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The Colm Cille Summer School 2009 features talks, readings, debates and field trips, which explore and celebrate the legacy of Colm Cille, a legacy that touches on many aspects of culture, politics and identity.

The poets, writers, singers and musicians who take part in this years Summer School explore such issues as journeys, poetry and politics, fiction and history, in an age of political, economic and cultural conflict.

Beidh óráidí, léitheoireachtaí, plé agus turais allamuigh mar chuid den tseachtain seo chun oidhreacht Cholm Cille a cheiliúradh, oidhreacht a bhaineann le réimsí cultúir, polaitíochta agus féiniúlachta.

Déanann na filí, scríbhneoirí agus ceoltóirí a ghlacann páirt sa scoil shamhraidh trácht ar thurais atá déanta acu, ar an fhilíocht agus ar an pholaitíocht, finscéalaíocht agus stair, i ré ina bhfuil coimhlintí polaitiúla, eacnamaíochta agus cultúrtha mar chuid den domhan ina mairimid.

Can traveling to other countries open our eyes to other ways of thinking and seeing? Do the languages and cultural touchstones of other countries feed into our own culture through travel writing? Can an outsider tell the truth about another society?

Ólann mo Mhiúil as an nGainséis follows Gabriel Rosenstock and his wife on their travels through Dubai, India, Hong Kong, Japan, Australia, Chile and the US, charting both a physical and spiritual journey. Rosenstock regales us with hilarious tales of persistent Indian sales men, suicidal mules in the Himalayas and the 39 million gods resident in Mumbai.

The people of Transylvania and their history are brought to life for us in An bhfaca tú Dracula? – a mesmerizing diary based on Aodh Ó Canainn’s trips there in 1996-97.

An osclaíonn an taisteal chuig tíortha eile súile s’againne ar dhóigheanna eile chun smaointiú agus feiceáil? An mbeathaíonn teangacha agus dearbhchlocha cultúrtha tíortha eile ár gcultúr féin tríd an scríbhneoireacht taistil? An féidir le coimhthíoch an fhírinne a insint faoi shochaí eile?

Rud annamh i litríocht na Gaeilge is ea an leabhar taistil, agus sa leabhar Ólann mo Mhiúil as an nGainséis insítear scéal aistear Gabriel agus a bhean go Dubai, an India, Hong Cong, an tSeapáin, an Astráil, an tSile agus na Stáit Aontaithe. Tá neart dánta haiku a scríobh Rosenstock le linn an turais le léamh sa leabhar, mar aon le smaointe an lae agus tagairtí do litríocht agus do stair na dtíortha a dtugtar cuairt orthu. Tá an Rómáin ar cheann de na tíortha is suimiúla san Eoraip agus tá an Trasalváin ‘ar an chuid is gile, is sona agus is freacnairce di,' a deir Aodh Ó Canainn sa leabhar An bhfaca tú Dracula? ina gcuirtear síos ar an chuid de mhuintir na Trasalváine ar chas sé leo sa bhliain1996, ar a mbailte agus ar a stair.

Can poetry confront the darkness of our age in any real sense? What is the duty of the poet in an age of political, economic and cultural conflict?

Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill is one of Ireland’s greatest poets, and her latest collection The Fifty Minute Mermaid is an extravaganza of marvelous tales about mermaids, taking us on a voyage to, Land-Under-Wave, the realm of myth and imagination. Of Gearóid Mac Lochlainn, Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill says ‘he brings with him a whole new, gritty, Belfast urban experience that has hardly been present in Irish in a long time’. His work is sharp, rhythmic, is as tender as it is tough, always utterly fresh. Naisrín Elsafty comes from a family immersed in the sean-nós tradition – she started singing aged three and is the winner of numerous awards. She was the youngest ever contestant to compete in the Corn Uí Riada competition in the 2007 Oireachtas. Naisrín will sing a number of songs both light-hearted and sad.

An féidir le fílíocht aghaidh a thabhairt ar dhorchadas ré s’againne in aon chiall cheart? Cad é dualgas an fhile le linn ré coimhlinte polaitiúla, eacnamaíochta agus cultúrtha?

Scéalta draíochtúla mar gheall ar an murúch atá i gcnuasach nua dátheangach Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill The Fifty Minute Mermaid. Imram atá ann, aistear go dtí an ríocht sin fo thoinn, ríocht na miotas, ríocht na samhlaíochta. Is í Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill an chéad fhile nua-aoiseach a bhain clú idirnáisiúnta amach di féin mar fhile Gaeilge. Téama mór ina chuid filíochta ag Gearóid Mac Lochlainn is ea na Trioblóidí agus an dóigh a ndeachaigh siad i bhfeidhm air agus é ina chónaí in Iarthar Bhéal Feirste, ach tagann téamaí eile chun tosaigh fosta, mar shampla, an cairdeas agus an ceol.

