Éamon de Buitléar

Éamon de Buitléar
Senator
In office 25 April 1987 – 1 November 1989
Constituency	Nominated by the Taoiseach
Personal details
Born	(1930-01-22)22 January 1930 County Galway, Ireland
Died	27 January 2013(2013-01-27) (aged 83) County Wicklow, Ireland
Political party	Independent
Spouse	Laillí Lamb ​ (m. 1957)​
Children	5
Relatives	Charles Lamb (father-in-law)

Éamon de Buitléar (Irish pronunciation: [ˈeːmˠən̪ˠ dʲɛ bˠətʲˈlʲeːɾˠ]; 22 January 1930 – 27 January 2013) was an Irish writer, musician and film maker.^[1] He was managing director of Éamon de Buitléar Ltd., a company which specialised in wildlife filming and television documentaries.^[2][3]

Early and personal life

He was born on 22 January 1930 in Renmore Barracks, County Galway, one of seven children of Colonel Éamon de Buitléar, an army officer of Clanbrassil Street, Dublin, and his wife Nóra (née O'Brien), originally of Passage East, County Waterford.^[4] His father was later an aide-de-camp to the President of Ireland, Douglas Hyde, he grew up in a house of Irish language speakers in Wicklow.^[5] He began his working career in Garnett and Keegan's and Helys, selling fishing gear and shotguns. It was there where he first met Seán Ó Riada.^[5]

In 1957, he married Laillí Lamb, daughter of the painter Charles Lamb; they had five children.^[4]

Film career

For many years in the 1960s he was the only independent film producer, with Gerrit van Gelderen, making wildlife programmes, notably the series Amuigh Faoin Spéir (Irish: "Out Under the Sky") for the Irish television channel, Telefís Éireann. In 1986, his programme, Cois Farraige leis an Madra Uisce, won him a Jacob's Award. His work includes directing films based on his books, and he received commissions from RTÉ, BBC and other stations.^[6]

In 1987, he was nominated by the Taoiseach, Charles Haughey to the 18th Seanad.^[7] He was appointed to the Central Fisheries Board in 2005.^[8]

Musical career

De Buitléar was involved in Irish traditional music with Seán Ó Riada and was later involved in the establishment of the traditional music groups Ceoltóirí Chualann (1960–1969) and Ceoltóirí Laighean.^[1][4]

Memorial

A 4 km circular walk Slí de Buitléar or The de Buitléar Way on Bray Head commemorates his life and work, calling out notable flora and fauna in the area.^[9] It was inaugurated in May 2014 by his widow Laillí.^[10]

Books

• Wildlife. TownHouse. 1985. ISBN 0-946172-04-8.
• Ireland's Wild Countryside. Boxtree. 1993. ISBN 1-85283-401-3.
• A Life in the Wild. Gill & Macmillan, Ltd. (Ireland). 2004. ISBN 0-7171-3615-9. - Reviewed by the Irish Independent^[5]
• Irish Rivers. Town House. 1985. ISBN 9780946172054.

Filmography

• Amuigh Faoin Spéir – television series (RTÉ);
• The Natural World and The Living Isles (BBC);
• Exploring the Landscape – television series (RTÉ);
• Ireland's Wild Countryside – television series (RTÉ);
• A Life in the Wild – television series (RTÉ);
• Wild Islands (RTÉ, S4C and STV);
• Nature Watch (ITV);
• Éiníní and Ainimhithe na hÉireann (TG4).

References

1. "Filmmaker Eamon de Buitlear dies at 83". RTÉ News and Current Affairs. 28 January 2013. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
2. "An outstanding figure of modern Ireland': tributes paid to Eamon de Buitlear". Irish Independent. 28 January 2013. Retrieved 29 January 2013.
3. "Éamon de Buitléar: 1930-2013". iftn.ie. 28 January 2013. Retrieved 29 January 2013.
4. Cullen, Frank. "De Buitléar, Éamon". Dictionary of Irish Biography. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
5. Kennedy, Joe. "Eamon's walk on the (slightly) wild side". Irish Independent. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
6. "Éamon de Buitléar profile". Irish Film and Television Network. Retrieved 8 June 2006. ^{[dead link‍]}
7. "Éamon de Buitléar". Oireachtas Members Database. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
8. "New post for De Buitléar". Bray people. 4 August 2005. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 8 June 2006.
9. "Bray Head Walk".
10. "The De Buitléar Way opens". Irish Independent. 16 June 2014. Retrieved 5 December 2020.

External links

• Éamon de Buitléar at IMDb