Tadhg Ó Neachtain, Irish

Irish people

The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...

 writer

Writer

A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....

, scribe

Scribe

A scribe is a person who writes books or documents by hand as a profession and helps the city keep track of its records. The profession, previously found in all literate cultures in some form, lost most of its importance and status with the advent of printing...

, lexicographer, c.1670-c.1752.

Origins

Described as "the fulcrum

Fulcrum

Fulcrum is the support about which a lever pivots. It may also refer to:* Fulcrum , part of a percussionist's grip* MiG-29 Fulcrum, a Soviet fighter aircraftIn fiction:...

 of the coterie

Coterie

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 of 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...

 scholars who were working in Dublin in the early years of the eighteenth century" (2009, p.821), Ó Neachtain was the son of Seán Ó Neachtain (poet)

Seán Ó Neachtain (poet)

Seán Ó Neachtain, Irish poet and writer, c. 1645x50?-9th March 1729.-Biography:Ó Neachtain was a member of a family who originated in Máenmaige but were expelled to the Fews of Athlone by either the Ua Conchobhair Kings of Connacht or the de Burgh Earls of Ulster...

, who had moved from his native County Roscommon

County Roscommon

County Roscommon is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the town of Roscommon. Roscommon County Council is the local authority for the county...

 sometime between 1670 and 1691. Tadhg was apparently his eldest son, by Seán's first wife, Una Nagle (died c. 1703), perhaps born in Dublin itself, where he was to spend most of his adult life.

The Ó Neachtain Circle

Between 1726 and 1728, Tadhg wrote an Irish poem which named twenty-six scholars of his acquaintance, all of whom are now included among what is retrospectively called The Ó Neachtain Circle. They included:

• Richard Tipper
• John Conry
• Tadhg Ó Rodaighe
• John Fergus (Eoin Ó Fearghusa)
• Charles O'Conor (historian)
  Charles O'Conor (historian)
  Charles O'Conor Don, The O'Conor Don, Prince of Connacht of Belanagare was an Irish writer and antiquarian who was enormously influential as a protagonist for the preservation of Irish culture and history in the eighteenth century...
  
  
• Richard Mac Solaidh

Personal life

Ó Neachtain was married four times. His spouses and their children were as follows:

• Caitríona Níc Fheorais, died 1714 - a son, Peter Ó Neachtain (born 1709), became a Jesuit.
• Máire Ní Chomáin - died in childbirth late in 1715.
• Máire Ní Reachtagáin, died 1733.
• Isabel Ní Lárrach, died 1745.