Pádraig Ó Snodaigh is an Irish language

Irish language

Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...

 activist, poet, writer and publisher. He worked for the Irish Electricity Supply Board

Electricity Supply Board

The Electricity Supply Board , is a semi-state electricity company in Ireland. While historically a monopoly, the ESB now operates as a commercial semi-state concern in a liberalised and competitive market...

, and later in the National Museum of Ireland

National Museum of Ireland

The National Museum of Ireland is the national museum in Ireland. It has three branches in Dublin and one in County Mayo, with a strong emphasis on Irish art, culture and natural history.-Archaeology:...

. He is a former president of Conradh na Gaeilge

Conradh na Gaeilge

Conradh na Gaeilge is a non-governmental organisation that promotes the Irish language in Ireland and abroad. The motto of the League is Sinn Féin, Sinn Féin amháin .-Origins:...

, the Gaelic League.

From 1974 to 1977, he was the editor of Carn

Carn

Carn is the official magazine of the Celtic League. The name, which is cognate with the English word 'cairn', was chosen for its symbolic value and because it can be found in each of the living Celtic languages...

, the official magazine of the Celtic League

Celtic League (political organisation)

The Celtic League is a non-governmental organisation that promotes self-determination and Celtic identity and culture in Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Brittany, Cornwall and the Isle of Man, known as the Celtic nations. It places particular emphasis on the indigenous Celtic languages...

. In 1980, Ó Snodaigh founded the publishing company Coiscéim

Coiscéim

Coiscéim is a prolific Dublin-based Irish-language publisher founded by writer, artist and language activist Pádraig Ó Snodaigh in 1980. Well-known authors who have published with Coiscéim include Gabriel Rosenstock, Alan Titley, Michael Davitt, Michael Hartnett, Biddy Jenkinson, Tomás Mac Síomóin,...

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

Hidden Ulster, Protestants and the Irish language

Hidden Ulster, Protestants and the Irish Language is a book written by Pádraig Ó Snodaigh in 1973. Revised editions appeared in 1977 and 1995. The thirdedition was published by Lagan Press....

. Another noted book is Two Godfathers of Revisionism (1991), which contains a discussion of Eugene Kamenka

Eugene Kamenka

Eugene Kamenka was born in Cologne in 1928 and taken to Australia in 1937. Kamenka family is of Odessa descent. He was educated at the Sydney Technical High School, and went on to take first-class honours in philosophy at the University of Sydney under John Anderson...

's book on nationalism

Nationalism

Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...

 as well as a critique of the revisionist

Historical revisionism

In historiography, historical revisionism is the reinterpretation of orthodox views on evidence, motivations, and decision-making processes surrounding a historical event...

 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 (the "two godfathers" of the book's title), whom he claims are arguing from an anti-nationalist

Irish nationalism

Irish nationalism manifests itself in political and social movements and in sentiment inspired by a love for Irish culture, language and history, and as a sense of pride in Ireland and in the Irish people...

 perspective.

He is married to the artist Cliodhna Cussen. His son Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Aengus Ó Snodaigh is an Irish Sinn Féin politician. He has been a Teachta Dála for the Dublin South Central constituency since May 2002, and is party spokesperson for Housing, Justice, Equality and Human Rights, and International Affairs.-Early and private life:A Dubliner and Irish language...

 is a Sinn Féin

Sinn Féin

Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...

 TD

Teachta Dála

A Teachta Dála , usually abbreviated as TD in English, is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas . It is the equivalent of terms such as "Member of Parliament" or "deputy" used in other states. The official translation of the term is "Deputy to the Dáil", though a more literal...

. Three other sons, Rossa, Rónán

Rónán Ó Snodaigh

Rónán Ó Snodaigh is a musician, poet and vocalist from Dublin, Ireland. He is the lead vocalist in the musical group Kíla. He has released four albums to date, Playdays, Tonnta Ró, Tip Toe and The Last Mile Home...

, and Colm

Colm Ó Snodaigh

Colm Ó Snodaigh is a member of the traditional Irish folk group Kíla. Born in Dublin and reared on the south side of Dublin by Sandymount's sea, Colm is a native Irish speaker and was schooled at both Scoil Lorcáin and Coláiste Eoin...

 are in the band Kíla

Kíla

Kíla are an Irish folk music/World music group, originally formed in 1987 in the Irish Language secondary school, Coláiste Eoin in Co. Dublin. Kila's blend of Irish traditional music and World Music with a modern rock sensibility is generally credited with breathing new life into contemporary Irish...

. His other sons are Cormac and Fergus who owned and operated a security firm for 20 years until 2004.