Bronnadh an gradam don scannán faisnéise is fearr ag Féile Scannán na hÉireann i Londain ar ‘Cumar – A Galway Rhapsody’ le hAodh Ó Coileáin as OÉ Gaillimh ag ócáid in Ambasáid na hÉireann sa Bhreatain i Londain an tseachtain seo. Ag glacadh leis an gradam, dúirt Ó Coileáin: “Tá suntas ag baint leis an mbronnadh seo i gcathair Londain mar gur áit thábhachtach é d’ealaíona na hÉireann.  Sna blianta tar éis an Dara Cogadh Domhanda, tháinig cuid mhaith dár gceoltóirí agus dár n-ealaíontóirí go Londain chun a slí bheatha a bhaint amach:  Seosamh Ó hÉanaí, ón Aird Thoir, Carna, an píobaire, Willie Clancy ó Shráid na Cathrach, an t-amhránaí ó Chorcaigh, Margaret Barry, Bobby Casey, an tEanach i gCo. an Chláir, Julia Clifford agus Con Curtin ó mo chontae dúchais, Ciarraí, Roger Sherlock ó Shligeach a sheinneadh maidin Dé Domhnaigh sa White Hart, Fulham Broadway.  Ócáid ar leith i stair na hamharclainne in Éirinn ab ea an taispeántas a thug Druid de dhráma Synge, ‘The Playboy of the Western World’ i gCovent Garden sa bhliain 1985. D’aistrigh a lán seóanna de chuid Fhéile Idirnáisiúnta Ealaíne na Gaillimhe go dtí an chathair.  Tá an stair shaibhir seo mar chúlra agus mar thaca ag ‘Cumar – A Galway Rhapsody’ agus an scannán a thaispeáint i Londain.” Dúirt bunaitheoir agus stiúrthóir Fhéile Scannán na hÉireann i Londain, Kelly O’Connor: “Thaithin an scannán go mór linn agus inár dtuairim, seasfaidh sé i bhfad mar thaifead ar bhunbhrí inmheánach agus ar thionchar na Gaillimhe.  Is fada linn go bhfeicimid an glacaadh a bheidh leis an scannán anseo i Londain.” Tá déantóir an scannáin, Aodh Ó Coileáin ina stiúrthóir cláir ar an MA (Cleachtas Gairmiúil sna Meáin) agus múineann sé ar an gcéim BA (Cumarsáid agus Gaeilge), Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge, OÉ Gaillimh.  Bhí aird na léirmheastóirí ar ‘Cumar – A Galway Rhapsody’, a léirigh Paddy Hayes ó Tua Films, nuair a taispeánadh é don chéad uair ag Fleadh Scannán na Gaillimhe i mbliana.  Taispeánadh é ag féile i Chicago i mí Mheán Fómhair freisin. Caitheann an scannán dátheangach súil fhísiúil chruthaitheach ar Ghaillimh agus ar Chonamara mar thimpeallacht ina n-oibríonn na healaíontóirí seo.  Déantar scrúdú chomh maith ar an tionchar a bhíonn ag saothar na n-ealaíontóirí ar a n-áit chónaithe.  Faoi chaibidil sa scannán tá: an ceoltóir/cumadóir Máirtín O’Connor, an file/drámadóir, Rita Ann Higgins, an scríbhneoir, Mike McCormack, Noeline Kavanagh, stiúrthóir ealaíona an ghrúpa Macnas, an t-amhránaí Róisín Seoighe, an péintéir ó Chonamara, Pádraic Reaney, agus an fear seoigh, Tommy Tiernan.  Le chéile tugann na healaíontóirí léargas úr spreagúil agus ionraic ar shaol an ealaíontóra i gcathair na Gaillimhe agus i gConamara.  Chum an Gaillimheach Jake Morgan an ceol agus cloistear an grúpa Galway Street Club sa scannán. Is togra de chuid na scéime ilDána é ‘Cumar – A Galway Rhapsody’ – maoinithe ag TG4, Údarás Craolacháin na hÉireann agus an Chomhairle Ealaíon i gcomhar le hIonad Scannán na Gaillimhe.  Bhain sé coimisiún amach in 2017 agus sé an comhlacht Tua Films a léirigh an scannán. Cruthaíonn scéim ilDána deis do lucht déanta scannán, saothar cennródaíoch a chruthú ar na healaíona trí Ghaeilge. Taispeánfar an scannán sa Regent Street Cinema mar chuid d’Fhéile Scannán na hÉireann i Londain, Dé Domhnaigh, 24 Samhain, 7.30pm.  Beidh fáiltiú dí roimhe mar cheiliúradh ar Ghaillimh 2020, Príomhchathair Chultúir na hEorpa. -Críoch-

The 2019 Best Documentary Award at the Irish Film Festival London was presented to ‘Cumar – A Galway Rhapsody’ a film by NUI Galway’s Aodh Ó Coileáin this week. Receiving the award at the Irish Embassy in London, Ó Coileáin said: “It is of particular significance to be selected for this award in London, a city so central to Irish artistic endeavour.  In the years following the Second World War, many of our musicians and artists came here to make a living:  Joe Heaney from Carna, Piper Willie Clancy from Milltown Malbay, singer Margaret Barry from Cork, Fiddle player Bobby Casey from Annagh in Co. Clare, Julia Clifford and Con Curtin from my own home county of Kerry, Flute player, Roger Sherlock, from Sligo who played in the White Hart, Fulham Broadway on Sunday mornings.  Druid’s performance of ‘The Playboy of the Western World’ at the Donmar Warehouse Theatre, Covent Garden in 1985 was a milestone in Irish Theatre.  Many Galway International Arts Festival shows have transferred here.  It’s against this rich background that ‘Cumar – A Galway Rhapsody’ screens in London.” Founder and Director of Irish Film London, Kelly O’Connor said: “We really loved the film and think it will become a long-standing document of the intrinsic essence and influence of Galway. We can't wait to see how audiences respond to it here in London.” The film was conceived and directed by Aodh Ó Coileáin who is Programme Director of the MA (Cleachtas Gairniúil sna Meáin) and also teaches on the BA (Cumarsáid agus Gaeilge) programme at NUI Galway’s Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge.  