CUMANN MERRIMAN

    Details of Cumann Merriman's 39^th annual Winter School, to be announced in the offices of Foras na Gaeilge, 7 Merrion Square, Dublin 2, on Tuesday 9 January 2007 at 1.00 p.m.

Theme of the 2007 Winter School:

‘Anocht is uaigneach Éire': Imeacht na nIarlaí 1607

[‘Tonight Ireland is lonely': the Flight of the Earls 1607]

Dates: 26 - 28 January 2007

Location: Hotel Westport, Westport, Co. Mayo (098 - 25122)

Director: Liam Ó Dochartaigh, University of Limerick

 

 

 

Cumann Merriman will hold its 39th annual Winter School in Westport, Co. Mayo, from 26-28 January 2006. The Director of the 2006 Winter School is Liam Ó Dochartaigh of the University of Limerick. The principal location will be Hotel Westport (0982 77 58).

 

The theme of the 2007 Winter School commemorates 400 years since the Flight of the Earls in 1607. The winter school will be opened by Professor Gearóid Ó Tuathaigh (NUIG).

 

The principal topics to be discussed in the formal lectures will be a contemporary account of the epic journey of the earls and their companions and retainers from their departure from Rathmullen in September 1607 to their arrival at their ultimate destination, Rome; the role of the Irish Franciscans in Louvain/Leuven at the end of the sixteenth and the beginning of the seventeenth centuries both in countering the effects of the Reformation and in the heroic work of preservation of Gaelic literature and culture; and the reaction of the Irish poets at the time to contemporary events so fateful for Gaelic Ireland. The lecturers will be Dr Diarmuid Ó Doibhlin, formerly senior lecturer in Irish at UU Coleraine; Professor Micheál Mac Craith OFM (NUIG), and Dr Michelle O Riordan (School of Celtic Studies, DIAS).

 

A much anticipated event at the Winter School will be a first public showing at mid-day on Saturday 27 January of a major film commissioned by TG4 on the sean nós singer Sorcha Ní Ghuairim (1911-1976) from Carna in Conamara who taught for a time in Trinity College Dublin.

 

Cumann Merriman's annual publication is Éigse Chairbre, a scholarly edition by Bláthnaid Uí Chatháin of poems from the period 1750 to 1850 from Carberry in west Cork. The book will be launched on Saturday afternoon in Westport Library. The well-known and polished artist, Pádraigín Ní Uallacháin, will be guest singer at this event.

 

The Merriman Winter School in Westport will include the customary sessions of traditional singing and conviviality. Music at Club Merriman each evening will be provided by local musicians.

 

The 39th Merriman Winter School will conclude on Sunday morning, 28 January, with a joint reading of a selection of poems in Irish from the period 1560-1630 by foremost Irish language poet, Liam Ó Muirthile, with Michelle O Riordan, along with a selection of songs from Ulster sung by Pádraigín Ní Uallacháin.

 

 

 

Further Information:

Press officer: Róisín Ní Ghairbhí: 087 - 646 1661

Cumann Merriman : 086 - 382 0671 or write to eolas@merriman.ie

Cumann Merriman Web Site: www.merriman.ie

Liam Ó Dochartaigh: liam.odochartaigh@ul.ie or 087 - 79 88 956