Pádraig Ó Snodaigh

Who is Pádraig Ó Snodaigh?

Pádraig Ó Snodaigh is an Irish language activist, poet, writer and publisher. He worked for the Irish Electricity Supply Board, and later in the National Museum of Ireland. He is a former president of Conradh na Gaeilge, the Gaelic League.

From 1974 to 1977, he was the editor of Carn, the official magazine of the Celtic League. In 1980, Ó Snodaigh founded the publishing company Coiscéim which has published hundreds of books in Irish. He has written poetry, novels, and historical essays as well.

One of his most famous books is Hidden Ulster, Protestants and the Irish language. Another noted book is Two Godfathers of Revisionism, which contains a discussion of Eugene Kamenka's book on nationalism as well as a critique of the revisionist view of the 1916 Rising in Irish history. Ó Snodaigh argues against the views of this event made by Irish historians F.X. Martin and Francis Shaw, whom he claims are arguing from an anti-nationalist perspective.

He is married to the artist Cliodhna Cussen. His son Aengus Ó Snodaigh is a Sinn Féin TD. Three other sons, Rossa, Rónán, and Colm are in the band Kíla. His other sons are Cormac and Fergus who owned and operated a security firm for 20 years until 2004.