Teangá Rúnda na gCorr

Teangá Rúnda na gCorr

Ghlac sé tamall fada an suiteáil seo a chur le chéile, idir an coincheap físiúil agus suiteáil iarmhír an tsaothair. Ar ndóigh, ní bheadh taispeántas ar bith do ann murab é leabhar Lorcán Ó Tuathail, ‘Corr Scéal – Crane Notions’, a bhí mar inspioráid don choimisiún úrnua seo sa Ghailearaí. Déanann leabhar cuimsitheach Lorcáin fiosrú ar iarsmaí chultúrtha agus stairiúla na coirre atá anois imithe in éag in Éirinn. Leoga, tá an t-éan seo imithe in éag in Éirinn ó bhí thart fá’n 1500 céad ann agus, i gcuid mhór dóigheanna, tig leis léiriú meafarach a thabhairt ar stadás leochaileachta ár dteanga Ghaeilge féin.

Chuige seo, choimisinigh An Gailearaí saothair úrnua ón fhile, Cathal Ó Searcaigh, a leagann béim ar rian na teanga caillte den chorr seo agus ar an dóigh seo ag ceiliúradh iarsmaí an éin seo a bhí tábhachtach uair amháin laistigh dár dteanga agus na loirg atá fágtha go fóill. Chuir muid na saothair úra seo i gcuideachta shaothar cáiliúil an fhile as Albain, Sorley MacLean, ar a dtugtar “A’ Chorra-Ghridheach” – An Corr. Agus é sin a dhéanamhh againn, nascamar na leaganacha cainte agus cultúrtha atá coitianta i nGaeilge na hÉireann agus na hAlban araon, maraon le léiriú a thabhairt ar dhoimhneacht, ar shaibhreas agus ar leochaileacht ár seod luachmhar. Ná téimis an bealach céanna is a chuaigh an corr bhocht.

D’iarr An Gailearaí ar mhórán daoine forbairt agus seachadadh a dhéanamh ar an taispeántas seo, ar a n-áiritear cur i láthair galánta Deirdre Ní Bhraonáin de ‘Amhrán na gCorr’ le Cathal, agus Noreen agus Susan ó chlódóirí Pixalili. D’oibrigh baill an Boird, oibrithe deonacha, an fhoireann agus mórán daoine eile le chéile ar mhaithe leis an saothar úr seo a chur i láthair an phobail agus tá muid fíor bhúioch dóibh. Tá súil ag An Gailearaí go mbeidh sé spreagúil duit.

Teangá Rúnda na gCorr

This installation has been a long time in the making, both the visual concept and the actual installing of the work. Of course there would be no exhibition if it had not been for Lorcán Ó Tuathaíl’s book ‘Corr Scéal – Crane Notions’ which was the inspiration behind this new An Gailearaí commission. Lorcán’s comprehensive book explores cultural and historical remnants of the now extinct crane bird in Ireland. Indeed, this bird has been extinct in Ireland since around 1500 and in many ways can metaphorically reflect the delicacy of the status of our own Irish language.

To this end, An Gailearaí commissioned new works from poet Cathal Ó Searcaigh that highlight the vestiges of this lost crane language thereby celebrating the remnants of this once important bird within our language and the traces left still. We juxtaposed these new works alongside the Scottish poet Sorley MacLean’s famous work “A’ Chorra-Ghridheach” – The Heron. In doing so we have linked the common linguistic and cultural expressions of both the Irish and Scots Gaelic languages as well as demonstrating the depth, richness and the delicacy of our precious jewel. Let us not go the way of the poor crane.

An Gailearaí has called upon many people to develop and deliver this exhibition to you including Deirdre Brennan’s beautiful rendition of Cathal’s ‘Amhrán na gCorr’ and Noreen and Susan from Pixalili printing. Board members, volunteers, staff and a host of many others have pulled together to present the public with this new work and we are very grateful. An Gailearaí hopes you find it inspiring.