Seamas OCathain Author & Translator

Dr Seamas OCathain was educated at Queen's University Belfast, where he became Professor of Celtic. Later he was appointed Professor of Irish Folklore at University College Dublin, and Director of Ireland's National Folklore Collection. He has edited and authored numer ous books on the folklore of Ireland and north-western Europe, including Uair a Chloig cois Teallaigh /An Hour by the Hearth (Comhairle Bhealoideas Eireann : 1985); The Festival of Brigit first edition, (DBA Dublin: 1995); Gaelic Grace Notes (Novus Press, Oslo : 2014); and his autobiography Jumping the Border (Phaeton: 2018) also published in Irish as De Leim thar Teorainn (Phaeton: 2020). He is the editor of Northern Lights : Following Folklore in North-Western Europe (UCD Press : 2001), and joint editor of Treasures of the National Folklore Collection /Seoda as Cnuasach Bhealoideas Eireann (Four Courts Press : 2010), He has received many distinctions and literary awards, including Knight (First Class) of the Order of the Lion of Finland; the Dag Stromback Prize of the Gustavus Adolphus Academy, Uppsala, Sweden; the Ruth Michaelis-Jena Ratcliff Prize, Edinburgh, and an award in 2022 from the Royal Gustavus Adolphus Academy for his contributions to Nordic-Celtic cultural connections.