Seán de Fréine receives honorary doctorate from DCU/ Dochtúireacht Oinigh bronnta ag DCU ar Sheán de Fréine
Today (Wednesday December 1st) Dublin City University conferred the award of Doctor of Philosophy (Honoris Causa) on Seán de Fréine.
He joins noted figures from politics, sport, literature and industry in receiving this award from DCU. They include Jim Gavin, Paula Meehan, Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh, Sonia O'Sullivan, Bill Clinton, Seamus Mallon, David Trimble, and most recently Annette Kennedy and Vivien Lusted.
Seán de Fréine is a scholar and a public servant whose work has been of fundamental importance in the cultural sphere in Ireland for six decades. He has been a foundational influence on the sociolinguistics of Irish society and on questions of language policy. Since the 1960s onwards, his published work has been central to academic and public discussion of issues of language, society and identity in Ireland.
In a citation prepared and delivered at the event by Professor Ciarán MacMurchaidh, Fiontar & Scoil na Gaeilge at DCU, he said:
“We are here this morning to honour and celebrate not only Seán de Fréine, the man, but his incredible contribution to Irish society. Service is at the heart of this contribution – as an advocate for the Irish language, a thinker and writer, a public servant and one who has consistently put the common good to the fore in all his many achievements.”
“Seán has had a remarkable career as an independent scholar and has written several original and ground-breaking works on the sociology and history of the Irish language, as well as his other important publications. The values that Seán holds dear and has demonstrated throughout his long years of service to the public good and the world of scholarship chime closely with the values DCU holds up to be emulated by all who aspire to serve their community and improve the lives of their fellow citizens. Mairimid uile ar scáth a chéile agus mana é sin a bhí ag croí-lár shaol Sheáin agus is éacht nach beag a bhfuil bainte amach aige lena linn.”
Seán de Fréine said:
“It is a great honour and a pleasure to receive this award. To get it, as in my case, for pursuing something which I have always enjoyed doing, makes it doubly pleasurable. It gives me great pleasure to receive this award from DCU in particular. This is a young university, and already its Irish Department, under its manifestations of Gaois, Fiontar & Scoil na Gaeilge, has done an incredible amount of valuable and pioneering work for Irish language scholarship and research, including digitising and making available many millions of words of modern Irish texts. What is significant about it is the aim to use the resources of the present to utilise the Irish language of today for the benefit of the future.”
Prof. Daire Keogh, President of Dublin City University, said:
“Seán de Fréine in his profession and passions has embodied the DCU mission to ‘transform lives and societies’. Through his extraordinary scholarship and exemplary public service, Seán has made a unique contribution to the preservation and promotion of the Irish language, and to the development of Ireland’s cultural life.”
Brid Horan, Chancellor of Dublin City University, said:
“I’m delighted that DCU is honouring Sean de Freine for his outstanding achievements. His contribution serves as an inspiration for us all and in particular for young people and DCU students, who aspire to excellence.”
The small celebratory event took place in the Helix on DCU’s Glasnevin Campus at which a small group of Seán’s family and friends were in attendance. Traditional Irish music group, Na Casadaigh, composed and recorded a piece of music ‘Ómós to Sheán’ to celebrate Seán and to mark the occasion.
About Seán de Fréine
Seán de Fréine’s earliest published work, written in the Irish language, Saoirse gan Só (1960), was the first book to explore the social and cultural effects of the language shift in nineteenth-century Ireland and has been the fundamental reference point in subsequent discussion, both academic and public. It is more familiar in its expanded English version as The Great Silence, first published in 1965 and in a revised edition in 1978. It is one of the most cited works in Irish studies, influencing scholars of Irish, Anglo-Irish literature, sociology and translation studies.
de Fréine put his sociolinguistic expertise at the service of public policy and was involved in the development of language planning in the Irish state over several decades, particularly in his capacity as a chief executive of Bord na Gaeilge from 1975 to 1978. His role in cultural policy also extended to the fostering of writing and publishing in the Irish language, and his work as a member of Bord na Leabhar Gaeilge from 1994 to 2006 is regarded by those who work in Irish-language publishing as a major contributor to its current vitality and diversity. His interest in literature led to another major reference work, Croí Cine, a themed anthology of writing in Irish. First published in 1990, it was republished in an expanded form in 2019.
