Cite selectedRISBiBTeX

Neil Buttimer has lectured in the Department of Modern Irish, University College, Cork (UCC), since 1982.                       

He received his undergraduate and postgraduate education at UCC, the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (as research Scholar), and Harvard University.  Earlier, he attended North Mon. C.B.S. Secondary School (est. 1811) and Glasheen National School (est. 1897). 

He has served on four of UCC's foundational faculties, the Faculties of Arts, Celtic Studies, Commerce and Law; in the former Arts Faculty, on its Regulations Committee, Resources and External Relations Committee (as Chairperson), Faculty Academic Development Committee, the Interim Management Committee of the College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences (CACSSS), and Secretary of the Arts Faculty School of Languages and Literatures; in the Faculty of Law, on its Board of Languages and Literatures and its Student Affairs Committee; on UCC Quality Review boards (for instance, the University's Department of Education); on the institution's earlier Teaching Development Committee, and on the UCC Governing Body sub-committee, Bord na Gaeilge. He was nominated as Scrutineer of votes at consecutive Governing Body elections.

His membership of Selection/Appointment boards for academic positions at UCC includes areas (in departments or centres) such as Archaeology, Early and Medieval Irish, Economics, Education, English, Folkore and Ethnology, French, Government, Ionad na Gaeilge Labhartha, Law, and Modern Irish. 

Externally, he acted on Appointment boards for positions in the Translation Section (Rannóg an Aistriúcháin) of the Houses of the Oireachtas (Irish Parliament), for positions in the National Museum of Ireland, as well as for academic posts (establishment or promotional) in University College, Dublin, and Dublin City University (where he was at different stages, and most recently during 2013-17, a programme Extern Examiner, with duties also comprising course appraisal and examination of doctoral theses).

In 1981, Neil Buttimer initiated the Harvard Celtic Colloquium, an annual event since then.  He was a member at various times of the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society (including its Council), the Eighteenth-Century Ireland Society, and other bodies. 

In addition to his own research, he maintains interest in interdisciplinary collaboration.  He established and subsequently directed UCC's Higher Diploma / MA in Irish Heritage Management (1990-2000), taught in the earlier Faculties of Arts and Commerce, and the University's BCL (Law and Irish) [Central Application Office (CAO), CK 304]) (1999- ), offered in Arts and the Faculty of Law (within the College of Commerce and Law). 

In the context of Ireland's National Development Plan 1989-93 (1989), the Heritage Management course received five-year start-up support from the Advanced Technical Skills Programme of the European Social Fund, together with further assistance from the EC ERASMUS, COMETT and LEONARDO exchange schemes.  There ensued a submission to the consultative process from which the Irish Research Council for the Humanities and Social Sciences (IRCHSS) emerged, now subsumed into the Irish Research Council (IRC), regarding structured support for projects in the humanities.

The Law and Irish degree was awarded curriculum development financing from UCC's Faculty of Arts and from the Targetted Initiatives (Irish) programme of Ireland's Higher Education Authority (HEA). In 2008, the Faculty of Law leveraged the same HEA source to create a lectureship and doctoral scholarships in Law. Its former BCL (Clinical) [CAO, CK 305] was modelled partially after the University's BCL (Law and Irish).

The categories below outline Neil Buttimer's research and teaching in greater detail ( 'Reviews' and 'Conference Contributions' confined to recent or selected entries; occasional citation of DOI or relevant stable URL links, with other items accessible via JSTOR). 

He lives in Cork.  Its history, literature and traditions rank highly among his interests.

Is mór ag Neil Buttimer a chuid ceanglacha muintearais, cónaithe is taighde le Gaeltachtaí na Mumhan, le Gaeltacht Mhúscraí agus le Gaeltacht Chorca Dhuibhne, ach go háirithe.

Cite selectedRISBiBTeX

Research Interests

Textual scholarship and analysis.

Cataloguing and description of primary sources (manuscript and printed, together with interaction between these media). 

Early and medieval Irish narratives of the Ulster Cycle and King Cycle, to 1200 A.D.

