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Heinrich Wagner was born in Zürich on the 16 January 1923. He studied Germanic and Indo-European philology in Zürich University between 1941–1945, where he was also taught Old Irish and Celtic philology by Professor Julius Pokorny. #DIASscholars #DIASdiscovers
In Sept 1945 he travelled to Dublin, where he spent several months improving his English. It is told anecdotally that when enquiring about his accommodation in Dublin, he asked an on duty Gárda officer at a busy intersection: ‘Excuse me, police, I desire a chamber.’ #DIASscholars
By Christmas of 1945, he was in Dún Chaoin in the house of Donnchadh ‘Dud’ Ó Conchubhair (LASID, pt. 20). It is in this house that he first learnt to speak Irish, through the help of his host and his daughters Mollie and Peig, and Peig’s husband Seosamh Ó Dálaigh. #DIASdiscovers
In a letter dated from two days after Christmas 1945 he wrote: ‘I sit all the day in the kitchen and ask and ask again. The people are interested to teach me and I can ask everything.’ #DIASscholars
Wagner returned from Dún Chaoin to Dublin in 1946. After discussing his desire to explore the Irish dialects of Ulster with an t-Ollamh Séamus Ó Duillearga, he made his way to Gort a’ Choirce where he stayed with Seán Ó hEochaidh. Thus began his interest in the Irish of Ulster.
During his time in Donegal, from 1946–1948, he began to work with Seán Ó hEochaidh on the Irish of Teileann & Gleann Cholmcille. Wagner’s linguistic work was at first funded by Comhaltas Uladh, & subsequently by @SCSLibrary. Gaeilge Theilinn was published in 1959. #DIASscholars
In the meantime, he began planning what would become his magnum opus, i.e. The Linguistic Atlas and Survey of Irish dialects or LASID, plans for which were published in 1948 in Éigse 6, 23–33. #DIASdiscovers http://books.dias.ie
Field work began while he was a scholar in @DIAS_Dublin in 1950, and was mostly concluded by 1955. LASID was published in four volumes between 1958 and 1969. #DIASdiscovers #DIASscholars
All volumes can be purchased on https://books.dias.ie/
All volumes can be purchased on https://books.dias.ie/
He was appointed Professor of Germanic Philology at the @UniUtrecht in 1951, moving to a similar post at the @UniBasel_enin 1953. In 1958 he returned to Ireland as Professor Celtic and Comparative Philology @QUBelfast In 1979 he was appointed Professor @SCSLibrary #DIASscholars
In addition to his contributions to Irish dialectology, his name is also associated with the typological and areal study of languages beyond and including Celtic and the pre-Indo-European substratam in Britain and Ireland.
He died on 11th Sept 1988. #DIASscholars #DIASdiscovers
He died on 11th Sept 1988. #DIASscholars #DIASdiscovers
