Centre for Irish Studies Newsletter

 Nuachtlitir Ionad an Léinn Éireannaigh 

Issue 3 Winter 05/ Spring 06

| Spring Features | Current Issue | Back Issues |

COVER STORIES

• Message form the Director
• John McGahern Launches Centre for Irish Studies
• New Sean-nós Singer-in-Residence at Centre for Irish Studies
• First Galway Conference of Irish Studies, 7-10 June 2006

Message from the Director Focal ón Stiúrthóir

Bhí an oiread sin rudaí ar bun againn san Ionad le trí nó ceithre mhí anuas nach raibh deis againn an tríú eagrán den nuachtlitir a chur le chéile go dtí anois! Tá súil againn go maithfidh ár léitheoirí an mhoill sin dúinn i bhfianaise a bhfuil tarlaithe idir an dá linn.

Cuirimid fáilte ar leith an uair seo roimh mhic léinn ó Ollscoil Willamette, as Oregon ar chósta iarthair Mheiriceá, a bheidh ag freastal ar chúrsa speisialta linn as seo go dtí an Samhradh. Cuirimid fáilte chomh maith roimh ár gcuid cuairteoirí léannta, an tOllamh James S Donnelly Jr (Ollscoil Wisconsin-Madison), an tOllamh Philip O’Leary (Coláiste Boston), agus an tOllamh Chunyan Lu (Ollscoil Hebei, An tSín), atá i mbun taighde san Ionad faoi láthair. Tá cur síos ar a gcuid oibre anseo thíos.

Five years since its inception, the Centre for Irish Studies was finally launched by Adjunct Professor John McGahern in September 2005. The occasion was so well attended that the seminar room could not contain all of those present, many of whom ended up celebrating the occasion on the wall outside the door of our premises on Distillery Road! Special tribute was paid by Professor Ger Hurley, Vice-President for Strategic Affairs and External Development, to the memory of Martha Fox, whose bequest to the Centre allowed for its refurbishment as well as making a substantial contribution to our academic programmes.

Shortly after the official opening, the Centre announced details of the First Galway Conference of Irish Studies, which will convene over four days in June 2006. With more than fifty papers to be presented on the theme ’Orality and Modern Irish Culture’, it promises to be a very diverse and engaging conference. We are delighted to announce that the invited speakers for the conference are three of the most outstanding scholars to have engaged with orality as a shaping element in modern and contemporary Irish culture: Henry Glassie, Professor of Folklore and Co-Director of Turkish Studies at Indiana University, author of Passing the Time in Ballymenone, Professor Gearóid Ó Crualaoich (UCC), author of The Book of the Cailleach, and Dr Angela Bourke (UCD), author of The Burning of Bridget Cleary.

Also included in the current edition of the newsletter, you will find profiles of our new Sean-nós Singer-in-Residence, Máire Pheter Uí Dhroighneáin, who begins her tour of duty with a series of workshops at Martha Fox House from Valentine’s Day until Easter, and our three Visiting Research Professors, Jim Donnelly, Phil O’Leary and Chunyan Lu.

You will also find details of the latest publication of the Centre, Breandán Ó Buachalla’s The Crown Of Ireland, which will be launched in late Spring, and a report on the     Nordic Conference of Irish Studies by Ciarán Madden, a recent graduate from the MA programme in Irish Studies. Comhghairdeachas le Ciarán agus a chuid comhleacaithe ar fad as a gcuid torthaí.

Comhghairdeachas chomh maith le Samantha Williams, Riarthóir an Ionaid, atá ar saoire máithreachais faoi láthair, agus lena fear céile John, ar saolaíodh mac dóibh i mí Mheán Fómhair. Go maire sibh bhur nuacht!

Other notable activities over recent months include the consolidation of our Erasmus exchange programme with Charles University, Prague through a visit by Nessa Cronin who delivered a number of seminars and lectures to students at the Centre for Irish Studies there. Nessa also represented the University at an Education Fair hosted by the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo in November 2005. During her time in Tokyo, Nessa met up with Professor Nao Nashimoto, from Hosei University, who completed his PhD at Scoil na Gaeilge, NUI, Galway, under the supervision of Professor Anders Ahlqvist. She also conducted a seminar on contemporary Irish literature with students at Waseda University, where she was hosted by Professor Mikami and Professor Iino.

