Brian Ó Cuív


Brian Ó Cuív was a Celtic scholar who specialised in Irish history and philology.

Life

Ó Cuív was professor of Celtic Studies at University College Dublin and later at the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies. His later years were devoted to the compilation of a catalogue of the Irish manuscripts in the University of Oxford. The completed catalogue was published after his death.
He married Emer de Valera—who would become the last surviving daughter of Éamon de Valera—with whom he had nine children. She died in 2012. A son, Éamon Ó Cuív, is a prominent Irish politician.

Surname

Ó Cuív's surname was changed from Ó Caoimh by his father, Shán Ó Cuív, a Cork journalist, who in the early 20th century changed the spelling of his surname to conform with a simplified spelling system of his own invention, which he called An Leitriú Shimplí. The letter 'v' is extremely rare in Irish outside modern loanwords.

Works

His works include: