Edward Gwynn
| Edward John Gwynn | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | 1st April 1868 Ramelton, County Donegal |
| Died | 10th February 1941 Dublin |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Academic work | |
| Institutions | Trinity College Dublin |
Edward John Gwynn (Donegal 1 April 1868 – 10 February 1941 Dublin) was an Irish scholar of Early Irish and Celtic literature, Provost of Trinity College, Dublin from 1927 to 1937 and president of the Royal Irish Academy from 1934 to 1937.
Edward John Gwynn (1868-1941), the second son of the Very Reverend Dr John Gwynn D.D. and Lucy Josephine O'Brien, was born at Aughnagaddy, Ramelton, County Donegal while his father was Rector of Tullyanghlish. As a teenager he attended St Columba's College, Rathfarnham, where his father had earlier been headmaster.
In 1885, after completing his secondary education, Edward went up to Trinity College, Dublin. His father was then Lecturer in Divinity at the college. Edward graduated with distinction, winning the large gold medal for classics as well as a gold medal for ethics and logic. In 1893 he was elected a Fellow of Trinity.
From Latin and Greek Edward then turned his attention to Early Irish. His father had worked for years on the Book of Armagh, an Irish text written in Latin; Edward made ancient texts in Irish his special field. At that time Irish studies did not form part of the range of subjects which were taught at Trinity College. However Edward was able to commence his researches under the aegis of the Royal Irish Academy, of which he was elected a member in 1896. Two years later he became its Professor of Celtic Languages. As an efficient administrator as well as a serious scholar he was to remain a key figure in the affairs of the Academy for the rest of his working life. He served as President of the Academy for the period 1934 to 1937.
In the following years Edward published numerous articles, translations and commentaries in connection with his research on ancient Irish. His best known work was his edition of the Dindshenchas, a collection of legends in prose and verse explaining the origins of Irish place names. He also translated and annotated texts concerning monastic life in Tallaght, and masterminded the production of a detailed catalogue of the Irish manuscripts in the Academy’s collection.
...
Wikipedia