Sadly, Nessa’s father Bill passed away in January this year. Deinimid comhbhrón léi féin agus lena muintir go léir ar bhás a hathar. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.

For further details of all activities at the Centre for Irish Studies, you can visit our website at  http://www.irishstudies.ie/

Louis de Paor
Director, Centre for Irish Studies
National University of Ireland, Galway

|Top|

John McGahern Launches Centre for Irish Studies

Prof. Tadhg Foley, Chairman, Centre for Irish Studies, John McGahern, Adjunct Professor of Irish Studies and Prof. John Marshall, Dean of Arts, NUI, Galway

The Centre for Irish Studies at NUI, Galway was officially launched by the distinguished writer and Adjunct Professor of Irish Studies John McGahern at a special ceremony on Thursday, 22 September 2006. Professor McGahern unveiled a portrait of Martha Fox, a Boston schoolteacher with a lifelong interest in Irish literature and history, after whom the Centre’s premises on Distillery Road is named. An endowment from the estate of Martha Fox has made possible the refurbishment of the Centre’s premises which now has space for up to twelve teaching and research personnel.

Speaking at the launch, Professor Ger Hurley, Vice-President for Strategic and External Affairs stressed the international dimension of the work undertaken by the Centre for Irish Studies which has attracted researchers from as far afield as China, Cuba, Canada, Japan, England, and America. Professor Hurley welcomed the latest visiting researcher at the Centre, Professor Félix Varona, from Cuba, who is studying the influence of Thomas Moore on Cuba’s national poet José Marti. Professor Varona is also investigating the Irish influence on the Cuban national project.

Professor Hurley pointed to the rapid growth of Irish Studies at NUI, Galway, the only university in Ireland with a Centre dedicated to advanced teaching and research on the cultural, social, and political endeavours of Irish people on the island of Ireland and beyond. In the past year, more than 400 students have taken courses in Irish Studies at NUI, Galway, including the annual Summer School, and the online diploma, the first of its kind worldwide, which attracted 158 students over the past twelve months. The Centre also runs a highly successful Masters programme and has five students currently registered for the PhD in Irish Studies.

Prof. Tadhg Foley, Chairman, Centre for Irish Studies, John McGahern,
Adjunct Professor of Irish Studies and Dr. Louis de Paor, Director,
Centre for Irish Studies, NUI, Galway

Seán Crosson, Nessa Cronin, John McGahern, Adjunct Professor of Irish Studies,
John Eastlake, Dr. Michelle Comber and Angie Roche.

|Top|

New Sean-nós Singer-in-Residence at Centre for Irish Studies

The Centre for Irish Studies at NUI, Galway has announced the appointment of Máire Uí Dhroighneáin to the position of Sean-Nós Singer in Residence.

A native of Spiddal, Máire cites her mother Máire Nic an Ríogh, from An Gleann Mór, Carraroe as a formative influence on her singing style. ’She used to sing while she was working around the house or trying to get us to sleep and those are the first songs I can remember. I had her tormented, asking her to sing the same songs over and over again.’

Amongst the many other singers who have influenced her, she makes particular mention of Máire Chólman Nic Dhonnacha, Máire Áine Nic Dhonncha, Pat Phádraic Tom Ó Conghaile and Máirtín Phatch Ó Cúláin as well as Seán Mac Donncha and Seosamh Ó hÉanaí.

While she remains wary of the over-emphasis on competitions, she has won Comórtas na mBan at the Oireachtas and been runner-up in Corn Uí Riada, the premier award for sean-nós singing.

For the past seventeen years, Máire has been involved with An Gaelacadamh, teaching children the songs that were passed on to her and which she is now handing on to a new generation, many of who have gone on to compete successfully at the Oireachtas, and at various fleadhanna ceoil.

In acknowledgement of her contribution to the living tradition, both as a performer and as a teacher, Máire was awarded Gradam Sean-nóis Cois Life in 2004.

Máire also has extensive experience as an actress, on stage and on screen and is perhaps best known to television audience in the part of  Máire, the sanctimonious shopkeeper, in Ros na Rún.

During the period of her residency, Máire will participate in a series of performances and workshops at the Centre for Irish Studies and other venues throughout Connemara and the Aran Islands. She will also record her own work and that of other singers.

The workshops at the Centre for Irish Studies will commence at 7.00pm on Tuesday 14 February and will run from now until Easter.

