Oireachtas na Gaeilge

Oireachtas na Gaeilge (Irish pronunciation: [ɛrʲaxt̪ˠasˠ nə ˈɡeːlʲɟə]) is an annually held arts festival of Irish culture, which has run since the 1890s. Based on the Welsh Eisteddfod, Oireachtas na Gaeilge runs for one week, featuring performances, demonstrations and competitions. The festival is held in two portions: a visual arts festival in April/May and the festival proper on the last weekend of October or the first of November, when more than 10,000 people attend the seven-day event. In 2007, the festival was held at Westport. The 2008 festival took place in the Cork city suburb of Douglas, the local support committee was under the chairmanship of Peadar Ó Riada, son of the composer and founder of the male choir Cór Chúil Aodha, Seán Ó Riada.

Not to be confused with Oireachtas.
Oireachtas na Gaeilge.

History

The first Oireachtas na Gaeilge festival was organised in 1897 by Conradh na Gaeilge (the Gaelic League), which envisaged it as part of a renaissance of traditional Irish arts and culture.[1] in the Round Room of Dublin's Rotunda, one of the largest halls in the city at that time. It was just a half-day festival, but the attendance still exceeded a thousand people, an unexpected level of interest.

In contrast to today's festival, there was little emphasis on the performing arts. The competitions included two for poetry, five for prose essays, one for poetry compilations; a competition for unpublished songs or stories in Irish; a competition for new song compositions and a recitation competition.

While the festival management pulled off accomplishments including the staging of the first Irish-language opera, the popularity of the Oireachtas waned in the early part of the twentieth century, and the festival was cancelled for a number of years in the 1920s and 1930s. In response, the organisers, under the Directorship of Liam Ó Maolaodha attempted from the 1990s on to market the festival to younger speakers of Irish via outings, discos, and other youth-oriented events.

The festival was originally held in Dublin, but since the 1970s, it has been held in different cities and towns around Ireland. The festival culminates in four major competitions over the weekend: Comórtas na mBan, a Sean-nós singing competition for women, Comórtas na bhFear, for men, Corn Uí Riada, for all age and gender categories, and the Comórtas Damhsa ar an Sean Nós ("Steip"), a free-style dancing competition mainly based on the Conamara individual step style now popular around the country, but also includes dancing in other regional styles. Past winners of Corn Uí Riada include Áine Uí Cheallaigh, Lillis Ó Laoire, Máirtín Tom Sheánín Mac Donnchadha, Mícheál Ó Confhaola and 2008 winner Ciarán Ó Con Cheanainn from An Spidéal. Contae na Gaillimhe.

Venue
Year Venue Notes
2020Galway
2019Dublin
2016–18Killarney
2015Dublin
2013–14Killarney
2012Letterkenny
2010–11Killarney
2009Letterkenny
2008Cork
2007Westport
2006Derry
2005Cork
2004Letterkenny
2003Tralee
2002Gweedore
2001Dingle
2000Castlebar
1999Dungarvan
1997Belfast
1995Dublin
1994Dungarvan
1993Galway
1991Dublin
1990Ennis
1989Glencolmcille
1988Tralee
1980Gweedore
1977Gweedore
1974Cois Fharraige
1939–1973Dublin
1924–1938no Oireachtas
1923Dublin
1920Dublin
1919Cork
1917Waterford
1915Dundalk
1914Killarney
1913Galway
1897–1912Dublin

Media coverage

RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta has been covering the bigger Oireachtas events live since 1973 and these broadcasts are in considerable demand from internet audiences around the globe, particularly Corn Uí Riada and the sean-nós stage competitions. Steip, the Sean nós dancing competition, on TG4 has consistently attracted the station's highest annual audience figures. Its success is due to the hard work of Festival administrator Máirín Nic Dhonnchadha who effectively revived the competition from 2000 onwards. In 2008, for the first time, the station broadcast live segments of the Corn Uí Riada competition.

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References
  1. Ó hAllmhuráin, Gearóid (2017). A Short History of Irish Traditional Music. Dublin: The O'Brien Press. p. 55. ISBN 9781847179401.
  • Ó Súilleabháin, Donncha (1984). Scéal an Oireachtais 1897 – 1924 (in Irish). Dublin: An Clóchomhar Tta.
  • Ní Mhuiríosa, Máirín (1968). Réamhchonraitheoirí (in Irish). Dublin: Clódhanna Teo. ISBN 0-9501264-0-3.
  • Mac Aonghusa, Proinsias (Ed.) (1997). Oireachtas na Gaeilge 1897 - 1997. Dublin: Conradh na Gaeilge.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
  • Mac Mathúna, Seán (1997). Cuimhní Cinn ar an Oireachtas (in Irish). Dublin: Conradh na Gaeilge.
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