O'Donovan, John (1809–1861)

Irish historian and Gaelic scholar. The analytical catalogue of Irish manuscripts that he compiled from 1836 onwards is generally regarded as the first step in scientific Gaelic scholarship. He also edited many texts, notably the works of the annalist Michael O'Clery (1575–1643).

O'Donovan was born in Kilkenny and educated in Dublin. In the 1820s, he worked in the Irish Record Office and then collaborated with his brother-in-law Eugene O'Curry (1796–1862) on Ordnance Survey mapping, visiting every parish to obtain accurate Irish place names. Together, they also founded the Archaeological Society and prepared a seminal Irish grammar. In 1850, O'Donovan became professor of celtic studies at Queen's College, Belfast and was involved in translating the Senchus Mór, a corpus of ancient Irish laws. His Letters, which recount his work on the cartographic survey of Ireland, were published in 50 volumes in 1924–32, and represent an invaluable historical resource.