Earnan de Siunta, Ernest Joynt
Civil Engineer / Author / Academic








Civil Engineer / Author / Academic
Earnan de Suinta or Earnest Edwin Joynt translated the New Testament also Pilgrim’s Progress into the Irish language. He used the pseudonym ‘An Buaichaill Buidhe’ for several of his works.
Ancestors
His ancestors were reputed to have arrived in Ireland from France as the Huguenot ‘De Joyance’ fled when the Edict of Nantes 1598 was abolished. To members of the family the belief is that (1) a branch of De Joyance settled in Mayo during the rebellion of 1641 as two brothers were gifted land as captain’s in Cromwell’s army: (2) that De Joynt family arrived with William of Orange then settled in Killala. (Reilly Terry Western People Printing Ballina ) [i]
His paternal ancestors were believed to have arrived in Ireland from France in 1598 following the Edict of Nantes, as the Huguenot ‘De Joyance.’ [ii]
Joynt’s father was Richard Watson Joynt who was editor & proprietor of The Tyrawly Herald’ later re-named Ballina Herald (Richard was the youngest son of seventeen children of Henry Joynt born 14th October 1784 in Crossmolina, his demise occurred on 20th March 1852 in Ballina) & Elearnor Johnson (born 22nd October 1781/1791?) in Moylough, Co. Galway (her demise occurred c. 1868 in Ballina ) Their initial abode was Kinnard House until they moved to Ballina during 1834. Ernest’s mother was Charlotte Soresby daughter of a Presbyterian minister in Co. Clare. Ernest Edwin was an only son born on December 19th 1874. He had three sisters: Alice-Mary, Josephine also Madeline. [iii]
Earnan de Suinta or Ernest Edwin Joynt was born in Ballina,Co. Mayo. His father was Richard Watson Joynt who was editor / proprietor of The Tyrawly Herald later re-named Ballina Herald. (Richard was the youngest son of seventeen children of Henry Joynt of Crossmolina) [iv]
Education
Aged fourteen years he moved to Belfast to study at a Methodist College in Belfast. [v]
Ernest Joynt was educated at the Methodist College in Belfast. [vi]
Gaelic League
He arrived in Dublin very soon after the foundation of the Gaelic League. He was elected a member of the executive committee also president of The Ring from 1925 to 1927. From 1929 he acted as vice-president of The General Championship. [vii]
Family
Earnan de Siunta was married twice; his first wife Ethel Bray’s demise occurred during childbirth. They had a son Eiver born in 1906 then daughter Maire born during 1909. His second wife Frances Young (daughter of John Young & Mary Wright) was born on the 12th November 1878. Her demise occurred in Dublin circa 1953. They had a daughter Charlotte born 1915. [viii]
Europe
Earnan de Siunta travelled throughout Europe during 1896. He was in Moscow during Emperor Nicholas II’s reign. Joynt attended The Passion Play at Ober Ammergau during 1901. [ix]
Career
Earnan de Siunta became a mechanical engineer also a member of the Engineering & Scientific Association of Ireland. He was a chief draughtsman with Inchicore Southern Railway Company. He was employed as principle by Engineering Dept. of Bolton Street College of Technology from late 1919 to 1942. [x]
He qualified as a mechanical engineer. He was a member of the Engineering & Scientific Association of Ireland. He was chief draughtsman with Inchicore Southern Railway Company. [xi]
Earnan de Siunta is listed within the mechanical engineering Prospectus of Courses 1828-1829. (DIT – Prospectus of Courses 1928 / 29 – Page 5) [xii]
Principle / Irish Language
Earnan de Siunta studied the Irish language in Gaelic League classes where he attained remarkable fluency. [xiii]
From late 1919 to 1942 Earnan de Suinta was employed as principal of Bolton Street College of Technology. He studied the Irish language in their Gaelic League classes then attained remarkable fluency. [xiv]
His name is amongst those listed in a study of the Irish Language. [xv]
Publications
Earnan de Siunta’s first Irish essay An Cliaheamh Soluis that documented Ballina life was published during 1910. He contributed articles under the pseudonym of ‘An Biachaill Buidhe’ to Gaelic League publications from 1st April 1904 until 1911. He also contributed to the Feile na Gaeilge’s annual Almanac and Diary. During 1928 he published Industrial Education that pertained to scientific & engineering work. During August 1947 he penned ‘ I would like. Be safe with me, an account of my own writing life, telling how I was born, I am a foreigner and I got to be in my enthusiastic Geal.’ In Rennes during 1935 the Histoire de L’Ireland des arigines a L’Elat Libre was produced. He published Wars during 1944 from several Greek myths. [xvi]
Translations
1929 saw Earnan de Suinta’s production of a translation into Irish of Bunyan John’ s Pilgrim’s Progress during 1951 in the Hibernian Bible Society. De Suinta translated the whole of The New Testament. [xvii]
He was the author of papers Toothed Gearings also Automatic Breaks that he presented to the Inchicore Engineering Society: www.gracesguide.co.uk
Earnan de Suinta translated the New Testament also Pilgrim’s Progress into the Irish language. He contributed articles under the pseudonym of ‘An Buachaillín Buidhe’ to Gaelic League publications. He also contributed to the Féilire na Gaeilge annual Almanac and Diary. (De Búrca Rare Books: A selection of fine, rare & important books also manuscripts – catalogue 122 Spring 2016 ) [xviii]
Demise
Earnan de Suinta’s demise occurred on October 13th 1949. He is buried in Mount Jerome Cemetery, Dublin. [xix]
Tributes
He is referenced in O’Leary Philip’s 2005 The Prose Literature of Gaelic Revival 1881-1921; Ideology and Innovation (Penn State Press). [xx]
Earnan de Suinta is referenced on this site: www.irrs.ie
Footnotes
[i] Dear old Ballina 1993
[ii] http://docplayer.net/171859289-De-burca-ra-re-books-a-selection-of-fine-rare-and-important-books-and-manuscripts-catalogue-122.html
[iii] Dear old Ballina 1993
[iv] http://docplayer.net/171859289-De-burca-ra-re-books-a-selection-of-fine-rare-and-important-books-and-manuscripts-catalogue-122.html
[v] Dear old Ballina 1993
[vi] http://docplayer.net/171859289-De-burca-ra-re-books-a-selection-of-fine-rare-and-important-books-and-manuscripts-catalogue-122.html
[vii] Dear old Ballina 1993
[viii] Ibid
[ix] Ibid
[x] Ibid
[xi] http://docplayer.net/171859289-De-burca-ra-re-books-a-selection-of-fine-rare-and-important-books-and-manuscripts-catalogue-122.html
[xii] https://arrow.tudublin.ie/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1100&context=prosbt
[xiii] Dear old Ballina 1993
[xiv] http://docplayer.net/171859289-De-burca-ra-re-books-a-selection-of-fine-rare-and-important-books-and-manuscripts-catalogue-122.html
[xv] Dear old Ballina 1993
[xvi] Ibid
[xvii] Ibid
[xviii] http://docplayer.net/171859289-De-burca-ra-re-books-a-selection-of-fine-rare-and-important-books-and-manuscripts-catalogue-122.html
[xix] Dear old Ballina
[xx] Ibid
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