1. Call for papers: Genre in Medieval Celtic Literature

The School of Celtic Studies is pleased to announce that it will be hosting a colloquium on genre in medieval Celtic literature on 27–28 September 2013, at 10 Burlington Road, Dublin 4, Ireland. The aim of this colloquium is to open up the field to discussion of the concept of genre in medieval literature and in particular in the Celtic vernaculars. While recent years have seen a gradual increase in publications on this topic, the potential of the discussion of genre and generic analysis for the Celtic literatures has not yet been fully explored. This colloquium aims to bring together current research on the subject, with a view to exploring the role genre plays in modern scholarship as well as in the medieval understanding of reading and writing. Proposals for papers of approximately 30 mins are invited on all topics relevant to genre in medieval Celtic literature (not limited to the vernaculars) including: taxonomy and typology (medieval and modern) methodology of generic analysis cyclification medieval reading practices artes liberales and medieval writing individual genres The call for papers has expired. A full programme will be published in due course.

Dé Máirt, 11 Mí na Nollag 2012 | 133 hits | Priontáil | PDF |  R-Phost | Report

2. From Late Antiquity to Early Modernity: Towards a New History of Gaelic Literature, A.D. 250–1750

A series of lectures in memory of Proinsias Mac Cana to be delivered in the Royal Irish Academy and the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies by: Professor David Dumville Sixth-century Professor in History, Palaeography & Celtic University of Aberdeen 18 February – 29 July Threads and Titles: (lectures 1-8): Introductory and general 1–2: Towards a history of the literatures of mediaeval and early modern Gaeldom 3: The modern historiography of mediaeval and early modern Gaelic literature, and the problem of Ireland 4: In praise of continuity in Gaelic history and culture 5: The question of origins, the self-interrogatory literary tradition, and cheerful self-confidence 6: Witnesses, sources, methods, and their limitations 7: Senchus and peritia 8: The persons and institutions of language and literature: the republic of letters avant la lettre? (lectures 9-16): Interactions 9: Orality and textuality: a confused historiography 10: Authors and their public(s): producers and consumers of Gaelic literature 11: 'Historicisation' 12: The world and eternity (secularity and religiosity) 13: Interaction of languages: borrowing, bilingualism, glossing, scribal, macaronic 14: Text and margin 15: Dialogue 16: Scandinavian-Gaelic interaction (lectures 17-24): Classes, genres, periods, transmissions 29 April 17. Categories of Gaelic literature 18. Genre: lists, text-titles, and yet inadequate information 6 May: public holiday 13 May 19. Periodisation and transmission 20. Old-Gaelic literature 20 May 21. Middle-Gaelic literature 22. Early-Modern-Gaelic literature 27 May 23. Survival and loss (manuscripts and texts) 24. Transmission and mutation (lectures 25-32): Continuity and change (lectures 33-40): Selected issues and summation Lectures 1–2 were given in the Royal Irish Academy on 18 February 2013. Lectures 3–8 were given in the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies on 25 February, 4 March and 11 March. There is no lecture on Public Holiday Monday 1st April. Lectures will resume on Monday 8th April in the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies 2.00 to 3.00 and 3.30 to 4.30, with tea between each lecture. The dates and times for subsequent lectures will be announced in due course. Attendance is open to all. There will be no fee and no requirement to register. Queries to info@celt.dias.ie.

Dé Céadaoin, 23 Eanáir 2013 | 2447 hits | Priontáil | PDF |  R-Phost | Report

3. Seminar Series on Classical Irish Verse

Dr Gordon Ó Riain will begin a seminar series reading the poem Meisde mh’inmhe mh’fhad ó Shaidhbh at 5pm on Thursday, 31st January 2013 in the Seminar Room of the School of Celtic Studies, DIAS. This poem, attributed to Maol Eachlainn ‘na nUirsgéal’ Ó hUiginn, is addressed to a daughter of Conchobhar Ó Briain (Sadhbh) who died in 1410 and is preserved in a single copy in RIA A iv 3 (743), 648–88 (transcribed in McManus and Ó Raghallaigh, A Bardic miscellany, no. 330). The seminars last one hour and the School of Celtic Studies welcomes external participants.