Gaelic Ireland, 1700-1850 A.D., particularly the writings of diarist, Amhlaoibh Ó Súilleabháin (ob. 1838). 

History of Irish as an academic discipline. 

Integrated development of Ireland's cultural resources.

National and international public policy in higher education and language planning.

Cite selectedRISBiBTeX

Books

Book Chapters

	Year	Publication
	(2016)	''An Ghaeilge mar urlabhra uirbeach: cás chathair Chorcaí' Neil Buttimer (2016) ''An Ghaeilge mar urlabhra uirbeach: cás chathair Chorcaí' In: Liam Mac Mathúna, Regina Uí Chollatáin (eds). Saothrú na Gaeilge scríofa i suímh uirbeacha na hÉireann. Dublin: Ollscoil na hÉireann / National University of Ireland. [Details]
	(2014)	''The Ulster Cycle: an other world'' Neil Buttimer (2014) ''The Ulster Cycle: an other world'' In: Norah Campbell, John Desmond, James Fitchett, Donncha Kavanagh, Pierre McDonagh, Aidan O'Driscoll, Andrea Prothero (eds). Myth and the market. Dublin: UCD Business School, University College, Dublin. [Details]
	(2013)	''Comhfhreagras Corcaíoch'' Neil Buttimer (2013) ''Comhfhreagras Corcaíoch'' In: Seán Ó Coileáin, Liam P. Ó Murchú, Pádraigín Riggs (eds). Séimhfhear suairc: aistí in ómós don Ollamh Breandán Ó Conchúir. An Díseart, An Daingean: An Sagart. [Details]
	(2012)	''The Great Famine in Gaelic manuscripts'' Neil Buttimer (2012) ''The Great Famine in Gaelic manuscripts'' In: John Crowley, William J. Smyth, Mike Murphy (eds). Atlas of the Great Irish Famine. Cork: Cork University Press. [Details]
	(2008)	''Cornelius. G. Buttimer' Neil Buttimer (2008) ''Cornelius. G. Buttimer' In: Attracta Halpin (eds). A century of scholarship: Travelling students of the National University of Ireland. Dublin: NUI Press. [Details]
	(2007)	''Images of law in pre-Famine Gaelic Ireland'' Neil Buttimer (2007) ''Images of law in pre-Famine Gaelic Ireland'' In: Gert Hoffman (eds). Figures of law. Tubingen und Basel: A. Francke Verlag. [Details]
	(2006)	''Literature in Irish, 1690-1800: from the Williamite Wars to the Act of Union'' Neil Buttimer (2006) ''Literature in Irish, 1690-1800: from the Williamite Wars to the Act of Union'' In: Margaret Kelleher and Philip O'Leary (eds). The Cambridge History of Irish Literature, Volume 1. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. [DOI] [Details]
	(2005)	''Irish in eighteenth-century Cork'' Neil Buttimer (2005) ''Irish in eighteenth-century Cork'' In: J. S. Crowley, R. J. N. Devoy, D. Linehan, P. O'Flanagan and M. J. Murphy (eds). Atlas of Cork city. Cork: Cork University Press. [Details]
	(2004)	''A late Life of Patrick'' Neil Buttimer (2004) ''A late Life of Patrick'' In: Cín Chille Cúile: texts, saints and places, essays in honour of Pádraig Ó Riain. Aberystwyth: Celtic Studies Publications. [Details]
	(2004)	''Amhlaoibh Ó Súilleabháin's writings'' Neil Buttimer (2004) ''Amhlaoibh Ó Súilleabháin's writings'' In: Liam P. Ó Murchú (eds). Amhlaoibh Ó Súilleabháin: reassessments. London and Dublin: Irish Texts Society. [Details]
