Macalla an Chláir le MacDara Ó Conaola
As a buachaill óg growing up on the Gaeltacht island of Inis Oírr I worked in my parents’ craft and souvenir shop during the samhradh months.
I’d play ceol in the cúlra to avoid any ciúnas awkward when custaiméirí would be ag breathnú timpeall. It was usually ceol from a cassette or CD we were ag díol. One of those cassettes, or tapes, was the now classic album, ”Meitheal”, by Steve Cooney agus Séamus Begley (Ó Beaglaoich), who we sadly lost this past Dé Luain.
I calculated that I played that album about míle uair over an samhradh, and sold dozens of copies! To say that the album had tionchar on me musically, would be an understatement mór millteach! Séamus Begley was one of the finest Native Irish speakers a chuala mé i riamh, agus b’amhránaí, ceoltóir, agus showman den scoth a bhí ann. Agus rógaire den scoth freisin! He played here in Condae an Chláir many times. Aireoidh muid uainn é. Beannacht Dé lena anam ceolmhar.
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Until next week, tóg go réidh é!
Imeachtaí/Events:
- Cúl-chaint le Domhnall Ó Loingsigh chuile Dé Sathairn, ag 9am ar Clare FM
- Ciorcal Comhrá san XPO, i gCill Iníne Baoith, chuile Dé Céadaoin ag 7.30pm
- Rith le Ruairí, chuile Dé Máirt ag 6.30pm, ag Local Motion, Inis.
- Ciorcal Comhrá, chuile Dé Céadaoin Dé Sathairn i nGlór, Inis, 11am-12pm
- Scéalta agus Rannta le Chéile, chuile Dé Céadaoin i Leabharlann Shráid na Cathrach ó 10.30 – 11am, Saor in aisce / Free of charge
Gluais/Glossary (Irish/Gaeilge – English/Béarla):
buachaill óg – a young boy
Gaeltacht – the tiny areas of Ireland where Native Irish is still spoken daily
samhradh – summer
ceol – music
cúlra – background
ciúnas – silence/quietness
custaiméirí – customers
ag breathnú timpeall – looking around/browsing
ag díol – selling
míle uair – a thousand times
tionchar – influence
mór millteach – huge/enormous
a chuala mé i riamh – that I ever heard
amhránaí – singer
ceoltóir – musician
den scoth – top quality/top class
Agus rógaire den scoth freisin! – And a top class rogue as well!
Aireoidh muid uainn é – We’ll miss him
