Handbook of the Tyrone Gaeltacht

Gaelic reading Sluggerites will recall I blogged a while back on a new book Padaí Láidir Mac Culadh agus Gaeltacht Thír Eoghain, a comprehensive work which could well be described as a handbook of the Tyrone Gaeltacht. It is a large volume which covers a wide variety of topics, profiles of native speakers, a small folklore collection and a summary of Irish medium education in the county to the present day. Learners of Irish in Tyrone will also be interested in the accompanying cd of recordings of native Tyrone Irish speakers recorded in the last century.

It is an essential purchase for anyone interested in Ulster Irish and in the language of Tyrone in particular.

Heres some details from today’s Irish News … “Padaí Láidir Mac Culadh agus Gaeltacht Thír Eoghain” was written by Dr Pádraig Ó Baoighill from Ranafast in the Donegal Gaeltacht, a full-time Irish writer and broadcaster who has written 14 books since 1993. This 540-page edition is the first comprehensive coverage of the Irish language of Tyrone since Eamann Ó Tuathail’s “Scéalta Muintir Luinigh” in 1933. The story of Paddy Láidir Mac Culladh of Curraghinalt, Rooskey, is well covered. Other profiles of the last native speakers include Johnny Bán McAleer; Helen Devlin (Eibhlín Mháire Bhidí) and Máire Ní Mhianáin, Cnocán Buí; Padaí Mac Culadh (Mhicí Briain) Seascán Siúil, Jane Mac Ruairí (Jane William Pheety), Peadar Ó Brolcháin (Peter Pat Roe), Glenlark, Áine Mhic Craith, Glenhull and Seán Ó Cairealláin, Glenelly. There are 25 profiles of native speakers of the Munterloney and Termonamongan areas, as well as profiles of 20 people from the Donegal Gaeltacht who were hired in the Badoney, Glenelly, Castlederg areas of Tyrone in the early 20th century. The author could only meet 10 native speakers in 1956 although there were 6,000 native speakers in the Tyrone Gaeltacht at the start of the 20th century. A CD included with the book covers eight native speakers from County Tyrone and six stories which the author recorded from Padaí Láidir Mac Culadh in Mossey’s Tavern in Gortin in 1956. Professor Mac Mathúna decribed Mr Ó Baoighill’s latest work as the most important and valuable he has written so far. “There is more information compiled here than was ever collected before,” he said. “This book is the most diverse and comprehensive ever written on the native speakers of this area.”

Ciarán Dunbar

Freelance journalist, working mostly in Irish.

Have my own independent news website – antuairisceoir.com – which is in constant need of material.

I am the former editor of the newspaper Gaelscéal, www.gaelsceal.ie