Cecile O'Rahilly

Dr. Cecile O'Rahilly ( _ga. Sisile Ní Rathaille, born 17 December 1894, Listowel, County Kerry, Ireland; died 2 May 1980) was a scholar of the Celtic languages and the sister of the Celtic scholar T. F. O'Rahilly. She is best known for her editions/translations of the various recensions of the Ulster Cycle epic saga "Táin Bó Cúailnge".

She received a BA with double first class honours in Celtic Studies and French from University College Dublin in 1915, and, having won a Travelling Scholarship in Celtic Studies, an MA from the University College of North Wales in 1919. She taught French at a number of schools in Wales between 1919 to 1946, publishing an edition of the Irish tale "Tóruigheacht Gruaidhe Griansholus" ("The Pursuit of Gruaidh Ghriansholus") in 1922, and "Ireland and Wales, their historical and literary relations" in 1924. She returned to Dublin to take up an assistant professorship in Celtic Studies at the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies under her brother T. F. in 1946, later becoming full professor some time after 1956. During this time she published an edition of "Eachtra Uilliam", an Irish version of the werewolf legend of Guillaume de Palerme, in 1949, "Five Seventeenth Century Political Poems" in 1952, "Trompa na bhFlaitheas", an 18th century Irish translation by Tadhg Ó Conaill of "La trompette du ciel" by Antoine Yvan, in 1955; "The Stowe Version of Táin Bó Cúailnge" in 1961; and "Cath Finntrágha" in 1962. She retired from DIAS in 1964, but continued to publish: "Táin Bó Cuailnge from the Book of Leinster" in 1967, and "Táin Bó Cúailnge Recension 1" in 1976.

She was fluent in Irish, Welsh and French. She never married, but lived with her companion Myfanwy Williams.

Bibliography

*"Tóruigheacht Gruaidhe Griansholus" (Irish Texts Society Vol 24, 1922)
*"Ireland and Wales, their historical and literary relations" (Longman's, 1924)
*"Eachtra Uilliam: an Irish version of William of Palerne" (edition & translation, 1949)
*"Five Seventeenth Century Political Poems" (DIAS, 1952)
*"Trompa na bhFlaitheas" (DIAS, 1955)
*"The Stowe Version of Táin Bó Cúailnge" (DIAS, 1961)
*"Cath Finntrágha, edited from ms Rawlinson B 487" (DIAS, [http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/G303002/index.html edition] ), 1962)
*"Táin Bó Cuailnge from the Book of Leinster" (DIAS, [http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/G301035/index.html edition] & [http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/T301035/index.html translation] , 1967)
*"Táin Bó Cúailnge Recension 1" (DIAS, [http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/G301012/index.html edition] & [http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/T301012/index.html translation] , 1976)

References

* [http://humphrysfamilytree.com/ORahilly/thomas.francis.html O'Rahilly Family Tree]
* [http://www.celt.dias.ie/publications/cat/cat_f.html Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies: Books and Publications in Celtic Studies - F: Irish Literature]