About Daniel Corkery
Lived 1878 – 1964 (aged 86). Daniel Corkery was an Irish politician, celticist, writer and teacher.
Daniel Corkery (; 14 February 1878 – 31 December 1964) was an Irish politician, writer and academic. He is known as the author of The Hidden Ireland, a 1924 study of the poetry of eighteenth-century Irish language poets in Munster.
Academic career Corkery was born in Cork city and educated at Presentation Brothers College before training as a teacher at St Patrick's College, Dublin. He taught at Saint Patrick’s School in Cork, but resigned from there in 1921 when he was refused the headmastership. Among his students there were writer Frank O'Connor and sculptor Séamus Murphy.
After leaving St. Patrick's, Corkery taught art for the local technical education committee, before becoming inspector of Irish in 1925 and Professor of English at University College Cork in 1930. Among his students in UCC were Seán Ó Tuama. Corkery was often a controversial figure in academia for his 'nativist' views on Irish literature. His views sometimes resulted in conflict with scholars of the Irish language, including Pádraig de Brún and de Brún's niece Máire Mhac an tSaoi. Ó Tuama, however, was a frequent defender of Corkery's reputation.
Corkery lived on Gardiners Hill in Cork and in 1931 was elected president of his local GAA club, Brian Dillons.
Corkery's papers are held in the Boole Library of University College Cork.
Political career He was a member of Seanad Éireann for Fianna Fáil from 1951 to 1954 when he was nominated by the Taoiseach.
General Every year, in the third week of July, the Daniel Corkery Summer School is held in the village of Inchigeelagh, County Cork. Activities include landscape painting, Irish translation, choral singing, lectures, sessions, and concerts.
Works A Munster Twilight, Talbot Press, Dublin, 1917. The Threshold of Quiet, Talbot Press, Dublin; T. Fisher Unwin, London, 1917. The Labour Leader, Talbot Press, Dublin; T.Fisher Unwin, London, 1920 The Yellow Bittern, and other plays, Talbot Press: Dublin; T. Fisher Unwin: London, 1920. The Hounds of Banba, Talbot Press, Dublin, T. Fisher Unwin, London, 1921. I Bhreasail. A book of lyrics, Elkin Mathews, London, 1921. The Hidden Ireland, M. H. Gill & Son, Dublin, 1924. The Stormy Hills, Jonathan Cape: London (printed Dublin), 1929. Synge and Anglo-Irish Literature: A study, Cork University Press, 1931. Earth out of Earth, Talbot Press, Dublin & Cork, 1939. Resurrection, Talbot Press: Dublin, 1942. What's this about the Gaelic League?, Conradh na Gaeilge, Dublin, 1942. The Wager, and other stories, illustrated by Elizabeth Rivers, Devin-Adair, New York, 1950. The Fortunes of the Irish Language, C. J. Fallon, Dublin, 1954.
Don’t just read it —
keep it.
Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.
- E-book
- Audio
- Video
Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free
Important facts
People in Daniel Corkery's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Daniel Corkery's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Daniel Corkery?
Irish politician, writer and academic (1878-1964)
When was Daniel Corkery born?
Daniel Corkery was born on 14 February 1878 in Cork.
When did Daniel Corkery die?
Daniel Corkery died on 31 December 1964.
What was Daniel Corkery's occupation?
Daniel Corkery was a politician, celticist, writer and teacher.
What nationality was Daniel Corkery?
Daniel Corkery was Irish.
Sources & further reading
· DBpedia: Daniel Corkery (author)
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Daniel Corkery. https://biography.guide/daniel-corkery-politician/
MLA: "Daniel Corkery." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/daniel-corkery-politician/.
Chicago: "Daniel Corkery." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/daniel-corkery-politician/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
Page generated 2026-09-27 05:19 UTC