Seán Chóil Mhaidhc Ó Coistealbha:Seán (Johnny Chóil Mhaidhc) Ó Coistealbha, who has died, was a well-known dramatist, actor, poet and wit. Hailed in the Connemara Gaeltacht as "King of the Spoken Word", with Joe Steve Ó Neachtáin and Tomás Jimmy Mac Eoin, he was one of the best oral poets of his generation.
Do réir an scoláire, Liam Ó Dochartaigh, agus é ag scríobh cúpla bhliain ó shoin: "Tá lorg a láimhe ar litríocht Chríoch Fáil agus mairfidh a cháil is é sínte."
He took such plaudits in his stride. "Some people today call themselves poets," he once said. "But it's other people who call me a poet."
A composer of songs and poems, he was an exponent of that genre particular to his locality, the agallamh beirte, or poetic dialogue, which is part of a centuries-old literary heritage.
Much of the comedy of oral poetry is in the Rabelaisian tradition, and Johnny Chóil Mhaidhc's work exemplified it at its best. Holding court in the old style in a local pub, he entertained customers for the evening, relying only on speech.
Born in Indreabhán, Co Galway, in 1930, he was the son of Cóil Ó Coistealbha and Máire Ní Dhonnchadha. He left school at 15, and after a short spell working in the United States returned home to become a blacksmith, a trade his father and grandfather practised before him.
Working by day, and studying folklore by night, he was given the lead role in An Dochtúir Bréige, a play by Fionán Ó Loingsigh, the first Free State minister for education. He went on to win a gold medal for acting with Taidhbhearc na Gaillimhe. Fascinated by the theatre, he took to writing comic drama.
Most of his plays, in which he usually played the leading character, among them the Oireachtas prize-winning Pionta Amháin Uisce, An Tincéara Buí (1962) and Ortha na Seirce (1968), are based on folk themes and stock situations. Other plays include An Crústóir (1985) and An Mhéar Fhada (1992).
His adaptation for radio of Máirtín Ó Cadhain's novel, Cré na Cille, was broadcast by Raidió na Gaeltachta in 1973, and was made available in CD format earlier this year.
While his plays are noted for their humour, his collection of poems and dialogues, Buille Faoi Thuairim Gabha, published in 1989, is more serious and philosophical in tone.
He appeared in a number of films, including Jim Sheridan's The Field and Bob Quinn's Poitín and Scéal an Easbaig. Elected to membership of Aosdána in 1982, he was Oral Literature Patron of the traditional arts festival Cumar. An honorary masters degree was conferred on him by NUI Galway in 2005.
In 1981 he married Bríd Ní Chonghaile who, with their sons Seán, Aongus and Colm Éinne, survives him.
Seán Ó Coistealbha: born 1930; died October 27th, 2006