What makes the music of Donegal so unique? Is it a reflection of the wild and rugged landscape? Is living on the far fringe of the island a striking feature of the music? Is the independent spirit of the people reflected in the music?

Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh from the Gaoth Dobair Gaeltacht in Donegal, is internationally known as one of the most important fiddle players in the unique Donegal style. Her fiddling is among the best to be heard anywhere Irish music is played. A founder member of Altan, ranked as one of the most successful Irish “supergroups” for over a decade. Mairead is also renowned for her work on other projects. She has presented music programmes on radio and television including The Long Note and The Pure Drop and lately The Full Set. Her first solo project Imeall contains ‘songs from the past and present – songs from the threshold’

Ciaran Ó Maonaigh from Gaoth Dobhair, Co. Donegal was heavily influenced by his extended family including Francie Mooney and Mairéad Ni Mhaoniagh as well as other Donegal fiddle exponents. Three times Oireachtas Fiddle Champion and TG4 Young Musician of the Year 2003, he released his first album Ceol a’Ghleanna/Music of the Glen in 2004 and has also produced numerous music documentary for RTE and TG4. He is one of Ireland’s most prodigious fiddling talents. Ciarán is also a founder member of Fidil, whose fiery Donegal style can be heard on their album of the same name.

Cad chuige a bhfuil ceol Dhún na nGall chomh huathúil sin? An scáthán é den tírdhreach garbh? An é an rud is suntasaí faoin cheol ná go n-eascraíonn sé as fód atá ar imeall an oileáin seo? An bhfuil spiorad neamhspleách na muintir spréite ar fud an cheoil?

Rugadh agus tógadh Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh i gcroílár Ghaeltacht Ghaoth Dobhair i nDún na nGall. Tá aithne fhorleathan uirthi mar dhuine de na príomhfhidléirí a sheinneann i stíl aitheanta Dhún na nGall. Glacann Mairéad an ceol seo ar ardáin lena banna Altan, a bhí ar na grúpaí is rathúla ar feadh níos mó ná deich mbliana. Chomh maith leis sin, chuir sí cláir cheoil i láthair ar an raidió agus ar an teilifis ar nós The Long Note, The Pure Drop agus níos déanaí, The Full Set.

Ciaran Ó Maonaigh as Ghaeltacht Ghaoth Dobhair. Is é Francie Mooney a athair mór agus is í Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh a aintín. Bhí tionchar láidir acusan air, agus tá sé go mór faoi thionchar cheoltóirí eile an chontae. D'éirigh le Ciarán gradam TG4, Ceoltóir Óg na Bliana, a bhaint i 2003. Chuir sé an t-albam Ceol a’ Ghleanna/Music of the Glen le chéile i 2004. Is duine de bhunaitheoirí an ghrúpa Fidil é, agus tá albam acu a léiríonn a gcuid buanna go seoigh.

When God had finished his great work of creation on the sixth day, he discovered that some of the most precious stones were still lying around Heaven. As he was keen to complete his work before the Sabbath he threw the remaining pieces out of Heaven, from where they sped like jewels through space, plunging into the ice-cold seas off the north-west coast of Ireland to form Tory Island! – ‘The Waves of Tory’

This field trip observes the most remote inhabited of our Islands, Tory island with an inaccessibility and spectacular cliff scenery, complemented by a rich and varied history. It has been inhabited since the beginning of time though in recent centuries has become under increasing pressure for its survival. Words alone, no matter how finely woven, could never give a true impression of its rugged beauty, the indominatable spirit of its people or their rich cultural inheritance. Colm Cille figures prominently in the history of this sacred island which he chose as a place of retreat and meditation for his monks.

Labhróidh duaisailtirí O’Donnell & Tuomey faoin ghaol bheo atá idir daoine agus foirgnimh aonair "Tá an t-am atá caite thart, níl an t-am atá romhainn tagtha go fóill; tá muid beo agus tá muid ag obair i láthair na huaire"

Léirítear an fhís seo ina dtionscadal spreagúil is déanaí - Cultúrlann nua de chuid an Ghaelárais, agus tabharfaidh na hailtirí réamhamharc ar an tionscadal suaitheanta seo le linn an spreagléiriúcháin.

Ailtirí iomráiteacha is iad Sheila O'Donnell agus John Tuomey a bhfuil cáil orthu as sár-réimse d’fhoirgnimh clúiteacha a dhearadh lena n-áirítear; An Gailearaí Grianghrafadóireachta, Ionad Scannán na hÉireann, An Chartlann Náisiúnta Ghrianghrafadóireachta agus Dánlann Lewis Glucksman i gCorcaigh.

Does literature tell the truth of history? Can fiction tell the truth about the past? What is invention, and what is research? Can the past deal with the present?

