Risteárd Ó Glaisne (born Richard Ernest Giles; 2 September 1927 - 6 November 2003) was a Methodist Irish language activist, teacher and writer.
He continued to grow a passion for the Irish language, making contact with the few native Irish speakers remaining in the region of Bandon including his neighbour, a Catholic farmer named Seán Ó Shea, who was a friend of his grandmother's and frequently visited the Giles family household; Richard in turn visited him and his sister.
During his time at the university he joined the Moral Re-Armament movement in addition to becoming secretary of Trinity College's Irish language society, and befriended several of his peers such as Desmond Fennell and Margaret Mac Curtain.
[2] Donald Caird, a Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin who shared Ó Glaisne's keen interest in the Irish language, described him as "deeply spiritual".
[2] On the 5th of April 1950 Richard legally changed his name by deed poll to its Gaelicised translation, Risteárd Ó Glaisne.