Máirtín Ó Briain, who has died aged 51, was a Celtic scholar and lecturer in Irish at the National University of Ireland, Galway. His research areas included Fiannaíocht in literary and oral tradition from the Old Irish to Modern Irish periods, the poems of Cinaed Ua hArtacáin and the figure of Colmcille in the oral tradition.
He had a particular interest in Michael Comyn of Clare, who was thought to have written the 18th-century poem, Laoi Oisín ar Thír na nÓg, which was an inspiration for The Wanderings of Oisín by W.B. Yeats.
Scoláire Gaeilge den scoth ab ea Máirtín Ó Briain, dár leis an tOllamh Mícheál Mac Craith . "Ní háibhéil ar bith a rá go raibh Máirtín Ó Briain ar dhuine de mhórscoláirí Gaeilge na linne seo agus go raibh an t-ádh dearg ar Scoil na Gaeilge go príomha agus ar OÉ, Gaillimh i gcoitinne scoláire chomh hildánach sin a bheith ar an bhfoireann.
"I ré seo na cúng speisialtóireachtas b'eisceacht amach is amach é an Brianach sa mhéid gur shaineolaí é ar gach tréimhse den tsaíocht dúchais agus gurbh féidir leis an tSean agus an Mheán-Ghaeilge a láimhseáil chomh paiteanta céanna leis an Nua-Ghaeilge.
"I ngeall ar an aclaíocht teanga seo - nó teangacha, níor mhiste a rá - bhí bua ar leith ag Máirtín chun móitífeanna a leanúint go pointeáilte cáiréiseach ó fhíorthús an traidisiúin go dtí an lá atá inniu ann, iliomad foinsí á cheadú aige, idir fhoinsí lámhscríofa, fhoinsí priontáilte agus fhoinsí béil, agus aird dá réir sin a tharraingt ar neart agus solúbthacht an traidisiúin chéanna."
He was born on March 3rd, 1953, in Beaumont, Dublin, one of the four children of the Abbey actor, Mícheál Ó Briain, and his wife, Caitlín Ní Fhaoláin. Educated by the Christian Brothers at Scoil Mhuire, Marino, and Coláiste Mhuire, Parnell Square, he was a particularly gifted pupil. He also made a name for himself as a cross-country runner and was known for his keen wit.
Enrolling in University College Dublin in 1971, he graduated with first-class honours in Celtic studies in 1974. He was an exceptional student and was awarded several scholarships, including Scoláireacht Theach an Ard-Mhéara.
A member of An Cumann Liteartha, he was also its former reachtaire. He cycled to and from UCD and would occasionally break his journey home at Club an Chonartha, Harcourt Street, where he enjoyed socialising with Gaeilgeoirí, young and old.
During the 1974-75 academic year he taught under Prof Hans Hartmann in the Department of Linguistics at the University of Hamburg. He returned to Dublin to complete his MPhil in medieval studies. Following a stint as a lecturer at Carysfort Training College, in 1978 he joined the Department of Foreign Affairs as third secretary. In 1979 he was appointed to the teaching staff of Scoil na Gaeilge at what was then University College Galway.
His doctoral thesis was Seanchas agus oileamhain Oisín Mhic Fhinn, an edition of the Fenian lay (laoi) with commentary, background, and literary and cultural contexts.
He was, with Pádraig Ó hÉalaí, joint editor of Téada Dúchais: Aistí in Ómós don Ollamh Breandán Ó Madagáin (2002). He was a contributor to many scholarly volumes, and articles included The horse-eared kings of Irish tradition and St Brigid (1991) and Laoi Cholainn gan Cheann: Oisín's headless bride in Gaelic tradition (1999). In addition to being an associate editor of Béaloideas, the journal of the Folklore Society of Ireland, he also contributed book reviews of scholarly works to Éigse and Studia Hibernica.
He was largely responsible for the publication in 1997 of Heinrich Becker's I mBéal na Farraige, a collection of stories and lore collected by the German folklorist in the early years of the second World War. He did not seek any formal acknowledgement of his role in the book's publication; it was reward enough for him to see it in print.
He was never short of a word of praise or encouragement for students. Colleagues, students and fellow-scholars held him in high regard, and this was reflected in the large turnout at his funeral.
Living in Baile an tSléibhe, close to his family roots, he played a major part in community activities in Spiddal, notably in Éigse an Spidéil, Comharchumann Shailearna and Cumann Béaloideas Chonamara.
His wife, Máirín, sons Dónall and Éinne, sister, Caitríona, and brothers, Micheál and Cóilín, survive him.
Máirtín Ó Briain: born March 3rd, 1953; died March 15th, 2004