	(2004)	''BCL (Law and Irish) in University College, Cork: a case study'' Neil Buttimer (2004) ''BCL (Law and Irish) in University College, Cork: a case study'' In: Caoilfhionn Nic Pháidín and Dona Uí Bhraonáin (eds). University education in Irish: challenges and perspectives. Dublin: FIONTAR, Dublin City University. [Details]
	(2003)	''Irish languague and literature, 1921-84'' Neil Buttimer and Máire Ní Annracháin (2003) ''Irish languague and literature, 1921-84'' In: J. R. Hill (eds). A New History of Ireland, Vol. 7 - Ireland 1921-1984. Oxford: Oxford University Press. [DOI] [Details]
	(2000)	''The Irish language'' Neil Buttimer (2000) ''The Irish language'' In: Neil Buttimer, Colin Rynne and Helen Guerin (eds). The heritage of Ireland. Cork: Collins Press. [Details]
	(1998)	''The Irish Texts Society Subsidiary Series'' Neil Buttimer (1998) ''The Irish Texts Society Subsidiary Series'' In: Pádraig Ó Riain (eds). The Irish Texts Society: the first hundred years. London and Dublin: Irish Texts Society. [Details]
	(1996)	''A stone on the cairn: the Great Famine in later Gaelic manuscripts'' Neil Buttimer (1996) ''A stone on the cairn: the Great Famine in later Gaelic manuscripts'' In: Christopher Morash and Richard Hayes (eds). 'Fearful realities': new perspectives on the Famine. Dublin: Irish Academic Press. [Details]
	(1996)	''Markets, exchange and the extreme'' Neil Buttimer and Donncha Kavanagh (1996) ''Markets, exchange and the extreme'' In: Marketing apocalypse. London and New York: Routledge. [Details]
	(1995)	''Cloch sa leacht: an Gorta Mór i lámhscríbhinní déanacha na Gaeilge'' Neil Buttimer (1995) ''Cloch sa leacht: an Gorta Mór i lámhscríbhinní déanacha na Gaeilge'' In: Cathal Póirtéir (eds). Gnéithe den Ghorta. Baile Átha Cliath: Coiscéim. [Details]
	(1994)	''Degrés de perception de la France dans l'Irlande gaélique de la pré-Famine'' Neil Buttimer (1994) ''Degrés de perception de la France dans l'Irlande gaélique de la pré-Famine'' In: Catherine Laurent and Helen Davis (eds). Irlande et Bretagne: vingt siecles d'histoire. Rennes: Terre de Brume. [Details]
	(1993)	''Gaelic literature and contemporary life in Cork, 1700-1840'' Cornelius G. Buttimer (1993) ''Gaelic literature and contemporary life in Cork, 1700-1840'' In: Patrick O'Flanagan and Cornelius G. Buttimer (eds). Cork history and society: interdisciplinary essays on the history of an Irish county. Dublin: Geography Publications. [Details]
	(1990)	''Postclassical Modern Irish'' Cornelius G. Buttimer (1990) ''Postclassical Modern Irish'' In: Mairtín Ó Murchú (eds). Scoil an Léinn Cheiltigh Tuarascáil Leathchéad Bliain / School of Celtic Studies Fiftieth Anniversary Report. Dublin: Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies. [Details]
	(1983)	''A catalogue of Irish manuscripts in the Boston Athenaeum'' Cornelius G. Buttimer (1983) ''A catalogue of Irish manuscripts in the Boston Athenaeum'' In: Folia Gadelica: essays presented to R. A. Breatnach. Cork: Cork University Press. [Details]

