Risteárd Ó Glaisne, who has died aged 76, was a teacher and writer with a lifelong commitment to the Irish language. Of farming stock from outside Bandon in Co Cork and proud of his Protestant background, he worked tirelessly to make his co-religionists aware of Ireland's cultural heritage.
A recipient of Gradam an Phiarsaigh in 1988, he was presented with the award by President Hillery, who said, "I measc na ngaiscíoch sin a bhfuilimid go léir faoi mhórchomaoin acu, tá Risteárd Ó Glaisne, bail ó Dhia air. Duine umhal, duine crúóghach, duine geanúil, gealgáireach nach santaíonn glóir ná buala bos é Risteárd."
He was held in high regard as a Methodist lay preacher, the former Archbishop of Dublin, the Right Rev Donald Caird, said last week. "Bhí sé ina dhuine fíor-spioradálta i gcónaí agus bhí bua na bhfocal aige."
Monsignor Pádraig Ó Fiannachta paid tribute to his ecumenical spirit: "Duine lách cneasta ba ea Risteárd. Ba Mhodhach de réir creidimh é, ach ba bhreá leis bheith páirteach i searmanais in eaglaisí eile."
Risteárd Earnán Ó Glaisne was born on September 2nd, 1927, the third of the four children of George William Giles and his wife, Sara Jane (née Vickery). Educated at Bandon Grammar School and Trinity College Dublin, he graduated with a BA in 1949 and obtained a master's degree in 1959.
He first became interested in the Irish language at school in Bandon. His headmaster gave him a copy of Liam Ó Rinn's Peann agus Pár, along with a book of poems by Turgenev translated into Irish by Ó Rinn. "I suddenly found myself breaking into a world vastly larger than my own world in Irish," he recalled. "The quality of mind I encountered made me realise I could never again connect Irish only with poteen and potatoes."
He further explored the language by making contact with the few native Irish speakers left in the Bandon area. He gradually came to the conclusion that he was a member of a nation that had an extremely old and in many ways distinguished culture, of which Irish had been historically an integral part. Deciding that Irish best reflected the society in which he grew up and reflected him as an individual, he adopted it as his first language.
At TCD he was greatly influenced by Daithí Ó hUaithne. To perfect his Irish he holidayed on the Great Blasket Island, where he immersed himself in the rich oral culture. He made many friends among the islanders, and the friendships continued after they were resettled on the mainland in Dún Chaoin. He regularly visited Corca Dhuibhne to meet friends like Muiris Mhaidhc Léan Ó Guithín, one of the last surviving islanders, and to enjoy the annual Ceiliúradh an Bhlascaoid. His last visit was a year ago.
On graduating from TCD he taught Irish at Avoca School, Blackrock. He later taught in St Andrew's College, Dublin, and at St Patrick's Cathedral Grammar School, where he ended his teaching career in 1989. He took a career break in the mid-1960s to study the French educational system and to travel on the Continent.
He held that Protestants had enjoyed a long association with Irish, pointing to 18th-century followers of John Wesley such as Charles Graham, Gideon Ousley and Tomás Breathnach, who evangelised in Irish. And he liked to quote the Presbyterian minister and classicist, Dr William Neilson, who described Irish as "one of the most expressive, philosophically accurate and polished languages that has ever existed".
He firmly believed that Protestants could be "every whit as Irish" as Roman Catholics. He urged his co-religionists to identify fully with Ireland, writing: "We shall have to find ourselves in spiritual sympathy with Irish aspirations if we are to live fully in the future Ireland - if we do, we can make a significant contribution to the Irish nation and indeed see Protestantism growing here, within and without, and if we do not, Protestantism in Ireland will wilt."
He was the founder and editor of Focus (1958-66), a monthly magazine that aimed to help Protestants "come to an understanding of their cultural heritage". He was a regular contributor to programmes on RTÉ and Raidió na Gaeltachta, and wrote for Comhar, Inniu, An tUltach and The Irish Times.
He was the author of over 20 books and pamphlets in Irish. These included biographies of Conor Cruise O'Brien, Ian Paisley, Tomás Ó Fiaich and Dúbhglas de hÍde. Other works include a history of Methodism in Ireland, a book of essays on early revivalist writers and a manual for beginners in journalism. He also wrote Saoirse na mBan (1973), Gaeilge i gColáiste na Trionóide 1592-1992 (1992) and Coláiste Moibhí (2002), a history of the preparatory college for Protestant teachers.
Generous with his time and knowledge, he made a point of encouraging young writers. His brother Jack, sister Neans and loyal friend, Colette, survive him.
Risteárd Ó Glaisne: born, September 2nd, 1927; died, November 6th, 2003