This project is funded by Ealaín na Gaeltachta, Údarás na Gaeltachta and An Chomhairle Ealaíon in association with the Centre for Irish Studies at NUI, Galway.

Leagan Gaeilge

Tá sé fógartha ag Ionad an Léinn Éireannaigh, Ollscoil na hÉireann, Gaillimh, go bhfuil Máire Uí Dhroighneáin, nó Máire Pheter, mar is fearr aithne uirthi, ceaptha mar Amhránaí Sean-Nóis Cónaitheach as seo go ceann bliana.

Is ón Spidéal ó dhúchas do Mháire agus deir sí gurb í a máthair, Máire Nic an Ríogh, ón Gleann Mór, An Cheathrú Rua, is túisce a mhúscail a suim sna hamhráin.  ’Bhíodh sí á gcanadh agus í ag obair ar fud an tí agus le linn di a bheith dár gcur a chodladh. Thug mé taitneamh speisialta do chuid de na hamhráin agu bhíodh mo mháthair céasta agam ag iarraidh uirthi iad a chanadh dom arís agus arís eile.’

I measc an iliomad amhránaithe eile a chuaigh i bhfeidhm uirthi luann sí go speisialta  Máire Chólman Nic Dhonnacha ón gCeathrú Rua, Máire Áine Nic Dhonncha as an gCnoc, Indreabhán , chomh maith le Pat Phádraic Tom Ó Conghaile agus Máirtín Phatch Ó Cúláin.

Cé go bhfuil sí beagáinín amhrasach mar gheall ar an róbhéim a chuirtear ar chomórtaisí i ndomhan an tsean-nóis, tá riar mhaith comórtaisí buaite aici féin. Ina measc san tá Comórtas na mBan san Oireachtas, Éigse Chonnacht, agus Gradam Sean-Nóis Chois Life. Bhí sí sa dara háit i gCorn Uí Riada, príomhghradam an tsean-nóis sa lá atá inniu ann.

Gné amháin dá cuid oibre a thugann sásamh thar cuimse di is ea na ranganna atá á múineadh aici sa Ghaelacadamh le seacht mbliana déag anuas.

’Déanaim iarracht,’ adeir sí, ’misneach agus féinmhuinín a thabhairt dóibh chomh maith chun go mbeidh níos mó misnigh acu ná mar a bhí agamsa.’

Tá rian na hoiliúna sin ar a cuid daltaí agus go leor duaiseanna bainte amach acu thar na blianta san Oireachtas, ag fleadhanna ceoil agus i gcomórtaisí áitiúla.

Ar ndóigh, tá aithne i bhfad is i ngearr ar Mháire mar aisteoir stáitse agus ar scáileán agus go háirithe mar gheall ar a cuid oibre i bpáirt an tsiopadóra, Máire, ar Ros na Rún.

Chomh maith le taifeadadh a dhéanamh ar na hamhráin aici féin agus saothair a bhailiú ó amhránaithe eile, beidh ceardlanna agus seisiúin amhránaíochta á reachtáil ag Máire san Ollscoil féin agus in áiteanna éagsúla ar fud Chonamara as seo go ceann bliana.

Beidh an tsraith cheardlann in Ionad an Léinn Éireannaigh ag tosnú ag 7.00in Dé Máirt 14 Feabhra Leanfaidh an tsraith as sin go dtí aimsir na Cásca.

Is iad Ealaín na Gaeltachta, Údarás na Gaeltachta agus An Chomhairle Ealaíon i bpáirt le hIonad an Léinn Éireannaigh atá ag maoiniú an togra seo.

|Top|

First Galway Conference of Irish Studies, 7-10 June 2006

First Galway Conference of

Irish Studies

7-10 June 2006

Orality and Modern Irish Culture

C a l l f o r P a p e r

The First Galway Conference of Irish Studies will be hosted by the Centre for Irish Studies at NUI, Galway in June 2006. The conference will provide a platform for both established and emerging scholars to engage with new ideas and approaches to interdisciplinary research in Irish Studies. In order to further discussion and dialogue, the conference programme will include a number of workshops with leading scholars who will speak on aspects of theory and method that have informed their work. A select number of presentations will be included in a publication derived from the conference proceedings. A feature of the Galway Conference will be the provision of a simultaneous translation facility for those who wish to present their work in Irish. For more details click here.

• Disclaimer
• Privacy
• Copyright
• Accessibility