Dé Céadaoin, 23 Eanáir 2013 | 280 hits | Priontáil | PDF |  R-Phost | Report

4. Léacht Poiblí Reachtúil

Léachtaí Poiblí Reachtúla roimhe seo 2012Máire Herbert: Irish History and World History: Some views from the pre-Norman era Cuid de Tionól 20122011Liam Breatnach: Poet and scholar: The education of the fili in early mediaeval Ireland Cuid de Tionól 2011. 2010Damian McManus: The Bardic Poetry Database: opportunities and challenges for future scholarship Cuid de Tionól 2010 2009 Fergus Kelly: Women's rights and duties in early Irish law, with special reference to marriage Cuid de Tionól 2009 2008 Pádraig A. Breatnach: The Four Masters and their Works: A Team Enterprise Cuid de Tionól 2008 2007 Katharine Simms: The Nature and Function of Bardic Poetry: an introduction to the DIAS bardic poetry database Cuid de Tionól 2007 2006 Pádraig Ó Riain: The Book of Glendalough: a continuing investigation Cuid de Tionól 2006 2005 Liam Breatnach: Mediaeval Irish law and mediaeval Irish literature Cuid de Tionól 2005 2004 Tomás Ó Cathasaigh: The body in Táin Bó Cúailnge Cuid de Tionól 2004 2003 Seán Ó Coileáin: When oral becomes literary: the case of Caoineadh Airt Uí Laoghaire Cuid de Tionól 2003 2002 Liam Breatnach: 'Satire, praise and the early poet' Cuid de Tionól 2002 2001 Aoibheann Nic Dhonnchadha: 'Medical writings in Irish: translations of the works of Bernard of Gordon' Cuid de Tionól 2001 2000 Fergus Kelly: 'The early Irish wisdom-texts: origins and ethos' Cuid de Tionól 2000 1999 Máirtín Ó Murchú: 'The Society for the Preservation of the Irish Language II' 1998 Máirtín Ó Murchú: 'The Society for the Preservation of the Irish Language I' 1997 Pádraig Ó Macháin: 'Ar thóir téacs agus údair i bhfilíocht na scol' 1996 David Howlett: 'Scoti ludentes, the Irish at play in their earlier letters' 1995 Terence McCaughey: 'Dr. Bedell and Mr. King' 1994 Thomas O'Loughlin: 'The view from Iona: Adomnán's mental maps' 1993 Gwenllian Awbery: 'Does Welsh have a future?' 1992 William Gillies: 'The Book of the Dean of Lismore' 1991 Neil Buttimer: 'Manuscript and book in pre-Famine Gaelic Ireland' 1990 R. Mark Scowcroft: 'Abstract narrative in Ireland' 1989 Máirtín Mac Conmara: 'The Irish affiliations of the Catechesis Celtica' 1988 Fergus Kelly: 'Early Irish Farming: the evidence of 7th-8th century law-texts' 1987 Rolf Baumgarten: 'The Galatians: Celts in Asia Minor' 1986 Proinsias Mac Cana: 'The Early Ulster-Scottish Hero Cycle' 1985 Mícheál Ó Siadhail: 'Irish and English - Aspects of Language Contact' 1984 Heinrich Wagner: 'The Celtic Invasions of Ireland and Britain: Facts and Theories' 1983 Nessa Ní Shéaghdha: 'Translations and Adaptations' 1982 Malachy McKenna: 'The Breton Literary Tradition' 1981 Brian Ó Cuív: 'Ireland's Manuscript Heritage' 1980 Mícheál Ó Siadhail: 'The Standardization of Irish Orthography' 1979 Heinrich Wagner: 'Origins of Pagan Irish Religion' 1978 James P. Carney: 'Aspects of Archaic Old Irish' 1977 Karl Horst Schmidt: 'The Languages of Gaul and Britain in Roman Times' 1976 Fergus Kelly: 'Early Irish Justice' 1975 Breandán Ó Buachalla: 'Settler and Native in Seventeenth-Century Ulster' 1974 David Greene: 'Makers and Fakers' Brian Ó Cuív: 'Personal Names, Epithets and Nicknames in Irish' 1973 Rolf Baumgarten: 'A Bibliographer's View of Irish Studies' 1971 Myles Dillon: 'The Oldest Irish Stories' 1970 Roparz Hemon: 'Written and Colloquial Breton' 1969 David Greene: 'The Chariot in Early Irish Literature' Brian Ó Cuív: 'The Linguistic Training of the Mediaeval Irish Poet' 1968 James P. Carney: 'The Lost Book of Glendalough - A Preliminary Investigation' 1966 Daniel A. Binchy: 'Tribe and Clan - The Celtic Evidence' Daniel A. Binchy: 'A Thousand Years of Irish - Corpus Iuris Hibernici' 1964 Myles Dillon: 'Finding the Celts' Daniel A. Binchy: 'The Book of Rights and Irish Pseudo-History' 1962 James P. Carney: 'Sedulius Scottus - A Man of Adequate Piety' Daniel A. Binchy: 'The Ritual Hunger Strike in Ancient Ireland' 1961 Paul Thieme: 'Prehistoric Origins of Indo-European Poetry' 1960 Caerwyn Williams: 'Early Welsh Personal Names' 1959 Daniel A. Binchy: 'The Origins of the so-called High-Kingship' 1958 James P. Carney: 'O'Hussey and Maguire - A Study in the Relationship of Poet and Patron' 1957 Daniel A. Binchy: 'Tara and Cashel' 1956 Myles Dillon: 'The Book of Rights' 1955 James P. Carney: 'The Old Irish Poems on the Blessed Virgin' 1953 Daniel A. Binchy: 'Celtic Kingship' Myles Dillon: 'Linguistic Borrowing and Historical Evidence' 1952 Heinrich Wagner: 'The Irish Linguistic Atlas - A Preliminary Report' 1951 David Greene: 'The Art of Translation' 1950 Brian Ó Cuív: 'Irish Dialects and Irish-Speaking Districts' 1949 James P. Carney: 'Suibhne Geilt and the Children of Lir' 1947 J. Lloyd Jones: 'The Court Poets of the Welsh Princes' 1946 Cainneach Ó Maonaigh: 'Sgríbhneorí Gaeilge d'Órd San Froinsias' 1944 John Macdonald: 'Scottish Gaelic and its Literature' 1943 Ifor Williams: 'Early Welsh Poetry' 1942 Thomas F. O'Rahilly: 'The Two Patricks'

