ON ST Patrick's Day, 1916, the Rev Risteard de Hindeberg (Henebry) died. He was a giant figure in the Irish language movement, but is now largely and undeservedly forgotten. He was one of the founders of Ring College and studied Old and Middle Irish and Sanscrit under Professors Rudolf Thurneysen and Heinrich Zimmer. He was, too, an accomplished violinist and collected a large amount of Irish tunes. He was author of Handbook of Irish Music, which remains a standard work to this day.
Risteard de Hindeberg was born in Barra Beithe, near Portlaw, Co Waterford, in 1863. Mount Bolton was the English name of the place, called after a Bolton family who were local landlords. Risteard's father, Piaras, was evicted from his holding and Risteard's brother, Sean, sentenced to a term of imprisonment for dropping a bottle on a policeman's head on the day of the eviction.
At this time, Risteard was studying for the priesthood in St Patrick's College, Maynooth. Shortly before ordination, he was found smoking a pipe, which was against the rules in those far-off days, and so it was decided that instead of being ordained in Maynooth, the ceremony would be carried out at All Hallows College.
He was ordained for his native diocese of Waterford and Lismore and his first assignment was as chaplain in Manchester where, fortuitously, he met the eminent Celtic scholars, John Strachan and Whitley Stokes, both of whom spurred his interest in ancient languages. Strachan at the time was on the staff of Manchester University and took a special interest in de Hindeberg, being himself anxious to acquire competence in spoken Irish.
On the recommendation of Strachan and Stokes, de Hindeberg was appointed to the Chair of Celtic Studies in the Catholic University of Washington, on condition that he studied Sanscrit. In 1896 he set out for Germany, where he studied under Prof Rudolf Thurneysen in Freiburg in Breisgau, and graduated in linguistics at Greifswald University under Prof Heinrich Zimmer. His doctoral thesis was on the sounds of the Irish of the Deise.
While in Washington, Risteard de Hindeberg was struck down with serious illness related to kidney failure and was forced to spend a long period of recuperation in Colorado. He returned to Washington, took up his post at the university and played a vigorous part in Irish-American politics. He wrote copiously while in Washington and was elected president of the Gaelic League in the United States.
Dismissed
Eventually, he was relieved of his post at the university, ostensibly because of ill-health, but the real reason was his involvement in politics. He had pleaded with Americans not to form any alliance with Britain.
He was instrumental in having the body of Father O'Growney brought home toe Ireland for burial. On his return to Ireland, de Hindeberg was appointed chaplain to the Little Sisters of Poor in Waterford, and subsequently professor of Irish at UCC.
In 1905, with the help of Bishop Micheal O Siothchain of Sydney and others, he founded Ring College.
Risteard de Hindeberg was, undoubtedly, a controversialist. He believed it would not be possible to create a literature out of the spoken Irish of the plain people, and argued that the style of Keating in Foras Feasa ar Eirinn should be the norm. In this he was opposed by the early Gaelic Leaguers and vigorous controversy took place.
Controversialist
De Hindeberg criticised much of the contemporary writing in Irish, which drew opposition from leading figures. What de Hindeberg urged, so far as one can glean, was that Middle Irish should be restored for literary purposes. Perhaps, he went too far. The story is told that on one occasion he had posters erected in Ring announcing details of a forthcoming Aeriocht, and because it was written in Middle Irish the people of the district could not understand it.
However, de Hindeberg had his adherents. The late District Justice Lennon wrote: "Once I read a placard for an Aeriocht in Ring which he had written, and wondered how many local people would have followed it, but after the excitement engendered by the controversy had died down, most people felt that his main contention that the works of Keating should be the standard was sound."
Anybody today who read Scribhinni de Hindebert, edited by Sean O Curraoin, will agree that Risteard de Hindeberg's Irish was impeccable.