Cumann Merriman Summer School 2005

An Chúirt on CD

To mark the bicentenery of Brian Merriman’s death two very special CDs are to be launched at the 2005 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. The Irish he learned so well was Clare Irish and he would have heard Cúirt an Mheán Oíche recited by old Clare men — some of whom are likely to have been born whilst Brian Merriman was still alive. He 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 Mhuirne 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 features on the second CD. The same cast is to read the poem again on 31 October 2005 as part of Oireachtas na Gaelainne in Cork.