John O'Donovan

John O'Donovan (Irish: Seán Ó Donnabháin; 25 July 1806 – 10 December 1861), from Atateemore, in the parish of Kilcolumb, County Kilkenny, and educated at Hunt's Academy, Waterford, was an Irish language scholar from Ireland.

He was the fourth son of Edmond O'Donovan and Eleanor Hoberlin of Rochestown. His early career may have been inspired by his uncle Parick O'Donovan. He worked for antiquarian James Hardiman researching state papers and traditional sources at the Public Records Office. Hardiman had secured O'Donovan a place in Maynooth College which he turned down. He also taught Irish to Thomas Larcom for a short period in 1828 and worked for Myles John O'Reilly, a collector of Irish manuscripts.

Following the death of Edward O'Reilly in August 1830, he was recruited to the Topographical Department of the first Ordnance Survey of Ireland under George Petrie in October 1830. Apart from a brief period in 1833, he worked steadily for the Survey on place-name researches until 1842, unearthing and preserving many manuscripts. After that date, O'Donovan's work with the Survey tailed off, although he was called upon from time to time to undertake place-name research on a day-to-day basis. He researched maps and manuscripts at many libraries and archives in Ireland and England, with a view to establishing the correct origin of as many of Ireland's 63,000 townland names as possible. His letters to Larcom are regarded as an important record of the ancient lore of Ireland for those counties he documented during his years of travel throughout much of Ireland.

By 1845, O'Donovan was corresponding with the younger scholar William Reeves, and much of their correspondence to 1860 survives.

O'Donovan became professor of Celtic Languages at Queen's University, and was called to the Bar in 1847. His work on linguistics was recognised in 1848 by the Royal Irish Academy, who awarded him their prestigious Cunningham Medal. On the recommendation of Grimm, he was elected a corresponding member of the Royal Academy of Prussia in 1856.

Never in great health, he died shortly after midnight on 10 December 1861 at his residence, 36 Upper Buckingham Street, Dublin.He was buried on 13 December 1861 in Glasnevin Cemetery, where his tombstone inscription has slightly wrong dates of both birth and death.

He married a sister-in-law of Eugene O'Curry and was father of nine children (all but one of whom died without issue). His wife received a small state pension after his death.

In a letter to Jeremiah O'Donovan Rossa of 29 May 1856 John O'Donovan gave his lineage as follows:

• From the senior branch of Clann-Cahill, descended from the elder son Donnell II O'Donovan, married Joanna MacCarthy Reagh of Castle Donovan and who died 1638
• Edmond, married Catherine de Burgo, killed 1643.
• Conor, married Rose Kavanagh.
• William, married Mary Oberlin, a Puritan, died 1749.
• Edmond, married to Mary Archdeacon, died 1798.
• Edmond, married Mary Oberlin, died 1817.
• John O'Donovan, L.L.D. married to Mary Ann Broughton, a descendant of Cromwellian settlers.
• Edmond 1840 d. 1842, John 1842, Edmond 1844 later War Correspondent (died in Sudan) 1882, William 1846, Richard 1846, Henry dead 1850, Henry 1852, Daniel 1856, Morgan Kavanaugh O'C 1859 d.1860. See Edmund O'Donovan.

(O'Curry and O'Donovan were married to the sisters Anne and Mary Anne Broughton respectively, daughters of John Broughton of Killaderry near Broadford, County Clare.)*O'Donovan Road in the Tenters area of Dublin 8 is named in his honour.

