Se¨¢n de Fr¨¦ine receives honorary doctorate from DCU/ Docht¨²ireacht Oinigh bronnta ag DCU ar She¨¢n de Fr¨¦ine

Today (Wednesday December 1st) Dublin City University conferred the award of Doctor of Philosophy (Honoris Causa) on Se¨¢n de Fr¨¦ine.

He joins noted figures from politics, sport, literature and industry in receiving this award from DCU. They include Jim Gavin, Paula Meehan, Miche¨¢l ? Muircheartaigh, Sonia O'Sullivan, Bill Clinton, Seamus Mallon, David Trimble, and most recently Annette Kennedy and Vivien Lusted.

Se¨¢n de Fr¨¦ine is a scholar and a public servant whose work has been of fundamental importance in the cultural sphere in Ireland for six decades. He has been a foundational influence on the sociolinguistics of Irish society and on questions of language policy. Since the 1960s onwards, his published work has been central to academic and public discussion of issues of language, society and identity in Ireland.

In a citation prepared and delivered at the event by Professor Ciar¨¢n MacMurchaidh, Fiontar & Scoil na Gaeilge at DCU, he said: 

¡°We are here this morning to honour and celebrate not only Se¨¢n de Fr¨¦ine, the man, but his incredible contribution to Irish society. Service is at the heart of this contribution ¨C as an advocate for the Irish language, a thinker and writer, a public servant and one who has consistently put the common good to the fore in all his many achievements.¡±

¡°Se¨¢n has had a remarkable career as an independent scholar and has written several original and ground-breaking works on the sociology and history of the Irish language, as well as his other important publications. The values that Se¨¢n holds dear and has demonstrated throughout his long years of service to the public good and the world of scholarship chime closely with the values DCU holds up to be emulated by all who aspire to serve their community and improve the lives of their fellow citizens. Mairimid uile ar sc¨¢th a ch¨¦ile agus mana ¨¦ sin a bh¨ª ag cro¨ª-l¨¢r shaol She¨¢in agus is ¨¦acht nach beag a bhfuil bainte amach aige lena linn.¡±

 

Se¨¢n de Fr¨¦ine said:

¡°It is a great honour and a pleasure to receive this award. To get it, as in my case, for pursuing something which I have always enjoyed doing, makes it doubly pleasurable. It gives me great pleasure to receive this award from DCU in particular. This is a young university, and already its Irish Department, under its manifestations of Gaois, Fiontar & Scoil na Gaeilge, has done an incredible amount of valuable and pioneering work for Irish language scholarship and research, including digitising and making available many millions of words of modern Irish texts. What is significant about it is the aim to use the resources of the present to utilise the Irish language of today for the benefit of the future.¡±

Prof. Daire Keogh, President of Dublin City University, said:

¡°Se¨¢n de Fr¨¦ine in his profession and passions has embodied the DCU mission to ¡®transform lives and societies¡¯. Through his extraordinary scholarship and exemplary public service, Se¨¢n has made a unique contribution to the preservation and promotion of the Irish language, and to the development of Ireland¡¯s cultural life.¡±

Brid Horan, Chancellor of Dublin City University, said:

¡°I¡¯m delighted that DCU is honouring Sean de Freine for his outstanding achievements.  His contribution serves as an inspiration for us all and in particular for young people and DCU students, who aspire to excellence.¡±

The small celebratory event took place in the Helix on DCU¡¯s Glasnevin Campus at which a small group of Se¨¢n¡¯s family and friends were in attendance. Traditional Irish music group, Na Casadaigh, composed and recorded a piece of music ¡®?m¨®s to She¨¢n¡¯ to celebrate Se¨¢n and to mark the occasion.

About Se¨¢n de Fr¨¦ine

Se¨¢n de Fr¨¦ine¡¯s earliest published work, written in the Irish language, Saoirse gan S¨® (1960), was the first book to explore the social and cultural effects of the language shift in nineteenth-century Ireland and has been the fundamental reference point in subsequent discussion, both academic and public. It is more familiar in its expanded English version as The Great Silence, first published in 1965 and in a revised edition in 1978. It is one of the most cited works in Irish studies, influencing scholars of Irish, Anglo-Irish literature, sociology and translation studies.

de Fr¨¦ine put his sociolinguistic expertise at the service of public policy and was involved in the development of language planning in the Irish state over several decades, particularly in his capacity as a chief executive of Bord na Gaeilge from 1975 to 1978. His role in cultural policy also extended to the fostering of writing and publishing in the Irish language, and his work as a member of Bord na Leabhar Gaeilge from 1994 to 2006 is regarded by those who work in Irish-language publishing as a major contributor to its current vitality and diversity.  His interest in literature led to another major reference work, Cro¨ª Cine, a themed anthology of writing in Irish. First published in 1990, it was republished in an expanded form in 2019.

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Bhronn Ollscoil Chathair Bhaile ?tha Cliath Docht¨²ireacht san Fheals¨²nacht (Honoris Causa) ar She¨¢n de Fr¨¦ine inniu (D¨¦ C¨¦adaoin, 1 Nollaig).

