Ba é an t-aon duine amháin é a bhí ag teagasc Gaeilge i gColáiste na Tríonóide san 18ú haois. Tá cuntais ar a bheatha san iris Hermathena: ag Cosslett Quin i mBealtaine 1939 (‘A Manuscript written in 1709 by Charles Lynegar for John Hall, Vice-Provost of Trinity College, Dublin’); ag M.H. Risk i 1966 (‘Charles Lynegar, Professor of the Irish language 1712’); agus ag Máirtín Ó Murchú (‘Irish Language Studies in Trinity College Dublin’) i 1992. Bhí a mhuintir le fada ina n-ollúna ag Mag Uidhir Fhear Manach. Is cosúil gurbh in Inis Mór in aice le hInis Ceithleann a bhí cónaí ar a ghaolta; luann Quin ‘Mount Lynegar’ agus Ard Uí Loinin sa cheantar sin.

Rinneadh an chéad tagairt dó i 1708 nuair a ceapadh é ina léachtóir Gaeilge i gColáiste na Tríonóide. An tArdeaspag William King faoi deara an ceapachán. In A short history of the attempts that have been made to convert the popish natives of Ireland to the establish’d religion, 1712 scríobh John Richardson: ‘And the present Arch-Bishop of Dublin did, and doth still encourage Mr Lyniger, to teach it publicly.’ Ba é an post céanna é a bhí ag Pól Ó hUiginn anuas go 1682. D’fhan sé sa phost sin, meastar, go 1730. Ní ón gColáiste a thagadh cibé tuarastal beag a bhí aige ach ó dhaoine a bhí ar son a raibh i gceist sa phost, is é sin teagasc na Gaeilge do mhic léinn a bhí le hoirniú ina ministrí. Um Shamhain 1711 foilsíodh an teastas seo: ‘We the Provost and Fellows of Trinity College, Dublin, do certifie, that Mr Charles Lyniger hath, for the space of Three Years last past, with our Consent and Approbation, taught many of the Students in said College the Irish Language, who have made considerable progress therein. And we are humbly of Opinion. That if the said Work were promoted and encouraged, it might prove a Means, by God’s Blessing to convert the Irish Natives, and bring them over to the Establish’d Church.’ Le linn dó a bheith sa phost sin chabhraigh sé le Richardson chun Gaeilge a chur ar Leabhar na nOrnaightheadh cComhchoitchionn; tá litir a chuir sé chuig Lord St. George i gcló ag David Greene in Éigse, earrach 1946 (‘A Dedication and Poem by Charles Lynegar’) ina ndearbhaíonn sé go glansoiléir gurbh é féin a rinne an t-aistriúchán.

Bhí caidreamh éigin aige leis an ngrúpa de scoláirí Gaeilge a bhíodh i gcomhluadar Sheáin agus Thaidhg Uí Neachtain i mBaile Átha Cliath. Thabharfá leat ó dhán a shíltear a scríobh Seán Ó Neachtain go raibh drochmheas acu air. Tá sé (‘A uaisle Eirionn, searc mo choim’) i gcló maille le haistriúchán Béarla ag Risk agus níl aon duáilce nach gcuirtear ina leith ann. Deir Ó Murchú ina thaobh: ‘There is extant a vigorous attack on him because of his taking a position in Trinity College and his resultant comfortable circumstances. As usual, begrudgery paid insufficient attention to the facts, and these were that Ó Luinin’s appointment at Trinity offered him no security, and whatever income it afforded was not enough to save him from the debtor’s prison’. Ach tuairimíonn Breandán Ó Buachalla (nóta in Aisling Ghéar, 1996) nárbh é ioncam an Choláiste faoi deara nár mhór an meas a bhí ag an aos léinn air. ‘San “Account of Secret Service Money” don bhliain 1719 luaitear “Charles Linegar” i measc na ndaoine ar tugadh íocaíocht dóibh.’

Ar 16 Feabhra 1715 scríobh an tArdeaspag King ina thaobh chuig William Connolly, Spéicéir na Parlaiminte: ‘He is very poor; and I hope the committee, before which his petition lies, will have some compassion on him. I have not been wanting to give him what assistance I could out of my own pocket. Pray be at the committee, and represent the matter in his favour’ (Risk). Liostaítear féichiúnaithe in Dublin Gazette 19 Nollaig 1730 agus ina measc tá ‘Captain Charles Linegar of the Colledge of Dublin, Professor of the Irish Language’ (i gcló in Irish Book Lover, Iúil 1953). Luann sé féin gur fiacha £5 a bhí air: ‘That yr suppliant being under close confinement these six monthes past for the debt of another of five pounds principall is thereby and sickness reduced to the last degree of misery’ (litir ón bpríosún gan dáta chuig King; i gcló ag Risk). Bhí sé go fóill i Marshalsea na cathrach an bhliain dár gcionn. Chuartaigh Pádraig Ó Conchubhair, an Leabharlann Náisiúnta, liostaí an airm ach níor aimsigh taifead iontu gur tugadh coimisiún dó (Éigse, geimhreadh 1943). Níl aon tuairisc ar an Luiníneach i ndiaidh 1731.

Leagtar air an dán ‘Sgiathlúireach an Choxaigh’ atá i gcló ag Donal O’Sullivan faoin teideal ‘A Courtly Poem for Sir Richard Cox’ in Éigse, geimhreadh 1944. I leabharlann Uí Chonchubhair Doinn a fuarthas é agus ainm Uí Luinín tugtha mar údar. Ar an gcéad léamh shílfeadh duine gur ag moladh Cox atáthar ach meastar gur dán magúil é. ‘Aoir nimhneach’ é, dar le Breandán Ó Buachalla agus deir sé: ‘Bíodh go leagtar an dán seo ar Chathal Ó Luinín i bhfoinse amháin, is dóichí gur mar mhagadh a rinneadh sin.’ Scríobh sé dán do John Hall, Leas-Phropast Choláiste na Tríonóide (i gcló ag Quin), agus is dóigh gur ag iarraidh déirce nó pátrúnachta a bhí sé leis an dán adhmholtach a chum sé do Lord St. George, Leas-Aimiréal Chonnacht. Tá sé i gcló ag David Greene (op. cit.) agus deir seisean: ‘When we turn to the Irish panegyric addressed to St. George we find evidence of an economical mind, for, of the twenty-eight lines in rude deibhidhe, fourteen are identical with those in the similar poem on Dr Hall ...’. Ina cuntas ar Ó Luinín in DIB scríobhann Katherine Simms go ndearna Cathal Ó Conchubhair tagairt dó mar ‘Cormac of the Cúl’ son of Matha ’the White’ Ó Luinín. Deir sí gur éag sé i 1731.

Diarmuid Breathnach

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