Dictionary: Contestants – competitors; close association – closely; dancers – dancers; in the end – ultimately; achieve – win; performance art – performing arts; adolescent – teenager; language advocates – language activists; acknowledgement; an offering – presentation; learning sessions – workshops.
‘It’s an enormous deal when victory is brought to your locality or nation,’ declared Máirín Nic Dhonnchadha, the director of An tOireachtas, underlining the significance of Oireachtas na Samhna in the Gaelic culture and way of life in Gaeltachts.
Oireachtas na Samhna is a principal celebration of local arts and the Gaelic language, marked as one of the most meaningful occasions in the cultural agenda of the Irish language and acknowledged as one of the prominent arts festivals in the nation.
Naturally, language and cultural identity are interwoven, and this event offers a national stage for the wealth of composers, poets, musicians, sean-nós singers, dancers, authors, playwrights and raconteurs.
Participants are drawn from across the nation, attracting spectators, audiences, contestants and, in anticipation of the forthcoming general election this year. People of all ages, in their thousands, partake in the festivities, and ultimately, that’s how it ought to be: the Oireachtas is a communal jubilation.
In conversation with Máirín Nic Dhonnchadha, she shared her earliest reminiscences of the contest. While this year’s festival will take place in Killarney, her inaugural attendance at the festival was in An Cheathrú Rua in Connemara in 1983 when Máirtín Tom Sheáinín secured the Corn Uí Riada, the grandest award for sean-nós singing.
Describing her hometown as Béal an Daingean, she noted neither ‘Lettermore nor Letterkenny’ [the birthplace of Martin Tom Seánín] are a mere few miles down the road from her dwelling.
‘Martin’s victory was greatly feted,’ she recollected.
Recognising familiar faces getting acclaim from broader communities can be a deeply affective experience, as stated by Nic Dhonnchadha. Such moments sparked her understanding, during her teenage years, of the significance sean-nós singing holds for her community.
Regardless of the location, a festival transforms the venue into a Gaeltacht. As per Nic Dhonnchadha, any locale hosting the festivities – be it Club na nÓg, Singing Club or Set Club – would echo with the Irish language, the festival’s principal medium of communication.
The Oireachtas festival serves as a platform for language enthusiasts, institutions and community groups to network and engage with the public. A myriad of events, such as workshops, public lectures, book releases, etc., are organised to draw in larger audiences. This event stands as a grand felicitation of the Irish language and its multifaceted aspects.
This year’s festivals will kick off at the Oireachtas Theatre in the Brehon Hotel, with the formal inauguration of Oireachtas na Samhna by Thomas Byrne, Minister of State for the Gaeltacht. The Oireachtas Literary Awards of 2024 will take place on the same evening, honouring Alan Esslemont, Director General of TG4, with the Oireachtas na Gaeilge Communications Award, in recognition of his groundbreaking contributions to the Irish language television industry.
With the Oireachtas playing an instrumental role in the conservation and enhancement of Irish culture and traditional arts, the heart of the festival pulsates with such elements.
A legion of up to 1,000 participants will contend in 60 competitions, comprising sean-nós singing and dancing, storytelling, brackets and pair interviews. The contestsre set to start on Thursday morning and culminate with the ultimate Corn Uí Riada on Saturday night.
Different age groups, from youngsters to learners, will have their own exclusive events to participate in. Every year, Gael Linn organises the debate championship and Conradh na Gaeilge arranges multiple events like treasure hunts and the like.
This year, a considerable turnout is anticipated in Killarney, similar to or exceeding the number of people who joined the festivity last year which was about 12,000. Noteworthy, it’s not just the participants contributing to this number but also their supportive family members including parents, siblings, and even grandparents, says Nic Dhonnchadha.
In the past, the festival faced minimal coverage from primary television and radio networks, including the national broadcaster, RTÉ. The situation, however, has improved significantly with increased interest from broadcasting media towards the Oireachtas. According to Dhonnchadha, there has been an increment in the number of live broadcasts from the festival site annually.
Raidió na Gaeltachta and TG4 take the lead in festival coverage, but the event has also captivated the attention of RTÉ and BBC Northern Ireland. Additionally, Raiders Fáilte, Raidió na Life, and Radio Kerry will be there to cater to their respective audience.
While Oireachtas na Samhna’s publicity has amplified, efforts are still needed to expand its narrative and reach out to new communities. Dhonnchadha mentioned that Raidió na Gaeltachta and TG4 have made substantial contributions in spreading awareness about the Oireachtas, not only nationwide but globally as well. Nevertheless, there still exist people who have yet to become familiar with the Oireachtas.
Plans are in progress to allure more people and communities in the forthcoming years. Dhonnchadha highlighted a major void in the midlands where arts driven by the Irish language are not getting enough promotion.
This year has seen the Oireachtas experiencing significant financial relief when additional backing was sanctioned as part of the Language Based Arts Strategy. The government’s assistance of nearly €5 million will be used to foster performing arts all over the country, and an actionable plan has been presented for it, reported Dhonnchadha.
Extra funding will be utilised to boost and favour the arts beyond the Gaeltacht. The organisation targets to apply native arts in a vivacious, fervent, jubilant and dynamic manner, enabling people of every age across the nation to exhibit creativity.
To achieve such goals, the appointment of a central coordinator and five regional officials are in the pipeline. Each province will host a designated official with another individual overseeing the expanded Dublin region.
However, before initiating this, Oireachtas na Samhna 2024 is fast approaching.
Much of the groundwork has already been laid and the programme has been sent off for printing. The next crucial step is to ensure its successful execution.
The Oireachtas na Samhna will be taking place in Killarney, scheduled from 30th October to 3rd November.
For more detailed information and schedule for the event, kindly visit: antoireachtas.ie/oireachtas-na-samhna/