Dé Céadaoin, 18 Lúnasa 2010 | 6154 hits | Priontáil | PDF |  R-Phost | Report

5. Summer School 2014

The dates for the next Summer School in the School of Celtic Studies, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies are 14–26 July, 2014. Further information in due course.

Déardaoin, 21 Márta 2013 | 335 hits | Priontáil | PDF |  R-Phost | Report

6. Tionól

Cruinniú bliaintiúil de lucht an léinn Cheiltigh is ea Tionól Scoil an Léinn Cheiltigh. Is gnách gur go déanach i mí na Samhna a gairmtear é. Deintear páipéir léannta a bhaineann le gnéithe éagsúla den ábhar a léamh agus a phlé. Tionóil roimhe seo Tionól 2012 Tionól 2011 Tionól 2010 Tionól 2009 Tionól 2008 Tionól 2007 Tionól 2006 Tionól 2005 Tionól 2004 Tionól 2003 Tionól 2002 Tionól 2001 Tionól 2000 Tionól 1999

Déardaoin, 19 Lúnasa 2010 | 15035 hits | Priontáil | PDF |  R-Phost | Report

7. Tionól 1999

Léadh na páipéir seo leanas i dTionól Scoil an Léinn Cheiltigh, 19-20 Samhain, 1999. Sharon Arbuthnot'The manuscript tradition of Cóir Anmann' Edel Bhreathnach'Flaith ho Niel co Nell. Niell caich ua Neill naiscther geill: the transformation of the kingship of Tara c. 600-720 AD' John Carey'Bran son of Febal and Bran son of Lyr' Angela Gleason'Oc immáin; hurling? Field sports of early Ireland' Karen Jankulak'Vita Gurthierni and the Cartulary of Sainte-Croix de Quimperlé' Fergus Kelly'Osbretha "deer-judgements" - a Senchas Már law-text?' Donnchadh Ó Corráin'The glossing of Aipgitir Chrábaid' Diarmaid Ó Doibhlin'Cathal Buí Mac Giolla Ghunna: a culture of dissent' Eoghan Ó hAnluain'Cuirfidh mé faghairt i bhfeidhm más cruaidh dom' Roibeárd Ó hÚrdail'The pidginisation and anglicisation of the Irish language: the pretence and the reality' Joe Ó Labhraí'Seanmóirí John Heely mar fhoinse fianaise ar chanúint Ghaeilge Cho. Lú' Nollaig Ó Muraíle'The Irish genealogies - an overview and some desiderata' Ingrid Sperber'St Finán of Cenn Étig' Jonathan Wooding'The cnó gnáe revisited, or what were the allmuire sét?'