The film was produced by Paddy Hayes of Tua Films and premiered to critical acclaim at this year’s Galway Film Fleadh, it also screened at a film festival in Chicago last September.  ‘Cumar – A Galway Rhapsody’ examines the influence of Galway city and Connemara on seven artists of varied fields.  In turn the lens focuses on the impact of these artists’ work on the place where they live.  The artists featured in the film include: musician/composer Máirtín O’Connor, poet/playwright Rita Ann Higgins, novelist Mike McCormack, Noeline Kavanagh, artistic director of Macnas, singer song-writer, Róisín Seoighe, visual artist, Pádraic Reaney and comedian, Tommy Tiernan.  The film is scored by Galway composer Jake Morgan while Galway Street Club make a guest appearance with their own brand of music. ‘Cumar – A Galway Rhapsody’ is the project which was selected for the 2017 ilDÁNA commission.  The ilDÁNA scheme is an opportunity for documentary filmmakers to make a landmark, cinematic documentary on the arts in Irish.  ilDÁNA is a partnership between TG4, the Arts Council, and the BAI in association with Galway Film Centre. The film will screen at Regent Street Cinema as part of the Irish Film Festival London, Sunday, 24 November at 7.30pm.  The screening will be proceeded by a drinks reception celebrating Galway 2020, European Capital of Culture. -Ends-

The STARTED Project, coordinated by NUI Galway’s TechInnovate programme, will host a free workshop ‘Supporting Researchers to Create Innovation Driven Enterprises’ in the Maldron Hotel, Sandy Road, Galway from 9.30am-4.30pm on Thursday, 14November 2019. The event, in partnership with the West Regional Skills Forum, is an exciting opportunity to gain intrapreneurship and entrepreneurship skills tailored for those working on new product development, research or innovation within companies or startups. Participants will gain a detailed insight into bringing innovations from potential customer engagement through to successful commercialisation or technology transfer. They will also be the first in Europe to have free access to associated online tools, developed as part of the STARTED Project, to test the feasibility of their innovations. Online tools include: E-learning Platform “Validate Your Idea” is an interactive, free e-learning course designed to introduce researchers to entrepreneurship and guide them through the main steps on how to validate the business potential of their idea. Starting from the market discovery, the researchers will learn and apply fundamental concepts through a series of lessons that include both learning material and exercises. ResearchInno Database is the first database specifically designed for researchers who intend to evaluate the entrepreneurial potential of their invention/project/idea and helps them find potential partners, resources and competitors in their specific industry.           A roundtable on the day will explore the additional skills needs for research and development functions in industry to input into the development of funded and subsidised future training courses for the region. Denise Rocks, West Regional Skills Forum Manager based at NUI Galway, said: “This is an exciting chance for those working in Research and Development, or in a team for which innovation is essential, to gain an edge from the incredible team at TechInnovate and to learn the principles and practice of disciplined entrepreneurship to startup or spinoff their innovations.” John Breslin, Director of TechInnovate at NUI Galway, said: “We are delighted to give this free workshop on Disciplined Entrepreneurship with the STARTED Project, sponsored by Erasmus+, and the Regional Skills Forum. The aim is to move from storytelling about entrepreneurship to practical skills development on how to go about being an entrepreneur or intrapreneur, and we will have an experienced team of five lecturers and researchers from TechInnovate at NUI Galway giving a varied set of useful sessions on the day.” The STARTED Project is an Erasmus+ Knowledge Alliance initiative funded by the European Commission. It aims to reinforce and structure a European network for promoting entrepreneurship and innovation in the Research and Development area while improving the flow of knowledge and win-win cooperation between Higher Education Institutes and businesses. For more information visit: www.startedproject.eu/. The West Regional Skills Forum is an initiative of the Department of Education and Skills, serving Galway, Mayo and Roscommon. The Forum Manager acts as a single contact point in the region to help employers connect with the range of services and supports available across the education and training system. For more information visit www.regionalskills.ie. To register to attend this free event visit, www.bit.ly/startedworkshop. For more information about the event, contact Denise Rocks, West Regional Skills Forum Manager at deniserocks@regionalskills.ie. -Ends-