Seán Ó Súilleabháin, a renowned folklorist and native Irish speaker, was born on November 30, 1903, in Derrylough, Co. Kerry, Ireland. After being introduced to folklore during his schooling in Beaufield, Co. Mayo, he developed a lifelong passion for the subject, which he started formally collecting in 1923. His training as a primary school teacher, work as an archivist for the newly formed Irish Folklore Commission, and eventual role as a lecturer in folklore at University College Dublin allowed him to delve deeply into the discipline. He authored a vast collection of works, including collections of poems, songs, folktales, and studies on Irish folk customs. Throughout his life, Ó Súilleabháin was a strong advocate for the Irish language and traditional music, serving on multiple commissions and receiving an honorary D.Litt. (Celt.) from the National University of Ireland in 1976. He was married to Maureen Sheehy and had two children. Ó Súilleabháin passed away on December 13, 1996, and is commemorated by a stone erected in his honor in Tuosist.