Dé Céadaoin, 18 Lúnasa 2010 | 3842 hits | Priontáil | PDF |  R-Phost | Report

8. Tionól 2000

Léadh na páipéir seo leanas i dTionól Scoil an Léinn Cheiltigh, 24-25 Samhain, 2000. Caoimhín Breatnach The Míniugad recension of Lebor Gabála Érenn: a reappraisal of the manuscript tradition This paper will focus on the Mfniugad version of Lebor Gabála found in RIA MS D i 3 (539) and the Book of Lecan. The relationship of these manuscripts to each other has been the subject of a number of scholarly contributions. The most recent publication on this matter is an article entitled 'Lebor Gabála in the Book of Lecan' by Tomás Ó Concheanainn in T. Barnard, D. Ó Cr=infn and K. Simms (eds), A miracle of learning: Essays in honour of William O'Sullivan (1998) 68-90. Ó Concheanainn furnishes evidence which suggests that the second redaction of Lebor Gabála (with Mfniugad)) in the Book of Lecan was copied directly from RIA MSS 537-9. A substantial section of text at the end of the Mfniugad version in RIA MS 539 is not found in the Book of Lecan, however. Evidence which may explain this discrepancy will be, discussed in this paper. Further implications of this evidence will also be discussed. Art Hughes Multiple variants of the LASID questionnaire from a single area: a case study from mid-Donegal Professor Heinrich Wagner's four-volume Linguistic Atlas and Survey of Irish Dialects constitutes a monumental contribution to the history of the Gaelic languages of Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man. The fieldwork for LASID was, in the main, conducted in the 1950s and based on the transcription from usually a single speaker for each point in the atlas. During the 1980s I undertook fieldwork in central Donegal (near to LASID pts 83 and 82) for a PhD thesis entitled The Gaelic of Tangaveane and Commeen, Co. Donegal. During a spell of particularly wet weather, I decided to try out a version of Wagner's long questionnaire (of c. 1200 items) on one informant and subsequently went on to ask four others the same questions. These c. 6000 responses from five individual speakers, from what is quite a similar dialect, have been processed and this paper will focus on some of the findings from this exercise in terms of: agreement and discrepancy between the speakers (in relation to verbal morphology, case inflection etc.) plus differences between elicited answers and normal speech. The paper would also make a strong case for more fieldwork to be done along similar, but not necessarily identical, lines. Fergus Kelly The early Irish wisdom-texts: origins and ethos Statutory Public Lecture This lecture will concentrate on the origin and authorship of the Old Irish wisdom-texts, which date from the 7th century to the 9th century AD. The reasons for the composition of these texts will be examined, as will their relationship to the law-texts. A case will be made that the wisdom-text Tecosca Cormaic is a literary composition originating in a royal court. Róisín McLaughlin A threat of satire by Tadhg mac Dáire Mheic Bhruaideadha It is intended to discuss a poem by Tadhg Mac Dáire which takes the from of a threat of satire against Donnchadh Ó Briain, the Fourth Earl of Thomond. The poem has not yet been edited or published and a preliminary edition of a selection of verses will be provided as a basis for discussing the following points: (a) The metaphorical representation of satire as a weapon in this poem and in literature and legal material from the Old and Middle Irish periods. (b) References in the poem to literary satires from Old and Middle Irish sources. (c) The