Séamas Ó Scannláin was born in the Gaeltacht area of Dún Chaoin, Co. Kerry. He graduated from NUI, Galway, and later attended the New York University Graduate School. He had been headmaster in the Vocational School in Inishmore, Aran, and later in Carna. Since 1974, he has been a lecturer in Economics at the Galway Mayo Institute of Technology, and NUI Galway.