Alex Hijmans
Alex Hijmans grew up in the town of Heemskerk in the north-west of Holland, but he has been living in Galway for the past nine years. He studied Celtic Language and Literature at the University of Utrecht and spent a year in University College Galway (now NUI Galway) on the Erasmus scheme. During that year, he spent a month learning Irish in An Cheathrú Rua in Conamara, and was very involved in the Irish drama society in the college. During his time as a student, he also attended Irish language courses in Oideas Gael, the college for adult learners in Gleann Cholm Cille in south-west Donegal.

Alex was editor of the Irish language monthly Comhar and worked as a journalist with the Conamara-based weekly paper Foinse for a year and a half. He has also worked for TG4 and Raidió na Gaeltachta on a freelance basis.

Alex has translated a novel for teenagers from Dutch to Irish (Maistín, 2001) and written a play, Aingilín, which was performed in Galway and Dublin in 2002. He now owns an Irish language caifé, Bananaphoblacht, on Dominick Street in Galway.


Rugadh agus tógadh Alex Hijmans i mbaile darb ainm Heemskerk in iarthuaisceart na hÍsiltíre, ach tá sé ina chónaí i nGaillimh anois le naoi mbliana anuas. Rinne sé staidéar ar an Léann Ceilteach in Ollscoil Utrecht agus chaith sé bliain i gColáiste na hOllscoile, Gaillimh (Ollscoil na hÉireann, Gaillimh anois) ar an scéim Erasmus. Le linn na bliana sin, chaith sé mí ag foghlaim na Gaeilge ar an gCeathrú Rua i gConamara, agus bhí baint mhór aige leis an gcumann drámaíochta sa choláiste. Le linn a chuid ama mar mhac léinn, d’fhreastail sé ar chúrsaí Gaeilge in Oideas Gael, an coláiste d’fhoghlaimeoirí fásta i nGleann Cholm Cille in iardheisceart Dhún na nGall.

Bhí Alex ina eagarthóir ar an iris mhíosúil Comhar ar feadh tamaill, agus chaith sé bliain go leith ag obair mar iriseoir le Foinse, an nuachtán Gaeilge atá lonnaithe i gConamara. Tá obair déanta aige mar shaoririseoir chomh maith le TG4 agus le Raidió na Gaeltachta.

Tá úrscéal do dhéagóirí aistrithe go Gaeilge ag Alex (Maistín, 2001) agus léiríodh a dhráma Aingilín i nGaillimh agus i mBaile Átha Cliath sa bhliain 2002. Tá caife Gaeilge, Bananaphoblacht, á reáchtáil aige anois ar Shráid Doiminic i nGaillimh.