Conaire grew up in Galway and in Rosmuc. He emigrated to London in 1899 where he worked for the Board of Education. In 1914 he returned to Ireland, leaving his family in London. Ó Conaire earned a meagre living through writing, teaching at Gaeltacht summer schools, and as an occasional organiser for the Gaelic League. He was among the first writers in Irish to develop a new modern literature in the Irish language following the renewal of interest in the language generated by the founding of the Gaelic League at the end of the 19th century. His novel Deoraíocht (Exile) ranks as one of the most colourful and audacious Irish novels ever written and is available in a fine English translation from Irish-language publisher Cló Iar-Chonnachta.