A lover of all that is good in Irish culture, Daithi O hOgain a native of Bruff who lived in Bray, county Wicklow, passed to his eternal reward at the age of 62 years, leaving behind a life devoted to the promotion of gaelic tradition and love of Ireland. An author of many books in Irish and English, he was a leading academic who also wrote many poems. His death at such a young age is deeply regretted by his many friends in Bruff and hinterland.

Hurling was the first love enjoyed by Daithi. Bruff lost two county Limerick minor hurling finals in 1965 and 1966. Daithi played in the late 1965 decider against Old Christians in torrential rain at Kilmallock and he was well acquainted with some of the Old Christians team as he was a student in Limerick CBS. This team included Walter Shanahan, Christy Campbell, Mattie Grace, David Tuohy and Richie Grace. On the Bruff line out with Daithi were Paddy O'Dwyer, Sean Hogan, Willie Conway, Mike Moloney, Jack Clancy, Tommy O'Connell, Pat Conway and Mick Hehir.

Daithi was a student in Limerick CBS, as a result of the awarding of a Limerick County Council scholarship and he was the recipient of another such award which took him into University College Dublin. His studies in the University included history, Irish, Englsh and philosophy. With an MA degree he worked as a journalist with RTE for the most of two years.
The son of Davy Hogan a noted horseman and Mary Tyrell both from Kilkenny, returned to UCD as a researcher of folklore and this move set him on course for a career which was to claim all his love of Ireland. His great grandfather Canon Carrigaan a historian came from Ossory.

Daithi had a deep interest in politics. In the years preceding 1980 he was on the Ardcomharile of Sinn Fein, directing policy and the road ahead for the party.
I first met Daithi at a Joyce school in Kilfinane. He had a deep interest in such schools and was a good friend of An Manguire Sugurach from Bruree, the organiser of the Kilfinane school. His interest in such projects took him into all parts of Ireland, making friends as well as adding to his vast collection of folklore. His folklore was not only concentrated on Ireland but went continental as time progressed, founding folk projects from Iceland to Eastern Europe.

In all his work on a national scale in folklore he never forgot his own place. He supported The Dawn publication and was influential in the Lough Gur Journal. Here his good friends Michael Quinlan, Pat Quilty and Tom McNamara sought his advice when publishing a special folklore edition in 1991. This fine publication includes tales of the past from Mrs Carroll, Tom McNamara, Michael Quinlan, Sean McNamara, Francis Byrne, Willie Lavery, Phil Russell, James O'Donoghue, Bridgid Carroll, Mary Keogh, Danny O'Riordan, Mannix Joyce, John Farrell, Gladys O'Donnell, Ned Magner, Mr and Mrs Danny O'Riordan, John Joe Ryan, Tim Dineen, Michael Meade, Annie O'Keeffe, Michael Madden, Ms Hayes, Pat Quilty, John Farrell, Father Browne, Paddy Kelly, Bro. Michael Purcell, Michael Lombard, Sean Smyth, Fr Liam Enright, Michael Spillane and Martin Quilty. These contributors knew Daithi and gladly gave to the publication.

Some years ago I was in a secondhand bookshop in Belfast and came across a beautiful book by Daithi. It is entitled Myth, Legend & Romance an encyclopaedia of Irish Folk Tradition. It is divided into sections covering The Mythological Cycle - The Ulster Cycle - The Fianna Cycle - The Kings Cycle - Hagiography - Folktales & Customs. In this book he came back to his first love, hurling and told of a legend of a famous hurler who was taken by the Fairies and how he goaled for the Otherworld, scoring the winning goal and was back in bed, not missed by his folks.

Daithi advanced to be an associate Professor in Folklore in UCD.
He is survived by his wife Caitriona, son Ruain and daughters Aisling, Orla, Niamh, Sadhbh.
Daithi O hOgain; born June 13 1949, died December 11 2011.

- Courtesy of the Limerick Leader, 4th February 2012 Tweet

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