An Introduction to Cúirt an Mheán Oíche

Cumann Merriman comemorations

Cumann Merriman organised a number of special events for the bicentennary of Brian Merriman’s death. You can find a comprehensive list of these in the 2005 events section of our site.

You can also browse a multimedia review of the 2005 Summer School. Visit this page for pictures of people and events, and for interviews with speakers and participants.

Merriman in the media

Towards the end of 2005 RTÉ Radio 1 broadcast a number of programmes about Brian Merriman and about the poem The Midnight Court.

These were available for some time on the RTÉ website but have subsequently been removed.

The programme details were as follows:

The Appeal of the Midnight Court (43:58s)

This documentary was made by Cathal Póirtéir to celebrate Brian Merriman on the bicentennary of his death. The programme was bilingual.

Scríbhneoirí Faoi Chaibidil 9 (27:31s)

Programme 9 — Brian Merriman, broadcast 2 December 2005. Alan Titley and Liam P. Ó Murchú discuss the poet and his poem.

An Chúirt on CD

To mark the bicentenery of Brian Merriman’s death two very special CDs were launched at the 2005 Merriman Summer School. Both feature significant but radically different readings of his poem Cúirt an Mheán Oíche.

The Seán Ó Ceallaigh CD

Seán Ó Ceallaigh (1896 – 1994) was born in Furoor, Lissycasey, Co. Clare. There were still many native speakers of Irish in the area during his youth and the Irish he learned so well was Clare Irish. Ó Ceallaigh would have heard Cúirt an Mheán Oíche recited by old Clare men — some of whom would have been growing‑up whilst Brian Merriman was still alive, thus creating a living link between this recital and the vernacular of Merriman’s era. Ó Ceallaigh became headmaster of the Irish College in Carrigaholt and was afterwards TD for Clare between 1959 and 1969.

His son is Bishop Fiachra Ó Ceallaigh and with his permission and support the Clare County Library has issued this CD of his father’s recital of the poem. It has not been made available to buy but the Library has distributed copies freely to schools in the county. To obtain more information contact the Clare County Library on 00 353 65 682 1616.

The Cumann Merriman & Raidió na Gaeltachta CD

Liam Ó Dochartaigh, Director of the 2005 Winter School, arranged a dramatic reading of Cúirt an Mheon‑Oíche for that event. The readers were Eoghan Ó hAnluain, Áine Ó Ceallaigh, Audrey Ní Fhearghail, Alan Titley and Doireann Ní Bhriain. The producer was Darach Mac Con Iomaire.

The cast then travelled to Baile Mhúirne in the Músgraí Gaeltacht to give a second live performance. The reading was recorded subsequenty by RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta and it is this recording that is featured on the second CD. The same cast read the poem again on 31 October 2005 as part of Oireachtas na Gaeilge in Cork.

This CD is available from Radio Library Sales, RTÉ., Donnybrook, Dublin 4. You can also buy a copy online from the RTÉ website or ring them on 00 353 1 208 3326.

Extracts

We have linked some extracts from the CDs to this page so as to give a taste of the two readings.

Ba ghnáth me ag siubhal… is the opening of the poem, and presents an interesting comparison between a modern, ‘dramatic’ reading and one, no less sophisticated, that is entirely informed by native oral tradition.

Múscail! Corraigh! introduces us to the first character encountered by the narrator: the formidable Báile.

The Seán Ó Ceallaigh CD

• Ba ghnáth me ag siubhal le ciumhais na habhann…
• Múscail! Corraigh!

The Raidió na Gaeltachta CD

• Ba ghnáth me ag siubhal le ciumhais na habhann…
• Múscail! Corraigh!