Ina bhall de bhu¨ªon daoine aitheanta ¨®n bpolait¨ªocht, sp¨®rt, litr¨ªocht agus tionscla¨ªocht at¨¢ s¨¦ anois agus an gradam sin bronnta ag Ollscoil Chathair Bhaile ?tha Cliath air. Ina measc si¨²d t¨¢ Jim Gavin, Paula Meehan, Miche¨¢l ? Muircheartaigh, Sonia O'Sullivan, Bill Clinton, Seamus Mallon, David Trimble agus, le d¨¦ana¨ª, Annette Kennedy agus Vivien Lusted.

Is scol¨¢ire agus seirbh¨ªseach poibl¨ª ¨¦ Se¨¢n de Fr¨¦ine a mbaineann t¨¢bhacht bhun¨²sach lena chuid oibre i r¨¦imse an chult¨²ir in ?irinn le tr¨ª sc¨®r bliain anuas. Duine ¨¦ at¨¢ tar ¨¦is buntionchar a bheith aige ar an tsochtheangeola¨ªocht in ?irinn agus ar nithe a bhaineann leis an mbeartas teanga. T¨¢ ¨¢it l¨¢rnach ag a shaothar foilsithe sa phl¨¦ acad¨²il agus phoibl¨ª ar ceist na teanga, na socha¨ª agus na f¨¦ini¨²lachta in ?irinn ¨® na 1960¨ª ar aghaidh.

San ardlua a thug an tOllamh Ciar¨¢n Mac Murchaidh, Fiontar & Scoil na Gaeilge, Ollscoil Bhaile ?tha Cliath, ag an ¨®c¨¢id, d¨²irt s¨¦:

¡°T¨¢imid anseo ar maidin chun on¨®ir a thabhairt do She¨¢n de Fr¨¦ine agus - n¨ª hamh¨¢in sin - ach leis an m¨¦id at¨¢ d¨¦anta aige ar son socha¨ª na h?ireann a cheili¨²radh. An tseirbh¨ªs at¨¢ l¨¢rnach sa mh¨¦id sin uilig ¨C mar fhear taca don Ghaeilge, mar smaointeoir agus scr¨ªbhneoir, mar sheirbh¨ªseach poibl¨ª agus mar dhuine a chuir an leas coiteann chun cinn go lean¨²nach ina chuid ¨¦achta¨ª iomad¨²la.¡±

¡°Bh¨ª saol ar leith ag Se¨¢n mar scol¨¢ire neamhsple¨¢ch n¨® baineann ¨²ire agus  ceannr¨®da¨ªocht lena bhfuil scr¨ªofa aige ar shochtheangeola¨ªocht agus ar stair na Gaeilge, gan tr¨¢cht ar na m¨®rfhoilseach¨¢in eile uaidh. Na luachanna is ansa le Se¨¢n agus at¨¢ l¨¦irithe aige i rith bhlianta fada a sheirbh¨ªse ar leas an phobail agus na scol¨¢ireachta, is iad a thagann go snasta le luachanna Ollscoil Chathair Bhaile ?tha Cliath; luachanna iad a shamhla¨ªtear go dl¨²th leis an tseirbh¨ªs at¨¢ le sol¨¢thar ag daoine ar mian leo cur le leas a bpobail f¨¦in i gcoitinne. Mairimid uile ar sc¨¢th a ch¨¦ile agus mana ¨¦ sin a bh¨ª ag cro¨ª-l¨¢r shaol She¨¢in agus is ¨¦acht nach beag a bhfuil bainte amach aige lena linn.¡±

Is ¨¦ a d¨²irt Se¨¢n de Fr¨¦ine:

¡°Is m¨®r an on¨®ir agus an pl¨¦isi¨²r dom an gradam seo a fh¨¢il. Is m¨® an pl¨¦isi¨²r f¨®s ¨¦ a leith¨¦id a fh¨¢il ar son rud a dh¨¦anamh a thaitin liom riamh anall. S¨¢samh ar leith dom ¨¦ an gradam seo a fh¨¢il ¨® Ollscoil Chathair Bhaile ?tha Cliath, go h¨¢irithe. Ollscoil ¨®g ¨ª seo agus is iontach an saothar ceannr¨®da¨ªoch at¨¢ d¨¦anta cheana f¨¦in ar son na Gaeilge ag Fiontar agus Scoil na Gaeilge, faoi sc¨¢th Gaois, idir thaighde agus scol¨¢ireacht, chun acmhainn¨ª teanga agus oidhreachta a dhigiti¨² le go mbeidh f¨¢il go hoscailte ag an bpobal orthu. An rud is suntasa¨ª faoi sin uile is ea gur aidhm d¨® acmhainn¨ª na linne seo a ¨²s¨¢id chun leas na Gaeilge a dh¨¦anamh do na gl¨²nta at¨¢ le teacht.¡±