Edited Books

Peer Reviewed Journals

Conference Publications

Encyclopedia Entries

Review Articles

	Year	Publication
	(2016)	'Enabling the future': review of Tom Garvin, 'The lives of Daniel Binchy: Irish scholar, diplomat, public intellectual' (2016), in Dublin Review of Books, September 2016. Neil Buttimer (2016) 'Enabling the future': review of Tom Garvin, 'The lives of Daniel Binchy: Irish scholar, diplomat, public intellectual' (2016), in Dublin Review of Books, September 2016. Dublin: Review Articles [Details]
	(2003)	'Gaelic Ireland: land, lordship & settlement c.1250-c.1650' (Dublin: Four Courts Press, for the Group for the Study of Irish Historic Settlement, 2001). Patrick J. Duffy, David Edwards and Elizabeth FitzPatrick (eds) (2003) 'Gaelic Ireland: land, lordship & settlement c.1250-c.1650' (Dublin: Four Courts Press, for the Group for the Study of Irish Historic Settlement, 2001). Journal of the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society: Review Articles [Details]

Reviews

Cite selectedRISBiBTeX

Honours and Awards

Professional Associations

Conference Contributions

Employment

Education

Languages

Outreach Activities

Journal Activities

Other Activities

Cite selectedRISBiBTeX

Teaching Interests

Neil Buttimer lectures to the Modern Irish undergraduate BA or associated programmes, as well as the discipline's taught masters.   

He provides research-based instruction on various forms of writing, and their contents, in medieval and pre-Famine Gaelic Ireland, together with issues in contemporary culture.  

Teaching methods are with reference to textual scholarship, analysis and commentary. 

Lecture topics

Modules offered recently concentrate on genre, including constitutions (GA 1030), diaries (GA 2016), letters (GA 3022) and sagas (GA 3007); on context (such as the law and literature interface, GA 3030); on individual authors (in GA 6011, the writings of Amhlaoibh Ó Súilleabháin), and the international aspect to Irish literature (GA 6015). 

Previous modules comprised undergraduate and graduate introductory or survey courses, in domains like bardic poetry and medieval intellectual life.

Research supervision

This is in the aforementioned lecturing areas, to all levels, MA (thesis element), MPhil and PhD.  There follows an indicative list of Modern Irish domains in which his students have completed or are undertaking research projects, together with representative graduate publications, distinctions and awards.   

Later medieval studies:

Death in the Annals of Connacht; Dónal Ó Catháin (MA 2011), Irish Research Council Postgraduate Scholarship holder, National University of Ireland, Galway, 2013-16.

Post-Classical tradition, 1650-1900:

editions of prose/verse collections - of Liam Dall Ó hIfearnáin (Tipperary), by Daniel Finnan, PhD (in progress), of Padraig Phiarais Cúndún (east Cork), by Antoin Ó Floinn, PhD (in progress, with Neil Buttimer as second internal reader);

linguistics - early nineteenth-century language planning and standardisation, Finbarr Brendan (Barra) Ua Cearnaigh, PhD (2009) (see further below);

poetics -  early eighteenth-century political laments, Tomás L. Ó Murchú, PhD (2015), book chapter from, 'The language of discontent in Séamus Óg Mac Coitir's elegies' in A. Handy and B. Ó Conchubhair (eds), The language of gender, power and agency in Celtic Studies (2014), article from, 'Caoineadh ar Shéamas Óg Mac Coitir', Éigse: a journal of Irish Studies, Vol. 39 (2016), 71-95;

scribal culture - in eighteenth-century Dublin, Nessa O'Sullivan, MA (1990), in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Tipperary, Denis O'Dwyer (Donnchadh Ó Duibhir), PhD (2015).

Contemporary Irish:

Irish-language Revival organisations - Traolach Ó Ríordáin, Conradh na Gaeilge i gCorcaigh 1894-1910 (2000), based on PhD (1995); Máire Ní Shíocháin, 'Idir dhá ré: Conradh na Gaeilge i gCorcaigh, 1910-22, Cuid a hAon', Journal of the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society, Vol. 109 (2004), 67-100  based on MA (2002).

Irish and political ideology - Gaelic verse of the period 1916-23, Íde Bríd Ní Mhurchú, MA (2009);

Irish and public policy - in state agencies, Údarás na Gaeltachta, Laoise Nic Chárthaigh, PhD (2011) (see further below), and in local government, Naoise Bennéid, MA (2000);

Irish and public opinion - Seán Breandán Ó hUallacháin, Pobal an Stáit agus an Ghaeilge 1920-39 (2010) and Tagairtí Gaeilge i nuachtáin an Stáit, 1920-'39 (2012), based on MPhil (2002);

