Micheál Ó Conghaile (born 1962) is an Irish-language writer who lives in Indreabhán, County Galway, Ireland. He was born on the island of Inishtravin in Conamara and was raised in an Irish-speaking community.Pádraig Ó Siadhail, "An Fear Aniar: An Interview with Micheál Ó Conghaile", The Canadian Journal of Irish Studies, Vol. 31, No. 2, Fall 2005, pp. 54–59.
Cló Iar-Chonnacht
In 1985 Ó Conghaile founded the Irish-language publishing company Cló Iar-Chonnacht. It publishes books, music and spoken word albums. It is one of the few such companies that employ full-time editors, and he founded it because many Connemara poets and writers were still unpublished. He believes in the importance of publishing both popular works and those with a very high literary standard.Breandán Delap, interview with Micheál Ó Conghaile, Beo, Eagrán 112, Lúnasa, 2010: "Tá a fhios agam go raibh easpa mór leabhair Ghaeilge ann blianta ó shin, ach tá réimse leathan go maith ann anois agus sílim go bhfuil dualgas orainn caighdeán níos airde a bheith againn ná mar a bhíodh ann, b’fhéidir deich nó fiche bliain ó shin."
His own work includes short stories, a novel, drama, poetry and history. He has translated Martin McDonagh's plays The Beauty Queen of Leenane and The Lonesome West. Ó Conghaile's awards include The Butler Literary Award of the Irish American Cultural Institute (1997) and the 1997 Hennessy Literary Award for his short story "Athair"."Ó Conghaile, Micheál", Irish Writers Online (a concise dictionary of Irish writers).
He was a writer in residence at Queen's University, Belfast, and at the University of Ulster at Coleraine between 1999 and 2002. His works have been translated into Romanian, Croatian, Albanian, German and English.
Bibliography
Mac an tSagairt, Gallimh, Cló Iar-Chonnacht, 1986 Comhrá Caillí, 1987 Up Seanamhach!, 1990 Conamara agus Árainn 1880–1980, 1993 Gnéithe d’Amhráin Chonamara ár Linne, 1993 An Fear a Phléasc, 1997 Sna Fir, 1999 Seachrán Jeaic Sheáin Johnny, 2002 An Fear nach nDéanann Gáire, 2003 Cúigear Chonamara/The Connemara Five, Úna Ní Chonchúir, 2007 Jude/Gaeilgeoir Deireanach Charna/Incubus, with Breandán Ó hEaghra and Caitríona Ní Chonaola, 2007 Cúigear Chonamara/The Connemara Five, Úna Ní Chonchúir, 2007 Go dTaga do Ríocht, 2009 Na Trí Mhialtóg, 2012 Diabhlaíocht Dé, 2015 Sa Teach Seo Anocht, 2019 Nollaig Oileánach, 2022 An Bhlaosc sa mBois, 2024
Literary criticism
Teanga don Tost , (Arlen House) Seán Mac Risteaird, 2024
An Fear a Dhéanann Gaisce, (Arlen House) edited by Ciarán Mac Murchaidh and Seán Mac Risteaird, 2025
An Chruinne Fhireann, (Arlen House) Sorcha de Brún, 2025
References