Set in the dying days of the Civil War, Seán Mac Mathúna’s Hula Hul tells the story of the strange relationship between Captain Mait Dálaigh and his prisoner Breen as they traverse the snowbound Kerry mountains. Darach Ó Scolaí’s stunning novel An Cléireach won the 2007 Oireachtas Prize. As the Irish retreat from Cromwell’s bloodthirsty advance, clerk and master-of-arms Ó Duáin meets the poets Cearúil Ó Dálaigh and Toirealach Carach Ó Conchuir. As they sit by the fireside, a tale of the terrible legacy a father leaves his son is unraveled. Reviewing Liam Mac Cóil’s Fontenoy in the Irish Times, Alan Titley commented: ‘The recreation of the world of the Irish soldiers of 250 years ago in their own language is a work of artistry of the first order.’ Lorcán Mac Mathúna was born in Cork in 1976 into a family with a passion for traditional music and singing. Much of his singing has been passed to by the masters of the tradition in Cúl Aodha. His controlled but exciting voice connects the listener to the emotions of the songs’ well-springs.

An insíonn an litríocht an fhírinne faoi mar a thuigeann na staraithe í? Cad is cumadóireacht ann, cad is taighde ann? Cén tionchar a bhíonn ag an stair ar an am i láthair?

Máistirshaothair iad na cnuasaigh scéalta Banana agus Úlla le Seán Mac Mathúna: tá greann osréadach thar na bearta iontu. Tá an nóibhile is déanaí aige, Hula Hul, suite le linn laethanta deiridh Chogadh na gCarad. Baineann sé leis an gcaidreamh aisteach atá idir an Captaen Mait Dálaigh agus an príosúnach aige, Breen,agus iad thall is abhus ar shléibhte fuara Chiarraí. Ní fuacht ar fad é, áfach, mar tá cogadh eile ar siúl chun dul i gcion ar chroí mná. Is saothar éachtach é An Cléireach le Darach Ó Scolaí a chuireann síos ar chúltroid na nGael roimh mhadraí úisc Chromail. Castar laochra agus filí ar a chéile agus insítear scéal cois tine a chuirfidh alltacht ar an léitheoir. Scríbhneoir agus criticeoir is ea Liam Mac Cóil. Tá leabhair iomráiteacha, ailt, agus aistí scríofa aige faoi chúrsaí litríochta, staire, ceoil agus ealaíon. Tá cónaí air i nGaeltacht na Mí. I gCorcaigh a saolaíodh Lorcán Mac Mathúna sa bhliain 1976. Bhí a mhuintir an-tógtha leis an gceol traidisiúnta. Fuair sé scata amhrán óna athair Séamus agus ó mháistrí an traidisiúin i gCúil Aodha. Is léir go bhfuil lánmhuinín aige as an traidisiún. Coinníonn a ghuth spleodrach – nach n-imíonn riamh ó smacht – an t-éisteoir i dtiúin le fíorfhoinsí na n-amhrán.

Amra Choluim Chille the oldest of the dateable poems in Gaelic. It is 155 lines long, and was composed shortly after the death of Colm Cille in 597 - although it is possible that the opening verse was composed in 575. The Amra is written in an archaic and abstruse form of Gaelic, in a register so difficult that for more than a hundred years the only scholarly edition and translation has been that published by Whitley Stokes in 1899.

Risteard Mac Gabhann is formerly a senior lecturer in Adult Education in the School of Education, University of Ulster who has many years’ experience working with adult learners and training teachers for the adult-education sector. He has developed an Irish language course for adults. ‘Tus Maith 3’ course has been nominated as a required text for an Irish programme at Harvard University. Risteard was selected as president of Oireachtas na Gaeilge in 2006, when it took place in the city for the first time in its history.

Refreshments will be served. Further details from the Harbour Museum 028 71377331

Is é Amra Choluim Cille an dán is sine sa Ghaeilge. Tá 155 líne ann agus is go gairid i ndiaidh bhás an naoimh (597) a cumadh é cé go mb'fhéidir gur cumadh an véarsa oscailte sa bhliain 575. Dallán Forgaill a chum, meastar. Stíl ársa chasta atá san Amra agus le breis is céad bliain bhíomar ag brath ar an eagrán de a chuir Whitley Stokes in eagar sa bhliain 1899, The Eulogy of Columba.

Iar-léachtóir sinsearach san Oideachas Aosach i Roinn an Oideachais, Ollscoil Uladh, é Risteard Mac Gabhann agus blianta fada caite aige ag plé le foghlaimeoirí fásta agus ag oiliúint oidí. Tá cúrsa Gaeilge do dhaoine fásta curtha i dtoll a chéile aige. Ainmníodh an cúrsa 'Tús Maith 3' mar théacs riachtanach sa chlár Gaeilge in Ollscoil Harvard. Ainmníodh ina Uachtarán ar Oireachtas na Gaeilge é sa bhliain 2006 nuair a reáchtáladh an fhéile sin i nDoire den chéad uair riamh.

Cuirfear fliuchadh bhur mbéil ar fáil. Tuilleadh eolais ó Mhúsaem an Chuain 028 71377331