Ó Conbhuidhe (Conway), Séamus (Colmcille)

by Diarmuid Breathnach

Ó Conbhuidhe (Conway), Séamus (Colmcille) (1909–92), Irish-language scholar, poet and historian, was born James Conway on 26 September 1909 at 53 Gladstone Street, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, the eldest son of Patrick Joseph Conway, a paper merchant, and his wife Kate (née Dwyer). Patrick Conway was a Redmondite who joined the British army in 1914, while his wife's brother was secretary of a Sinn Féin branch in Templetuohy, Templemore, Co. Tipperary. After attending locally at the Sisters of Charity and Christian Brothers schools, James boarded in the Cistercian College in Mount Melleray, Co. Waterford, up to leaving certificate. For two years before entering the Cistercian (Trappist) order in 1930, he studied philosophy in the college. On 26 June 1936 he was ordained in Waterford cathedral, taking Colmcille as his name in religion. In Mount Melleray College he taught history and geography through the medium of Irish. His first essays appeared in the monastery's Irish journal, An Sléibhteánach: 'Beatha agus saothar liteardha Sheathrúin Chéitinn' (on the life and work of Geoffrey Keating (qv)) and 'Cois na Siúire' (Along the Suir). In 1941 ill health forced him to abandon teaching and he began to study history; about 1948, he sent a series of articles on recent Irish history to the Irish Press. They were not published then, but Éamon de Valera (qv), virtual owner of the paper, when spending some time in Mount Melleray monastery, persuaded him to publish them in book form. It was not until 1971 that some were published under the pseudonym 'Séamas Ó Duibhir' as An Phoblacht, leabhar a haon: an téirí amach.

Although Mellifont Abbey, Co. Louth, was re-established in 1942, 800 years after its foundation in 1142, Ó Conbhuidhe's wish to transfer there was not granted until 1946. In 1945 his translation of 'Regula Sancti Benedicti' had been given to An Gúm, the government Irish-language publication branch, and was published as Riail ár Naomh-Athar Beiniadhacht in 1958. In that same year was published his The story of Mellifont. Dr Geraldine Carville, writing in the Clonmel Nationalist, described it as 'the first definitive work on the old abbey of Mellifont, which is still regarded as the standard work on that house' (13 February 1993). He also edited documents relating to the Cistercians for the County Louth Archeological Journal, Citeaux and Collectanea Ordinis Cisterciensium Reformatorum. Aubrey Gwynn (qv) described him in Studies of spring 1971 as 'our most authoritative historian of the Cistercian order in Ireland', but regretted that his most important work, Comhcheilg na Mainistreach Móire (1968), was in Irish while his other works on the order were in English: 'I find it regrettable that this study of an episode which has already attracted the attention of German, French and English scholars should be written in a language which few outside Ireland can understand' (p. 87). The Gaelic author Risteárd Ó Glaisne (qv) believed that Fr Colmcille's answer would be that nothing would be worth writing in Irish if it were not worthwhile writing something of importance in it. Comhcheilg na Mainistreach Móire is based on letters written by Stephen de Lexington about visits he paid to Cistercian monasteries in 1228. Carville said about it: 'It is rigorous in research, erudite and imbued with enthusiasm' (Nationalist (Clonmel), 13 February 1993).

Support for his work was not always forthcoming from fellow Cistercians, even when he was engaged with the history of the order itself. Some preferred that he spend his days praying, but the abbot of Mellifont, Dom Benignus Hickey, encouraged him to continue. His Deoraí Chríost (1960) is about St Colum Cille (qv). After Vatican II he was greatly in favour of Irish as a liturgical language, in support of which he wrote Urnaí na hoíche (1974), Urnaithe tráthnóna (I) (1979), Urnaí na maidne (1983); Ord na miontráthanna agus an tráth meáin (1985) and Urnaithe tráthnóna (II) (1987). He suggested that the order should sponsor an Irish-speaking community to which those who wished to have Irish as the vernacular language could withdraw, but this did not come about. His translation Leabhar na Salm was published in 1961. Pádraig Ó Fiannachta in An Bíobla Naofa (1981) ('Focal ón bhfear eagair') says: 'Is leagan ar leith de chuid an Athar Colmcille, O.Cist., atá againn i gcás Na Sailm' ('In the case of the Psalms it is Fr Colmcille's, O. Cist., own version we are given').

He had planned to translate My fight for Irish freedom (1924) by Dan Breen (qv) to Irish, but finding this difficult he opted to research the fight for freedom in Co. Tipperary, the result being Trodairí na Treas Briogáide (1955; written under the pen name 'Colm Ó Labhra'). The words in the ballad 'At Soloheadbeg the war began' – 'In the Gaelic tongue we'll tell our sons how brave Seán Treacy died' – inspired him to write the account in Irish. There were some within the order who thought that a Cistercian should not be researching or publishing secular history and tried to prevent publication, but Dom Benignus Hickey encouraged his work and authorised publication. Ó Conbhuidhe's essay 'The Third Tipperary Brigade 1921–1923' was published in the Tipperary Historical Journal (1990–92).

Fr Colmcille's poems have not appeared in book form. Séamas Ó Céileachair (1916–88) selected four of them in Nuafhilí 3 (1979). His 'Inis Leamhnachta agus dánta eile' were included in the Capuchin Annual (1949), and Liam Ó Duibhir published more of his poems in An Linn Bhuí: Iris Ghaeltacht na nDéise 7 (2003). Fr Colmcille was also a musician, being organist in Mount Melleray. Carville says: 'He also translated the text of the daily office and set this to music. He spent many painstaking hours adapting and arranging old Irish airs to accompany his work and indeed at times introduced his own musical phrases and compositions, for Fr Colmcille was also a musician and composer. Melodies could be easily executed on a melodica or a one and a half octave keyboard … These small instruments he usually carried in his hand luggage with the result that no refrain was ever lost' (Nationalist (Clonmel), 13 February 1993). The same author mentions his ability as photographer and artist. Fr Colmcille was present in Clonmel when honoured with the freedom of the town on 22 April 1989. He died on 18 December 1992.

His younger brother Michael ('Micksey') Conway (1911–97) was one of the republicans condemned to death in 1936 for the murder in Co. Waterford of John Egan, whom they believed had informed the authorities about IRA drilling. Tim Pat Coogan says that a government committee decided that Conway was one of those who should be released and this was done in 1938. Coogan states that Conway's case 'proved a rallying point for IRA publicists. “Micksey”, as he was called, was one of the best-known IRA men in Ireland at the time, and a classic example of a figure of menace to those outside the movement and the epitome of decency, kindness and sincerity to those within it' (The IRA (1970), 92). According to Fr Colmcille, it was Dan Breen who asked de Valera that he not be hanged. Micksey learned Irish while in the Curragh. J. Bowyer Bell (qv) states: 'Conway was already considering giving up revolutionary politics for the Church. He seemed intent on building up the IRA before he withdrew to a monastery' (The secret army (1970), 241). He was involved in the reorganisation of the IRA after 1945, but in 1950 joined the Cistercians at Mellifont abbey, taking Maolmhuire as his name in religion, and remained with them until his death.