D¨²irt Uachtar¨¢n Ollscoil Chathair Bhaile ?tha Cliath, An tOllamh Daire Keogh:

¡°I rith a shaoil go l¨¦ir go dt¨ª seo, t¨¢ Se¨¢n de Fr¨¦ine tar ¨¦is misean DCU chun ¡®an saol agus an tsocha¨ª a chlaochl¨²¡¯ a l¨¦iri¨² ina steillbheatha. Tr¨ª mhe¨¢n a chuid scol¨¢ireachta agus tr¨ªna sheirbh¨ªs phoibl¨ª eiseaml¨¢ireach, t¨¢ cloch nach beag curtha aige le carn chaomhn¨² agus cur chun cinn na Gaeilge agus le forbairt shaol cult¨²rtha na h?ireann.¡±

D¨²irt Seansail¨¦ir Ollscoil Chathair Bhaile ?tha Cliath, Br¨ªd Horan:

¡°T¨¢ r¨ªm¨¦ad orm go bhfuil an on¨®ir seo ¨¢ bronnadh ag Ollscoil Chathair Bhaile ?tha Cliath ar She¨¢n de Fr¨¦ine as a chuid ¨¦achta¨ª ¨¦ags¨²la. Is inspior¨¢id d¨²inn ar fad ¨¦ an m¨¦id at¨¢ bainte amach aige, agus don mhuintir ¨®ga agus do mhic l¨¦inn Ollscoil Chathair Bhaile ?tha Cliath, go h¨¢irithe, a fh¨¦achann leis an bhfeabhas a aithris i ngach aon rud a dhe¨¢nann siad.¡±

Sa Helix ar Champas Ghlas Na¨ªon, Ollscoil Chathair Bhaile ?tha Cliath a cuireadh an ¨®c¨¢id cheili¨²rtha ar si¨²l agus bh¨ª cuid de theaghlach She¨¢in agus roinnt cairde leis i l¨¢thair. Rinne an gr¨²pa ceoil traidisi¨²nta, Na Casaidigh, p¨ªosa ceoil ¡®?m¨®s do She¨¢n¡¯ a chumadh agus a thaifeadadh mar chomhartha aitheantais ar She¨¢n agus chun an ¨®c¨¢id f¨¦in a cheili¨²radh.

Eolas faoi She¨¢n de Fr¨¦ine

Is ¨¦ Saoirse gan S¨® (1960) an saothar foilsithe is luaithe a scr¨ªobh Se¨¢n de Fr¨¦ine i nGaeilge, leabhar inar fh¨¦ach s¨¦ le tionchar s¨®isialta agus cult¨²rtha an athraithe teanga in ?irinn sa nao¨² haois d¨¦ag a fhiosr¨², agus ar bunfhoinse tagartha ¨¦ sa phl¨¦ acad¨²il agus poibl¨ª ar an ¨¢bhar sin ¨® shin. T¨¢ eolas n¨ªos fairsinge ar an leagan B¨¦arla de, The Great Silence, a foils¨ªodh ar dt¨²s in 1965 agus ina eagr¨¢n m¨¦adaithe in 1978. T¨¢ s¨¦ ar na saothair is m¨® a luaitear i r¨¦imse l¨¦ann na h?ireann agus tionchar aige f¨®s ar scol¨¢ir¨ª a bh¨ªonn ag pl¨¦ le litr¨ªocht na Gaeilge, an litr¨ªocht Angla-?ireannach, an tsocheola¨ªocht agus l¨¦ann an aistri¨²ch¨¢in.

Tharraing de Fr¨¦ine ar a shaineolas sochtheangeola¨ªochta le comhairle a chur ar lucht an bheartais phoibl¨ª agus bh¨ª r¨®l forbartha aige sa phlean¨¢il teanga in ?irinn i rith tr¨¦imhse ar leith, go h¨¢irithe ina ch¨¢il mar phr¨ªomhfheidhmeannach ar Bhord na Gaeilge idir 1975 agus 1978. Tr¨ªna r¨®l gn¨ªomhach i dtaca leis an mbeartas cult¨²rtha, d¡¯fh¨¦ach s¨¦ le scr¨ªbhneoireacht agus foilsitheoireacht na Gaeilge a choth¨² chomh maith, agus measann lucht foilsitheoireachta na Gaeilge gur chuir a chuid oibre mar chomhalta de Bhord na Leabhar Gaeilge ¨® 1994 go 2006 go m¨®r le beocht agus le h¨¦ags¨²lacht reatha na hearn¨¢la sin. Mar thoradh ar a sp¨¦is sa litr¨ªocht, thiomsaigh s¨¦ m¨®rshaothar tagartha eile, Cro¨ª Cine, d¨ªolaim th¨¦am¨²il de scr¨ªbhneoireacht na Gaeilge. Foils¨ªodh den ch¨¦ad uair in 1990 ¨¦ agus rinneadh leagan m¨¦adaithe de a fhoilsi¨² in 2019.