Niall Ó Glacáin

Niall Ó Glacáin, or Nellanus Glacanus (c. 1563–1653) was an Irish physician active in Italy.

Ó Glacáin's date of birth is uncertain. MacCuinneagáin believes him to be about ninety upon his death in 1653, giving a birth date of around 1563. Giorgio Scharpes of the Faculty of Medicine, Bologna from 1634 to 1637, believed him to be about 48 during one of those years, giving a birth year of c. 1575.

He was born in Tír Chonaill, and may have received his early medical education from a local hereditary family of physicians such as the Mac Duinnshléibhe family of Tír Chonaill. At the time, such families were the only source of medical training in Ireland.

Ó Glacáin made his way to Spain sometime before 1600, possibly in time to treat victims of an outbreak of the bubonic plague which was rampant from 1595 to 1602. He was at the Spanish court when Aodh Ruadh Ó Domhnaill arrived in Spain, and may have attended him upon his death in 1602. Ó Glacáin subsequently spent many years practising medicine in Salamanca. In 1622 he moved to Valencia, residing there for two years. In 1627 he moved to France during an outbreak of the plague, working as a Plague doctor in towns such as Fons, Figeac, Capdenac, Cajarc, Rovergue and Floyeac.

He had settled in Toulouse in time to treat victims of the outbreak of 1628. MacCuinneagáin states that Ó Glacáin "gained high esteem and general consideration because of the devotion which he showed in braving the contagion to succor the sick. He was appointed physician at the xenodochium pestiferorum, the plague hospital at Toulouse in 1628 and was appointed to the University there with the title Premier Professor of Medicine. He spent some time in Paris as physician to King Louis XIII and was also a Privy Councillor there."

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