About Brian Ó Cuív
Lived 1916 – 1999 (aged 82–83). Brian Ó Cuív was an Irish linguist and historian.
Brian Ó Cuív (20 November 1916 – 14 November 1999) was an Irish scholar who specialised in Celtic 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 — a daughter of Éamon de Valera. They had nine children. Emer died in 2012. Their son — Éamon Ó Cuív — is a former Irish politician. The letter 'v' is extremely rare in Irish outside modern loanwords.
Works His works include: The Irish of West Muskerry, Co. Cork: A Phonetic Study (1951) Irish Dialects and Irish Speaking Districts: Three Lectures (1951) Parliament Na mBan, editor (1952) Seven Centuries of Irish Learning: 1000–1700 (1961) A View of the Irish Language (1969) The Linguistic Training of the Mediaeval Irish Poet (1973) The Impact of the Scandinavian Invasions on the Celtic-speaking Peoples c. 800–1100 A.D. (1983) Catalogue of Irish Manuscripts in the Bodleian Library at Oxford and Oxford College Libraries (2001-03) 2 vols. Dublin: Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, School of Celtic Studies
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Important facts
People in Brian Ó Cuív's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Brian Ó Cuív's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Brian Ó Cuív?
Irish historian
When was Brian Ó Cuív born?
Brian Ó Cuív was born in 1916 in Dublin.
When did Brian Ó Cuív die?
Brian Ó Cuív died on 14 November 1999.
What was Brian Ó Cuív's occupation?
Brian Ó Cuív was a linguist and historian.
What nationality was Brian Ó Cuív?
Brian Ó Cuív was Irish.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Brian Ó Cuív. https://biography.guide/brian-o-cuiv/
MLA: "Brian Ó Cuív." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/brian-o-cuiv/.
Chicago: "Brian Ó Cuív." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/brian-o-cuiv/.
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