Darach Ó Scolaí
Irish writer (born 1963)
Darach Ó Scolaí (Irish: [/ˈda.rax/ /oː/ /sˠkˠoː/l̪ˠəi/]; born 1963) is an Irish author, screenwriter, and producer of screen and stage. He works in a number of genres, from novels, plays and screenplays to illustrated books for children and adults.2
From Wikipedia’s article on Darach Ó Scolaí (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.
Born 1963.1
About
Nós magazine has described Ó Scolaí as "one of the great Irish language novelists" and Books Ireland described him as "one of the most important Irish language writers of his generation".
Much of his fiction is based on a knowledge of traditional Irish tales and narrative practices as well as Irish history. He specialises in literary and historical fiction. His retellings of old stories and tales from their original Middle and Early Modern Irish into Modern Irish (Gaeilge) are respected for their accessibility to students and language learners as well as for their artistry. He also regularly reviews books, and lectures and writes on literature and culture. He is also a publisher, and has co-produced a number of films, television shows, and stage plays.
In 1995 Darach Ó Scolaí and his brother co-founded the publishing house Leabhar Breac at Inverin, County Galway, and in 1998 Darach was co-founder of the film and television production company Rosg. He began his literary career in 1998 writing screenplays, stage plays, retellings and translations; he began to publish novels in 2008. Ó Scolaí founded the stage production company Salamandar in 2006.
From Wikipedia’s article on Darach Ó Scolaí, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.2
Companies
- Leabhar BreacFounder13
Early life and education
Darach Ó Scolaí was born in Dublin in 1963. He grew up in the Galway Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking) regions of Cois Fharraige on the north shore of Galway Bay, in the Republic of Ireland. Irish was the language of his parents' home.
He graduated the University of Galway (then University College Galway) with a B.A. in 1983.
From Wikipedia’s article on Darach Ó Scolaí (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.
Career
Occupation: novelist.4
- Date not recordedFounded Leabhar Breac3
Known for: Bódléar, Cúirt San Nioclás.5
Writing and publishing
Ó Scolaí writes in Irish. None of his works has been translated into English.
In 1995 Darach Ó Scolaí and his brother Caomhán Ó Scolaí — a typographer and designer — founded the publishing house Leabhar Breac at Indreabhán (Inverin), County Galway. Their father "Séamas Ó Scolaí was an editor at An Gúm and worked on the Irish-English dictionary team [bhí a n-athair Séamas Ó Scolaí ina eagarthóir sa Ghúm agus d'oibrigh sé ar fhoireann an fhoclóra Gaeilge-Béarla]." Darach Ó Scolaí has been publisher and literary editor at Leabhar Breac since its founding.
Named for An Leabhar Breac (The Speckled Book), Leabhar Breac publishing house has more than 140 books in print. Leabhar Breac aims to publish Irish-language books that meet "a high literary and artistic standard." Besides the content, Leabhar Breac is known for the typically "superb [thar cionn]" quality of the design and production of the "physical book [leabhar fisiciúil]". Its books regularly win awards for literary and artistic quality. Leabhar Breac also publishes translations for children and adults from various early versions of Irish as well as from French and English (and has published translations of books for young readers from Spanish, Catalan, and Italian as well).
Leabhar Breac prints its books in Ireland.
Read more
Stage and screen
In 1998 along with Ciarán Ó Cofaigh, Ó Scolaí co-founded the film and television production company Rosg, and was co-director until 2006. Rosg produced Ó ScolaÍ's films Cosa Nite (1999), An Leabhar (2001) and Na Cloigne (2010). He left Rosg in 2006 to devote his time to other artistic activities.
In 2004, along with Val Balance, Ó Scolaí co-founded the annual artists' symposium Ealaín ar Oileán ("Art on an Island"). The Irish-language symposium was held annually in the Áras Éanna arts and cultural center on Inis Oírr (Inisheer, the smallest of the Aran Islands) from 2004 to 2013. Ó Scolaí was its co-director from its founding until 2013.
Besides being its co-director, Ó Scolaí has taken part in this conference as an artist and writer.
In 2006 Ó Scolaí founded the stage production company Salamandar and directed his own play An Braon Aníos. His plays An tSeanbhróg (2009) and Craos (2008) were also produced by Salamandar.
From Wikipedia’s article on Darach Ó Scolaí (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.
Personal life
As of 2024 Ó Scolaí was living with his wife and children in Lochán Beag (Indreabhán). He lives in an area defined for the predominant presence of Irish as the vernacular language, the language spoken at home. Irish was the language of his parents' home and is the language of his children as well.
He is fluent in Irish and English, and conversant in French.
From Wikipedia’s article on Darach Ó Scolaí (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.
Awards
Links
Sources
The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.
- 1WikidataDarach Ó Scolaí on Wikidata
- 2WikipediaDarach Ó Scolaí on Wikipedia
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- 7Wikidataplace of birth, as reported
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- 13WikidataLeabhar Breac, Founder
- 14Wikimedia CommonsDarach Ó Scolaí photo by User:Ériugena, CC BY-SA 4.0