Irish publishing - by the state body, An Gúm, of translations from French literature, Marie Darmody, MA (2008) (Fulbright Irish-language Teaching Assistant, University of Notre Dame, 2010-11), from Anglo-Irish literature, Freda Ní Mhuileann, MA (2011), and educational materials, Seán Breandán Ó hUallacháin, PhD (with research travel support from CACSSS; submitted and approved, 2016);

Irish and regional culture - of West Waterford, Mícheál Ó Drisleáin, PhD (2013), articles from in An Linn Bhuí Vol. 12 (2008) and following, CD from, An grá dod dhúchas: amhráin agus seanchas a bhailigh an Dr Piaras de Hindeberg S.J. ins na Déise (2012);

Irish and education - Irish linguistic and literary history in Leaving Certificate syllabus, Selma Nic Suibhne, MA (2012);

Modern Irish and its international dimension -  in Montana, USA, Ciara Ní Riain (Ciara Ryan), PhD (in progress, with research travel support from CACSSS), article from, 'Seán "Irish" Ó Súilleabháin: ó Inis Fearann Ard go Butte, Montana', in Ríona Nic Congáil et al. (eag.), Litríocht na Gaeilge ar fud an domhain: cruthú, caomhnú agus athbheochan Iml. 1 (Baile Átha Cliath: LeabhairCOMHAR, 2015), 233-58.

Course and module development

Neil Buttimer established and formerly directed UCC's Higher Diploma / MA in Irish Heritage Management (1990-2000) and the University's BCL (Law and Irish) [Central Applications Office, CK 304] (1999- ) degrees. He also previously coordinated the institution's Certificate in Irish Studies, a programme developed originally in the Faculty of Celtic Studies for visiting international students, restructuring the offering and revising its delivery.

Development of the work-experience placement element of the Higher Diploma / MA in Irish Heritage Management involved interaction with national and international cultural institutions, together with support from Bord Fáilte, CERT, FÁS, Ireland's Heritage Council and other entities.

Graduates found employment opportunities, or enhanced them, as local authority heritage officers, in special- interest centres (Dublin Writers Museum, GAA Croke Park Museum, Georgian Society), ecotourism, educational administration, media (RTÉ Radio, TG4), Údarás na Gaeltachta and other outlets, within Ireland and overseas. 

Creation of the off-campus, Third-Year practicum aspect of the BCL (Law and Irish), as expressed in modules GA 3010 and GA 3012, followed engagement with, among others, the Translation Section (Rannóg an Aistriúcháin) of the Houses of the Oireachtas, agencies of the Irish state, such as the Attorney General's Office, the Courts Service, the Department of Foreign Affairs, RTÉ Legal Affairs Department, Údarás na Gaeltachta or legal practioners.  International collaboration in this regard has involved the Federal District Court, Montana, USA, together with the Irish Studies programme of the University of Montana, and the National Assembly for Wales.  Various Law and Irish placements are noted by students and graduates in LinkedIn profiles and that site's dedicated alumni group. 

Whether in Ireland or beyond, graduates are employed as lawyer linguists, legal academics, administrators and practitioners, as educational professionals, in Gaeltacht community development, and other fields.  Many have also finalised postgraduate research in Irish language and literature.

Other areas of interdisciplinary collaboration included creation, in 2006-07, of GA 2015, 'An Ghaeilge agus an Ceol', this module, linking Irish and Music, also receiving HEA Targeted Initiatives in Irish teaching and curriculum development funding, via UCC's Bord na Gaeilge. 

Modules Neil Buttimer added to the Department of Modern Irish syllabus since 2013 include GA 3022 (on Irish letters), GA 6011 (on the writings of Amhlaoibh Ó Súilleabháin) and GA 6015 (on international Irish writing).  These additions reflect his ongoing research activities. 

Neil Buttimer salutes the major contribution Arts graduates of his in Irish continue to make at all levels, primary, secondary and tertiary, of this country's education system. 

Recent Postgraduates

Current Postgraduate Students

Modules Taught

Cite selectedRISBiBTeX

Internal Collaborators

External Collaborators