context in which the threat of satire may have been composed. Bronagh Ní Chonaill From 'three worths of a foetus' to 'three receptions of a child': children in the legal tradition of Medieval Wales This paper will examine the legal tractates of the lawyers of medieval Wales to see what they hold in relation to children. Do we receive a paradigmatic portrayal of childhood, or are children mentioned only when they upset a given order? Areas of contention for the lawyers will be highlighted, which range from the value of a foetus if injured to how and under what circumstances a child is affiliated to the maternal or paternal kin. The legal manuscripts are considered lawbooks for lawyers and not codified law. We may seek to examine, therefore, whether the three different textual traditions which exist within the extant material is reflected in the subject matter relating to children. Máirín Ní Dhonnchadha Irard mac Coisse and his airec menman The tale Airec Menman Irard meic Coisse is of paramount importance for Irish literary tradition and history. Readers' familiarity with the tale usually derives from their interest in the long list it contains of the tales which a medieval fili was expected to know. It has been suggested by more than one scholar, and most influentially by Proinsias Mac Cana, that Irard mac Coisse was probably the actual author of this tale. In this talk it will be shown that this hunch was well-founded; a precise date will be given for the tale's composition; and some new information on Irard himself will be offered. Donnchadh Ó Corráin The Irish law of succession: another visit A reconsideration of some of the salient points of what has been written over the past twenty years on the more important aspects of royal succession - relevance of kinship, rfgdamna, tánaise etc. - together with a brief look at some texts from the Laws that have something to say - or are seen to have something to say - about royal succession. Brian Ó Curnáin Gaeilge cainteoirí a rugadh idir 1960 agus 1970 in Iorras Aithneach Is é priomhadhmad chanúineolaíocht na Gaeilge ná eagsúlacht ceantair. Le hathrú ó bhonn an tsochaí tá eagsúlacht idir glúine daoine go mór i dtreis in obair an chanúineolaí chomhaimseartha. Is i gcaint cainteoirí a rugadh sna blianta idir 1960-70 a fheictar a cheaduair an bhearna idir Gaeilge chlainne, 'thraidisiúnta', logánta agus 'Gaeilge na glúine óige'. Is liosta le n-áireamh a bhfuil ag athrú i gcóras uile theanga na glúine seo, m.sh. aonfhoghrú, aifriceadú, coguasú; meadu ar -u sa 3 iolra den fhorainm réamhfhoclach; laghdú ar na réamhfhocail a dhíochlaontar; foirmeacha táite breise; athraithe sna réimnithe. Tá roinnt athraithe coitianta agus roinnt aonraiceach. Tapúlacht agus indibhidiúlacht chomh maith le pátrúnú nua sochtheangeolaíoch a saintréithe, agus méadaíonn orthu seo sa chéad ghlúin eile. Tá macasamhail na n-athraithe seo ag tarlú ar fud na cruinne. Séamas Ó Direáin Foinsí agus faisnéis: ag bailiú sonraí faoi na canúintí in Oileáin Árann Bailfodh a lán faisnTise le breis agus cTad bliain faoi na canúintf in Oileáin -rann, idir ábhar scrfofa agus ábhar taifeadta. DTanfar plT sa pháipTar seo ar na foinsf is m= a sholáthrafonn eolas ar fhoghrafocht, ar ghramadach, agus ar st=r focal na gcanúintf sna hoileáin sin thar thrTimhse cTad bliain, idir bhuanna agus laigf. PlTifear freisin na bealaf is fearr le heolas tábhachtach teangeolafoch a bhaint astu, ba chuma scoláirf oilte ag dTanamh na hoibre n= scoláirf =ga a bheadh á n-oiliúint f=s sna hollscoileanna -- go fiú scoláirf =ga nach mbeadh eolas acu ar an teangeolafocht, b'fhTidir, ach