Liam Lillis Ó Laoire

Gaeilge thíos. I am a retired personal professor of Irish in the School of Languages, Literatures and Cultures, and was Head of School of Languages, Literatures and Cultures from 2010-2014. Im a Donegal native and a graduate of NUI Galway and of University College Cork. I taught for 16 years at Thomond College and the University of Limerick. I was also a visiting Professor in Modern Languages and English at Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles from 2002-2005. I began my work at NUI Galway in 2007. I was Head of School for Languages, Literatures and Cultures from 2010-2014, and Head of Irish during 2017. I retired in September 2023, but I am still research active. I taught courses in Folklore, Literature and Culture, including Ethnomusicology, and on the MA in Modern Irish. I have published on Gaelic song, including an internationally award-winning,co-authored book (with Sean Williams) on the great Connemara singer Joe Heaney in 2011. I directed the team that constructed the website www.joeheaney.org, consisting of materials from the Joe Heaney archive. You can see this site by clicking on the link to the URL above. Our book won the Alan Merriam Prize for best monograph in 2012. I have supervised 11 Ph.D. students to completion and have been involved in a number of Post-Doctoral projects. I won the President's award for best research supervisor in 2016. I have become interested in storytelling and religion in the past few years, because of a course I taught to students of Celtic Civilization. I have been researching the diaries of Seán Ó hEochaidh at the moment. I knew Seán very well and I am fascinated by the insight his diaries provide on life in Donegal in the thirties and forties of the last century. I supervised 14 Ph.D. students to completion, 3  as co-supervisor. I won the President's award for best research supervisor in 2016.

Ollamh pearsanta le Gaeilge mise ar scor ó Roinn na Gaeilge, i Scoil na dTeangacha, na Litríochtaí agus na gCultúr in Ollscoil na hÉireann, Gaillimh. Tógadh mé i nGaeltacht Thír Chonaill. Is céimí de chuid Ollscoil na hÉireann, Gaillimh, agus de chuid Choláiste na hOllscoile, Corcaigh mé. Tá mé ag obair i nGaillimh ó 2007. Bhí mé i mo Cheann ar Scoil na dTeangacha, na Litríochtaí agus na gCultúr ó 2010-14. Mhúin mé cúrsaí i mBéaloideas na Gaeilge den chuid is mó, agus mhúin mé cúrsaí litríochta fosta. Mhúin mé ar chúrsa an MA sa Nua-Ghaeilge chomh maith. Thosaigh mé i nGaillimh sa bhliain 2007 agus chuaigh mé ar scor i Mí Meán Fómhair 2023. Mar ábhar taighde, tá suim agam sa Bhéaloideas agus go háirithe san amhránaíocht. Tá mórán foilseachán agam ar an amhránaíocht, leabhar ar an amhránaí mór le rá sean-nóis,Seosamh Ó hÉanaí ina measc. Bhain an leabhar seo gradam idirnáisiúnta sa bhliain 2011. Stiúraigh mé an fhoireann a chuir suíomh idirlín le chéile tiomnaithe dábhar ó Chartlann Sheosaimh Uí Éanaí fosta. Is féidir an suíomh seo a fheiceáil ach dul go dtí an nasc seo: http:www.joeheaney.org. Tá suim agam sa scéalaíocht agus i gcúrsaí an chreidimh sa Bhéaloideas. Cúrsa a mhúin mé sa chéad bhliain do mhic léinn sa tSibhialtacht Cheilteach a spreag an tsuim sin. Tá mé ag obair ar dhialanna Sheáin Uí Eochaidh fosta - seacht n-imleabhar acu. Bhí na seacht n-aithne agam ar Sheán agus is ábhar mór spéise dom é níos mó a fhoghlaim faoina shaol mar bhailitheoir béaloidis i dTír Chonaill i dtríochaidí agus i ndaicheadaí na haoise seo a chuaigh thart. Tá ceithre dhuine dhéag mac léinn Ph.D. tugtha go ceann cúrsa agam, triúr acu sin mar chomhstiúrthóir. Bhuaigh mé gradam an Uachtaráin don stiúrthóir taighde ab fhearr sa bhliain 2016. Táim ag taighde agus ag foilsiú liom i gcónaí. 

Gaelic song traditions and history. Performance and transmission. Folklore - the Folk Tale. The National Folklore Collection. Seán Ó hEochaidhs folklore collections. Gender in Folklore. Ecocritical perspectives.

Múinim cúrsaí sa Bhéaloideasag gach leibhéal ón chéad bhliain go dtí leibhéal na Máistreachta agus na Dochtúireachta and na hIar-dhochtúireachta. I teach courses in Folklore in all years of the BA programme and at Masters level. I also supervise and mentor doctoral students and have been the director for one postdoctoral fellow.