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Bhronn Ollscoil Chathair Bhaile Átha Cliath Dochtúireacht san Fhealsúnacht (Honoris Causa) ar Sheán de Fréine inniu (Dé Céadaoin, 1 Nollaig).
Ina bhall de bhuíon daoine aitheanta ón bpolaitíocht, spórt, litríocht agus tionsclaíocht atá sé anois agus an gradam sin bronnta ag Ollscoil Chathair Bhaile Átha Cliath air. Ina measc siúd tá Jim Gavin, Paula Meehan, Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh, Sonia O'Sullivan, Bill Clinton, Seamus Mallon, David Trimble agus, le déanaí, Annette Kennedy agus Vivien Lusted.
Is scoláire agus seirbhíseach poiblí é Seán de Fréine a mbaineann tábhacht bhunúsach lena chuid oibre i réimse an chultúir in Éirinn le trí scór bliain anuas. Duine é atá tar éis buntionchar a bheith aige ar an tsochtheangeolaíocht in Éirinn agus ar nithe a bhaineann leis an mbeartas teanga. Tá áit lárnach ag a shaothar foilsithe sa phlé acadúil agus phoiblí ar ceist na teanga, na sochaí agus na féiniúlachta in Éirinn ó na 1960í ar aghaidh.
San ardlua a thug an tOllamh Ciarán Mac Murchaidh, Fiontar & Scoil na Gaeilge, Ollscoil Bhaile Átha Cliath, ag an ócáid, dúirt sé:
“Táimid anseo ar maidin chun onóir a thabhairt do Sheán de Fréine agus - ní hamháin sin - ach leis an méid atá déanta aige ar son sochaí na hÉireann a cheiliúradh. An tseirbhís atá lárnach sa mhéid sin uilig – mar fhear taca don Ghaeilge, mar smaointeoir agus scríbhneoir, mar sheirbhíseach poiblí agus mar dhuine a chuir an leas coiteann chun cinn go leanúnach ina chuid éachtaí iomadúla.”
“Bhí saol ar leith ag Seán mar scoláire neamhspleách nó baineann úire agus ceannródaíocht lena bhfuil scríofa aige ar shochtheangeolaíocht agus ar stair na Gaeilge, gan trácht ar na mórfhoilseacháin eile uaidh. Na luachanna is ansa le Seán agus atá léirithe aige i rith bhlianta fada a sheirbhíse ar leas an phobail agus na scoláireachta, is iad a thagann go snasta le luachanna Ollscoil Chathair Bhaile Átha Cliath; luachanna iad a shamhlaítear go dlúth leis an tseirbhís atá le soláthar ag daoine ar mian leo cur le leas a bpobail féin i gcoitinne. Mairimid uile ar scáth a chéile agus mana é sin a bhí ag croí-lár shaol Sheáin agus is éacht nach beag a bhfuil bainte amach aige lena linn.”
Is é a dúirt Seán de Fréine:
“Is mór an onóir agus an pléisiúr dom an gradam seo a fháil. Is mó an pléisiúr fós é a leithéid a fháil ar son rud a dhéanamh a thaitin liom riamh anall. Sásamh ar leith dom é an gradam seo a fháil ó Ollscoil Chathair Bhaile Átha Cliath, go háirithe. Ollscoil óg í seo agus is iontach an saothar ceannródaíoch atá déanta cheana féin ar son na Gaeilge ag Fiontar agus Scoil na Gaeilge, faoi scáth Gaois, idir thaighde agus scoláireacht, chun acmhainní teanga agus oidhreachta a dhigitiú le go mbeidh fáil go hoscailte ag an bpobal orthu. An rud is suntasaí faoi sin uile is ea gur aidhm dó acmhainní na linne seo a úsáid chun leas na Gaeilge a dhéanamh do na glúnta atá le teacht.”
