Born in County Armagh in 1914, Ó Duibhginn became involved in republican activity from an early age; was imprisoned in Crumlin Road Gaol in Belfast for membership of the IRA when he was nineteen; and was interned in the Curragh Camp during World War II. He was also a member of the radical Irish language political movement, Ailtirí na hAiséirighe. A writer by inclination, it took some time for his career to flourish. He worked as a labourer in Liverpool in the late 1930s and, on his return to Ireland, as a handyman. During his internment in the Curragh he learnt Irish from the renowned author Máirtín Ó Cadhain; and later undertook a certificate in Irish language and literature in Trinity College Dublin where Ó Cadhain was one of his lecturers. In 1954, he was instrumental in the foundation of An Clóchomhar Tta, an Irish language publishing house, and as chairperson of Coiste na Leabhar (The Books’ Committee), he oversaw the publication of works from authors such as Máirtín Ó Díreáin, Seán Ó Tuama and Dónall MacAmhlaigh. His own publishing career began properly in 1960 when he edited the Irish ballad ‘Dónall Óg’. This was followed by two other scholarly works (An Muircheartaigh, 1970 and Séamus MacGiollaChoille, 1972) and two autobiographies (Ag Scaoileadh Sceoil, 1962 and Tuairisc, 1982). Ó Duibhginn was an Irish language advocate and a member of Conradh na Gaeilge, Comhdháil Náisiúnta na Gaeilge, and Bórd na Leabhar Gaeilge. He was employed as part-time editor of Feasta, the official journal of Conradh na Gaeilge until 1963 when he took a full-time post as Irish language editor for the Irish Press group and contributed weekly columns, ‘An Mhuintir Seo Againne’ and ‘I Mo Thuairimse’. He retired in 1979 and died in 1994.

Archival History

The collection was deposited in UCDA in 1999 by Seosamh Ó Duibhginn’s daughter, Mrs Niamh Barrett.