a bheadh faoi stiúir seanscoláirf cáilithe. Full text available Joe Ó Labhraí Lámhscríbhinn chaillte? Seanmóirí Hugh McFadden (c. 1801-68), Cloch Cheann Fhaola Scrfobh an tAthair Hugh Mac Fadden (c.1801-1868) cnuasach seanm=irf i litriú foghrafochta. Caitheann an tTacs solas ar chanúint Ghaeilge an údair a rugadh agus a t=gadh i mbaile fearainn Dhún Taithligh, agus a chaith seal i bpar=iste Ghaoth Dobhair sula ndeachaigh sT go Gort an Choirce mar shagart par=iste idir 1849 agus 1868. Ar an drochuair nfl an buntTacs fTin ar fáil faoi láthair agus nfl tagairt ar bith di i dTreoirleabhar de Brún ná sna catal=ga eile. Tá athscrfbhinn di i measc pháipTir Éamoinn Uf Thuathail i Roinn BhTaloideas +ireann. Tá tagairtf don tTacs ag Bearnárd + Dubhthaigh atá ag teacht le hathscrfbhinn Uf Thuathail cT nach ionann an c=ras tagartha a d'úsáid siad. Ba mhaith liom cuid d'athscrfbhinn Uf Thuathail a chur i láthair an Tion=il chomh maith le heolas ar Hugh McFadden agus a mhuintir. Roibeard Ó Maolalaigh Forchanúnachas, idircheantair agus forbairt stairiúil -ich agus -idh deiridh i nGàidhlig an iardheiscirt Is T rTaladh -idh agus -igh / -ich deiridh neamhaiceanta ceann de na difrfochta is suntasaf idir an Ghaeilge agus an Ghaidhlig (O'Rahilly 1932: 53-57). Cumaisctear go hiondúil na deirfocha sin i gcanúintf na Gaeilge agus sa Mhanainnis (mar /igÝ/, /ə/, /i/). Ach dTantar idirdhealú idir an dá dheireadh ar fud na hAlban (-idh /i/; -igh / -ich /ixÝ/) taobh amuigh de chanúintf áirithe de chuid an Iardheiscirt. Tá cuid de chanúintf an Iardheiscirt eisceachtúil - go fiú droim ar ais - áit a rTalaftear -idh go minic mar /ixÝ/, agus -igh / -ich mar /i/. Cuireann Survey of the Gaelic Dialects of Scotland ar ár gcumas mionanailfs a dhTanamh ar na forbairtf seo. 'Urchar thar sprioc' a thug an Rathaileach ar /ixÝ/ /ixÝ/ agus -igh / -ich > /i/) nfos casta ná mar a sfleadh go dtf seo agus nf m=r cúinsf morfeolafocha a thabhairt san áireamh ar mhaithe le lTargas is grinne a fháil orthu is ar fhocheantair Tagsúla na dtrTithe atá faoi chaibidil. Patricia Ronan Some aspects of Echtra Nerai Echtra Nerai displays some features of a `prototypical' echtra: The hero's visit to the otherworld; temporal disparity with the world of humans; the hero's eulogy of the síd on his return. Yet the splendour and joy usually associated with the otherworld are absent from this story, a rather grim atmosphere pervades. This is fitting because the otherworld is in opposition to the protagonists, and the destruction of their fort is intended. In the end, however, the humans prevail over the síd people, gaining a number of gifts from them. It is these gifts, particularly the `crown of Briun', which are a major motivation of this tale as they signify sovereignty, a fact which is also highlighted by the structure of the story. Paul Russell Lex scripta est tenenda: new thoughts on the Latin laws of medieval Wales In recent years the Latin versions of the medieval Welsh laws have tended to take a back seat. They are often assumed to occupy a vaguely central position between the other redactions and to represent a single group. The standard edition by Emanuel (Cardiff, 1967) remains an excellent starting point but some of his basic findings now can be challenged (especially on the basis of some re-datings of manuscripts by Daniel Huws). The effect of such work is that in some cases the direction of development can be reversed and in others the relationships have to be entirely rethought. This paper considers a number of instances which illustrate the changing nature of the study of these texts.

