Pól Ó Muirí's Blog, page 4

Irish language development

Doctor John Walsh's new book, Contests and Contexts: the Irish Language and Socio-Economic Development (Peter Lang) will be launched by Professor Peadar Kirby, Friday 28th January, at 6pm in Galway City Museum.

Editing in Indreabhán

Conamara publishers, Cló Iar-Chonnacht, are looking for an Assistant Editor who will work out of their Indreabhán hq. The salary is between €26,000 and €35,000. Candidates must have B.A. (Hons) in Irish, expert knowledge of Irish grammar and dialects and computing experience. CV to Cló Iar-Chonnacht by Friday 21 January.

Shameless self-promotion

I am beginning the New Year with some shameless self-promotion. BBC Northern Ireland are broadcasting an audio on-line drama for learners, An Fháinleog, what I wrote, to quote Ernie Wise. The work started on January 1 and will continue with daily installments until January 20th. The pieces are short readings by Pól Penrose (grma!) and deal with contemporary issues – the weather, for example! – in, I hope, an imaginative way. Part sci-fi, part First Steps, it is here for anyone who wants to listen – and that includes people who are fluent. Many thanks to Róisín Kelleher at the BBC for her great help in producing the work. It has been 20 years since I published my first book and here I am still hacking away. Not a bad way to celebrate the New Year! (And, yes, New Year's Resolution does include getting back to blogging!)

Agus…

The Irish-language education group, Gaelchultúr, will launch their latest book Gaeilge gan Stró! – Lower Intermediate Irish, a multi-media language course for adult learners by Éamonn Ó Dónaill this Friday (5th November) at Foras na Gaeilge's hq, Merrion Square, Dublin at 3.30pm The Minister for the Gaeltacht, Pat Carey, will do the honours.

Meanwhile in Belfast this Saturday (6th November) ArtsEkta and the McCracken Cultural Society will host an Indo-Celtic festival to mark Diwali – the Indian festival of lights – and Samhain at the Ulster Museum between 5pm and 9pm. There will be Indian and Irish dance and music, plus food, a parade (it's Belfast after all!) and, of course, lights.

On Sunday (7th November) Raidió na Life (106.4FM) will begin to broadcast Gearóid Mac Unfraidh's new serial drama, Nóra, at 7pm. The drama looks at the influence the North's Hunger Strikes have on Nóra and takes its inspiration from the Greek classic, Antigone.

North again, Donegal musician Doiminic Mac Giolla Bhríde and Scottish musician Griogair Labhruidh, will launch their latest CD, Guaillibh a' Chéile, in Teach Hiúdaí Beag, Gaoth Dobhair, on Saturday, 13th November at 9pm.

Church matters

The autumn issue of Studies is out and is entitled "Healing a broken church? Catholicism after the reports." Contributors include Nuala O'Loan writing on "Transparency, accountability and the exercise of power in the Church of the future"; Gerry O'Hanlon, SJ, on "The Future of the Catholic Church – a view from Ireland" and David Quinn on "The Irish media and the Murphy Report".

Editor Fergus O'Donoghue writes that there is a "need for profound change in attitude at the highest level of the Church, resulting in more than cosmetic changes. The Church is administered by a Curia badly in need of reform; some departments are headed by men who are narrow in outlook, advanced in age and incompetent. Too many Vatican officials have received all their formation in Rome and cannot understand the problems of the local churches. Fear needs to be replaced by participation and consent."

Meanwhile, the September/October issue of History Ireland also contains articles on Catholicism with Maurice Curtis writing on militant lay Catholic organisations in Ireland in the first half of the 20th century in "Miraculous Meddlers: the Catholic Action movement". Catholic action of an entirely different sort is the subject of Robert Doyle's piece on "The pope's Irish battalion, 1860" in which he marks the 150th anniversary of the war in which Irishmen fought – and died – for the Pope. Ní bheidh a leithéid arís ann, you suspect.

'I blessed it'

The old ways never die. My youngest daughter, five, was eating some sweets when one fell on the ground. Quick as a flash, she bent down – waste not, want not – and popped it in her mouth. Horrified, I told her never to eat anything from the floor again. She just looked at me with her big blue eyes and said: "Don't worry daddy, I blessed it."

Ó Domhnaill abú!

Aodh Ó Domhnaill's latest play, Na Leabhra, will debut in The New Theatre, East Essex Street, Temple Bar, Dublin 2, on Thursday 21st October and will run until Saturday 23rd October (inclusive). Aisteoirí Bulfin – cé eile? – are staging the work which is described as "a very black comedy set in the near future in a country under military rule".

Clannad rock

There have been many innovative groups in traditional music but I suspect Clannad will always be at the top of the queue and i mbéal an phobail when it comes to their early work. Gael Linn have released, as a two CD set, Clannad's 1974 album, Clannad 2, and their 1976 collection, Dúlamán. The CDs include Coinleach Glas an Fhómhair, Siúil, a Rún, Dúlamán, Éirigh Suas, a Stóirín to name but a handful of tunes.