• "The circuit of Muirchertach mac Néill", in Tracts relating to Ireland i, Dublin 1841.
• "Origin and meaning of Irish family names", in Irish Penny Journal 1 no 41 (Apr 10 1841) 326-28; 42 (Apr 17) 330-32; 46 (May 15) 365-66; 48 (May 29) 381-84; 50 (June 12) 396-98; 51 (June 19) 405-07; 52 (June 26) 413–15. Republished as Origin and Meanings of Irish Family Names including a description of the families of the Maguires and O’Reillys, ed. George O'Reilly, Dublin, 2008 [1]
• The banquet of Dun na nGedh and the Battle of Magh Rath, Dublin, 1842
• The tribes and customs of Hy Many, Dublin, 1843
• The genealogies, tribes and customs of Hy Fiachrach, Dublin, 1844
• A Grammar of the Irish Language: Published for the Use of the Senior Classes in the College of St. Columba, By John O'Donovan, published by Hodges and Smith, Dublin (1845).
• "An ancient poem attributed to St Columbkille", in Miscellany of the Irish Archæological Society, Dublin, 1846, 1-15
• "Autograph letter of Thady O'Roddy", Miscellany of the Irish Archæological Society", Dublin, 1846, 112-25
• "The Irish charters in the Book of Kells", Miscellany of the Irish Archæological Society, Dublin, 1846, 127-57
• "Covenant between Mageoghagan and the Fox, with brief historical notes on the two families", Miscellany of the Irish Archæological Society,Dublin, 1846, 179-97
• "The Annals of Ireland from the year 1443 to 1468 translated from the Irish by Dudley Firbisse", Miscellany of the Irish Archæological Society, Dublin, 1846.
• Annals of the Four Masters, six volumes, Dublin, 1846–1851,
• Leabhar na gCeart or the Book of Rights, Dublin, 1847
• Miscellany of the Celtic Society editor, Dublin, 1849
• The tribes and territory of ancient Ossory, Dublin 1851
• "Inauguration of Cathal Crobhdhearg, king of Connaught", Journal of the Kilkenny Archaeological Society 2, 1853, 335
• "Letter of Florence MacCarthy to the earl of Thomond on the ancient history of Ireland", Journal of the Kilkenny Archaeological Society, 1, 1856, 203-229
• "On the elegy of Erard MacCoise, chief chronicler of the Gaels over the tomb of Fergal O'Ruairc, chief of Brefny at Clonmacnoise", Journal of the Kilkenny Archaeological Society, 1, 1857, 341-56
• "The registry of Clonmacnoise", Journal of the Kilkenny Archaeological Society, 1, 1857, 444-60
• "Original letters in the Irish and Latin languages by Shane O'Neill and Proclamation of Hugh's treason against Elizabeth", Ulster Journal of Archaeology, 1857, 259-73
• "Extract from the journal of Thomas Dineley, Esq., giving some account of his visits to Ireland in the reign of Charles II", Journal of the Kilkenny Archaeological Society, 1858, 22-32
• "Military proclamation in the Irish language issued by Hugh O'Neill of Tyrone in 1601', Ulster Journal of Archaeology, 1858, 57
• "Errors of Edmund Spenser on Irish surnames',Ulster Journal of Archaeology, 1858, 135
• "Irish correspondence of James FitzMaurice of Desmond", Journal of the Kilkenny Archaeological Society 2, 1859, 354-69
• Annals of Ireland: three fragments, Dublin, 1860
• "The Fomorians and Lochlans pedigrees of MacCabe of Ireland and MacLeod of Scotland", Ulster Journal of Archaeology, 1861, 94
• The topographical poems of O'Dubhagain and O'Huidrin, Dublin, 1862
• Martyrology of Donegal [2]: A Calendar of the Saints of Ireland, 1864

• Encyclopaedia of Ireland, Brian Lalor, P. 813, 2003, Gill and MacMillan ISBN 0-7171-3000-2
• A Paper Landscape, the Ordnance Survey in Nineteenth-Century Ireland, J.H.Andrews, 1993, Four Courts press, ISBN 1-85182-664-5
• Iris Mhuintir Uì Dhonnabháin, O'Donovan History 2000, Published by the O'Donovan Clan, Skibbereen, Ireland.Article by Michael R. O'Donovan
• John O'Donovan (1806—1861): A Biography, Patricia Boyne, 1987, Kilkenny: Boethius, ISBN 0-86314-139-0
• De hÓir É. Seán Ó Donnabháin agus Eoghan Ó Comhraí. Baile Átha Cliath, 1962
• MacSweeney P. A Group of Nation-Builders: O’Donovan — O’Curry — Petrie. Dublin, 1913
• Ó Muráile N. Seán Ó Donnabháin, «An Cúigiú Máistir» // Scoláirí Gaeilge: Léchtaí Cholm Cille XXVII / Eag. R. Ó hUiginn. Maigh Nuad, 1997. Lch. 11–82.
• Rossa's Recollections 1838 to 1898: Memoirs of an Irish Revolutionary by O'Donovan Rossa p. 332–377 relate to John O'Donovan. Published by Globe Pequot, 2004. ISBN 1-59228-362-4