Niall Ó Dónaill

Niall Ó Dónaill (27 August 1908 – 10 February 1995) was an Irish language lexicographer from Ailt an Eidhinn, Loughanure, County Donegal, Ireland. He was the oldest of the six children of Tarlach Ó Dónaill and Éilis Nic Ruairí from Grial, Loughanure. They had a little land and a few cows. His father, Tarlach, would spend June to November working for a farmer in Scotland and died when Niall was 13 years old. Ó Dónaill himself spent summers working in the tunnels in Scotland.

During his time at university, he spent his summers teaching at Coláiste Bhríde, Rann na Feirste.

Ó Dónaill is most famous for his work as editor of the 1977 Irish-English dictionary Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla, which is still widely used today.

He received his education at Scoil Loch an Iúir in Loughanure before gaining a scholarship to St Eunan's College in Letterkenny. Another scholarship took him to University College Dublin to study Irish, English and History. In June 1982 he was awarded a D.Litt. by Trinity College Dublin.

Ó Dónaill wrote the book Bruigheann Féile which is based on stories of pastimes in the Gaeltacht town Loughanure and its surrounding area. His book Na Glúnta Rosannacha was first published in 1952.

He was awarded Gradam an Oireachtais at Oireachtas na Gaeilge in 1980.

Ó Dónaill died in 1995.