Dúirt Uachtarán Ollscoil Chathair Bhaile Átha Cliath, An tOllamh Daire Keogh:
“I rith a shaoil go léir go dtí seo, tá Seán de Fréine tar éis misean DCU chun ‘an saol agus an tsochaí a chlaochlú’ a léiriú ina steillbheatha. Trí mheán a chuid scoláireachta agus trína sheirbhís phoiblí eiseamláireach, tá cloch nach beag curtha aige le carn chaomhnú agus cur chun cinn na Gaeilge agus le forbairt shaol cultúrtha na hÉireann.”
Dúirt Seansailéir Ollscoil Chathair Bhaile Átha Cliath, Bríd Horan:
“Tá ríméad orm go bhfuil an onóir seo á bronnadh ag Ollscoil Chathair Bhaile Átha Cliath ar Sheán de Fréine as a chuid éachtaí éagsúla. Is inspioráid dúinn ar fad é an méid atá bainte amach aige, agus don mhuintir óga agus do mhic léinn Ollscoil Chathair Bhaile Átha Cliath, go háirithe, a fhéachann leis an bhfeabhas a aithris i ngach aon rud a dheánann siad.”
Sa Helix ar Champas Ghlas Naíon, Ollscoil Chathair Bhaile Átha Cliath a cuireadh an ócáid cheiliúrtha ar siúl agus bhí cuid de theaghlach Sheáin agus roinnt cairde leis i láthair. Rinne an grúpa ceoil traidisiúnta, Na Casaidigh, píosa ceoil ‘Ómós do Sheán’ a chumadh agus a thaifeadadh mar chomhartha aitheantais ar Sheán agus chun an ócáid féin a cheiliúradh.
Eolas faoi Sheán de Fréine
Is é Saoirse gan Só (1960) an saothar foilsithe is luaithe a scríobh Seán de Fréine i nGaeilge, leabhar inar fhéach sé le tionchar sóisialta agus cultúrtha an athraithe teanga in Éirinn sa naoú haois déag a fhiosrú, agus ar bunfhoinse tagartha é sa phlé acadúil agus poiblí ar an ábhar sin ó shin. Tá eolas níos fairsinge ar an leagan Béarla de, The Great Silence, a foilsíodh ar dtús in 1965 agus ina eagrán méadaithe in 1978. Tá sé ar na saothair is mó a luaitear i réimse léann na hÉireann agus tionchar aige fós ar scoláirí a bhíonn ag plé le litríocht na Gaeilge, an litríocht Angla-Éireannach, an tsocheolaíocht agus léann an aistriúcháin.
Tharraing de Fréine ar a shaineolas sochtheangeolaíochta le comhairle a chur ar lucht an bheartais phoiblí agus bhí ról forbartha aige sa phleanáil teanga in Éirinn i rith tréimhse ar leith, go háirithe ina cháil mar phríomhfheidhmeannach ar Bhord na Gaeilge idir 1975 agus 1978. Trína ról gníomhach i dtaca leis an mbeartas cultúrtha, d’fhéach sé le scríbhneoireacht agus foilsitheoireacht na Gaeilge a chothú chomh maith, agus measann lucht foilsitheoireachta na Gaeilge gur chuir a chuid oibre mar chomhalta de Bhord na Leabhar Gaeilge ó 1994 go 2006 go mór le beocht agus le héagsúlacht reatha na hearnála sin. Mar thoradh ar a spéis sa litríocht, thiomsaigh sé mórshaothar tagartha eile, Croí Cine, díolaim théamúil de scríbhneoireacht na Gaeilge. Foilsíodh den chéad uair in 1990 é agus rinneadh leagan méadaithe de a fhoilsiú in 2019.