Life
1872-1957 [J. J. O’Kelly; also Ua Ceallaigh; pseud. ‘Sceilg’];
raised in Valentia Island, Co. Kerry, without learning much Irish; as
a young man perfected his Irish and was encouraged to write by Tadhg Ua
Donnchadha 'Torna'; became Gaelic League President, 1919-23; MP, Meath-Louth in
1918; ed. Catholic Bulletin for some years to 1925; Minister for
Irish and Ceann Chomhairle in the First Dáil; Sinn Féin
President, 1926-30; later became Minister for Education while a Senator;
employed by M. H. Gill up to 1951; ed. and wrote more than 30 books in
Irish and English, incl. Gill’s Irish Reciter (1907); expresses
strongly Catholic and nationalist convictions in Ireland’s Spiritual
Empire: St. Patrick as a World Figure (1952), et al.; works inc. Amugha
i mBaiblean [Babylonians], comics essay on journey to London, printed
in An Claimheadh Soluis; also Saothor ár Sean i gCéin
[work of our ancestors abroad] (Dublin 1904); Beatha Lorcáin
Naomhtha Uí Thuathail (1905); Feithe Fodhla (1905,
and edns.); Brian Bóroimhe (Gaelic League 1906); Scéaluidhe
Eireann (1908, and edns.); Leabhar na Laoitheadh (1912) and
Eachtra an Amadáin Mhóir (1912), both sev. edns.;
Beatha Breandáin (1915); involved in politics from 1916;
MP 1918; TD for Louth-Meath and chairman of Dáil, 1919-21; Speaker
1925-30, and President of Sinn Féin, 1926-30; also Minister for
Education while in the Senate; Liudaigh Óg na Leagadh Móire
(1936). DIW OCIL
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Criticism
Brian Murphy, J. J. O’Kelly (‘Sceilg’) and the Catholic
Bulletin: Cultural Considerations, Gaelic, Religious and National,
c.1898-1926 (Diss.; NUI Dublin, 1987).
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Notes
British Library holds Sean Ó Ceallaigh [Society for the
preservation of the Irish Language], Ireland’s Spiritual Empire.
Saint Patrick as a world figure, etc [...] pp.318. M. H. Gill & Son:
Dublin 1952. 8o.
Not
to be confused John T Kelly, member of Southwark Irish Literary Club,
c.1883, as recorded in W. P. Ryan, The Irish Literary Revival (1894),
p.15-17, with the motto Sgar an solus, ‘Spread the Light’.
See Kelly, RX.
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Princess Grace Irish Library (Monaco)