This Festschrift comprising 46 essays, was conceived as a token of esteem and gratitude to one of the outstanding scholars of our time, Professor Ruairi Ó hUiginn. There are few aspects of the history and learned culture of the Irish language that he has not illuminated with great scholarly brio and it is with this range of engagement in mind that the essays in this book have been arranged in six sections:
- Literature and language in the early Middle Ages
- Literature and society in the later Middle Ages
- Bardic poetry
- Literature and history in the 16th – 19th centuries
- Literature and folklore in the 20th century
- Celtic studies
The title, Craobh Eolais, refers to a poem by Giolla na Naomh Mac Eochadha in which he likens his patron to a ‘branch of wisdom’. This epithet is easily applied to Professor O hUiginn who, unsparing of himself, has shared his great scholarly expertise and advice with remarkable generosity.
