| Aodh Mac An Bhaird was born in Lettermacward on the Gweebarra Bay. His father, Geoffrey was head of the family of Mac An Bhaird, ancestoral poets and historians to the O'Donnells. In 1607 Aodh entered the University of Salamanca, Spain and studied there until 1616 when he joined the Franciscans. After his ordination he lectured on philosophy at Paris until he was appointed professor of Divinity at St. Anthony's College, Louvain. In 1626 Aodh Mac An Bhaird was elected rector of the college and then set about realising his life ambition of publishing a history of Ireland, civil and ecclesiastic. He employed several of his co-religious to gather and transcribe extant manuscripts from throughout Europe, among them fellow Donegal Franciscan scholars John Colgan, O'Dochartaigh and Michael O'Clery. Aodh Mac An Bhaird wrote several treatises, including De nomenclatura hiberniae; De statu et processu veteris in Hiberni a reipublicae; Martyrologium ex multis vetustis Latino-Hibernicum; Anagraphen magnalium S. Patricii; Investigatio Ursulanae expeditionis; S. Rumoldi Acta (Louvain, 1662). Mac An Bhaird prepared extensive glosses to his works and wrote hymns and epigrams in Latin as well poetry in Irish. Aodh Mac An Bhaird died in 1635 and was buried in the college of St. Antony at Louvain. |
Rugadh Aodh Mac An Bhaird í Leitir Mhic an Bhaird ar an Ghaoth Barra. B'é a athair Geoffrey ceannurraidh chlann Mhic Úi Bhaird, a bhí mar bhaird agus mar staraí ag Clann Uí Dhomhnaill. Í 1607 chuaigh Aodh go dtí Ollscoil Salamanca, sa Spáinn agus bhí sé ag staidéar ansin go dtí 1616 nuair a chuaigh sé leis na Proinsiasaigh. Ín dhiaidh é a oirniú mar shagart bhí sé ina léachtóir fealsúnachta í bPáras go dtí gur ceapadh é mar ollamh de Diagacht í Coláiste Naomh Antaine í Louvain. Í 1626 togadh Aodh Mac An Bhaird mar reachtaire ar an Choláiste agus is ansin a thosaigh sé ag comhlíonadh uaillmhian a chroí - ag foilsiú gnáth-stair agus stair eaglasta na h-Éireann. Chuir se uimhir de na manaí eile ag obair, ag bailiú agus ag athscríobh lámhscríbhinní a bhí ar marthain ar fud na h-Eorpa. Orthu sin bhí a chomhscolairí Proinsiasacha as Dún na nGall, John Colgan, O'Dochartaigh agus Michael O'Clery. Scríobh Aodh Mac An Bhaird roinnt tráchtaisí, ar a raibh 'De nomenclatura hiberniae; De statu et processu veteris in Hiberni a reipublicae; Martyrologium ex multis vetustis Latino-Hibernicum; Anagraphen magnalium Naoimh Patricii; Investigatio Ursulanae expeditionis; S. Rumoldi Acta' (Louvain 1662). D'ullmhaigh Aodh Mac An Bhaird gluaiseanna forleathana mar bhun-notaí ar a shaothar, scríobh sé iomanna, agus dán-fhocla í Laidne, maraon le filíocht Gaeilge. Fuair Aodh Mac An Bhaird bás sa bliain 1635 agus cuireadh é í gColáiste Naoimh Antaine í Louvain. © |