Mountains to Sea DLR Book Festival - Liam Carson presents Rita Ann Higgins & Nessa O'Mahony

Liam Carson will present Imram, the Irish readings extravaganza with special musical guests. 

 

In 1890, two of every five Irish people were living abroad. And durign the period 1830 to 1914, almost five million Irish emigrated to the United States alone. During the 1950s, Irish construction workers – ‘navvies’ – flocked to the building sites and railways of London, Manchester and Liverpool. Their experiences were vividly captured by Dónall Mac Amhlaigh in his classic memoir Dialann Deoraí and in his novel Deoraithe. Tonight Alan Titley will read extracts from those two books. He will be joined by poet Mícheál Ó hAodha, whose stunning début collection Slán le hÉireann probes the world of the Irish exile in Britain in poems of exceptional clarity and grace. Nessa O’Mahony’s verse novel In Sight of Home - acclaimed by Joseph O’Connor for its ‘great beauty’ - is inspired by a real archive of unpublished correspondence recording the Australian adventures of the emigrant Butlers of Kilkenny. Rita Ann Higgins will read ‘The Faraways’, a ‘rhyme essay’ that touches on themes of emigration, loss and language in Connemara, from her book of essays/memoir, Hurting God.

 

THOUSANDS ARE SAILING will feature beautiful on-screen projections by designer Margaret Lonergan, and music by acclaimed musician Colm Mac Con Iomaire of The Frames.

 

This project is curated by Liam Carson, director of the IMRAM Irish Language Literature Festival.

 

 

Sa bhliain 1890, bhí beirt as gach cúigear Éireannach lonnaithe thar sáile. Agus sa tréimhse 1830 - 1914, chuaigh nach mór cúig mhilliún Éireannach go dtí an tOileán Úr. I gcaitheamh na 1950í chuaigh lucht tógála ón tír seo - na náibhithe - go dtí na hionaid tógála is na hiarnróid i Londain, Manchain agus Learpholl. Léigh tú faoi sin sna leabhair Dialann Deoraí, cuimhní cinn, agus Deoraithe, úrscéal le Dónall Mac Amhlaigh. Léifidh Alan Titley sleachta as an dá leabhar sin anocht. Téann litríocht na deoraíochta siar go dtí aimsir Cholm Cille, ar ndóigh, agus is beo dó mar sheánra i gcónaí. Inár dteannta anocht  beidh Mícheál Ó hAodha, Gaillmheach, agus a chéad chnuasach filíochta á chur i láthair aige, Slán le hÉirinn (Coiscéim), dánta corraitheacha a scrúdaíonn cás an deoraí thall sa Bhreatain, dánta a bhfuil léire, atrua agus grástúlacht eisceachtúil iontu, leabhar a mbeidh an-chaint air ag baile agus i gcéin. Is é atá san úrscéal véarsaíochta de chuid Nessa O'Mahony, In Sight of Home, atá molta ag Joseph O'Connor agus scata eile, ná leabhar atá spreagtha ag cartlann de chomhfhreagras neamhfhoilsithe mar gheall ar na heachtraí a bhain do Bhuitléaraigh Chill Chainnigh san Astráil dóibh. Léifidh Rita Ann Higgins 'aiste ríme', The Faraways, a bhaineann le cúrsaí teanga is imirce i gConamara.

Teilgfidh seanfhondúir IMRAM Margaret Lonergan íomhánna áille ar an scáileán le linn imeachtaí an Tionscadail agus beidh Colm Mac Con Iomaire (The Frames) i mbun ceoil.

 

Is é Liam Carson, Stiúrthóir IMRAM, Féile Litríochta na Gaeilge, Coimeádaí an tionscadail seo.