Dé Sathairn, 25 Mí na Samhna 2000 | 5847 hits | Priontáil | PDF |  R-Phost | Report

9. Tionól 2001

Léadh na páipéir seo leanas i dTionól Scoil an Léinn Cheiltigh, 23-24 Samhain, 2001. Colmán Etchingham Scottish Islesmen and the politics of the Insular world in the tenth and eleven centuries Political relations in the Viking-Age 'Irish Sea province' have been the subject of considerable scholarly endeavour over the last twenty years or so. Much of this has concentrated on the eleventh and twelfth centuries and has elucidated relations between Man and the Isles, Dublin and Wales in this era. The present paper reappraises some of the evidence for the activities of the Islesmen in the eleventh century and sheds new light on the position in the tenth century, a period that has been comparatively neglected in the recent literature. Michael Herren Patrick and Auxerre This paper seeks to examine the old question of where Patrick received his theological and possibly monastic training. Scholars have long been divided on the meaning of Patrick's words in Conf. 43: `non id solum sed etiam usque ad Gallias uisitare fratres et ut uiderem faciem sanctorum Domini mei'. Some have taken this passage to mean that Patrick sojourned in Gaul prior to his mission to Ireland and wished to return there before his death. Others have characterised the words as wishful thinking. The seventh- and eighth-century lives by Muirchú and Tírechán both assign Patrick a stay in Gaul: Muirchú places him in Auxerre, Tírechán sets him in the Tyrrhenian isles. However, Binchy's highly influential `Patrick and his Biographers' argues that later accounts of Patrick's training are largely worthless, and only Patrick's `ipsissima verba' count as evidence. Thus Muirchú's account of Patrick at Auxerre with Germanus and Tírechán's depiction of him in a Mediterranean monastic environment are to be regarded as equally valueless. Given this state of affairs, there has been no agreement either about the meaning of Patrick's words in Conf. 43 or his earlier training. Opinions range from Gaul to Britain and even to Ireland itself. I shall argue here that Patrick's theological orientation may shed some light on the problem. Some time ago D.S. Nerney produced impressive evidence to show that Patrick's writings had knowledge of anti-Pelagian sources and reveal an anti-Pelagian orientation; he went so far as to suggest that his letters were directed against Pelagian superiors in Britain. In my forthcoming book with Shirley Ann Brown - Christ in Celtic Christianity - I adduce further support for this position. In my Mission and Monasticism I called attention to Patrick's pro-Gaulish and anti-British statements. It is well known that Germanus of Auxerre was a powerful and effective opponent of Pelagianism; he is credited with twice suppressing it in Britain. Muirchú's report that Patrick passed a long period of tutelage under Germanus at Auxerre is at the very least consistent with Patrick's own anti-Pelagian stance and his praise of Gaulish Christians. Moreover, Patrick's theological outlook serves to discredit Tírechán's thesis of a sojourn in the Mediterranean isles, notorious for their alignment with the semi-Pelagian position. Given the `most natural' interpretation of Patrick's words `usque ad Gallias uisitare fratres', it seems reasonable to conclude that Patrick did sojourn in Gaul, and at some centre known for an anti-Pelagian stance.If one adopts the `orthodox' dates for Patrick, he could have trained under Germanus before 429, when Germanus launched his first crusade against the Pelagians in Britain, begun his mission in the early 430s, but still have suffered from the machinations of Pelagian enemies who had good reason not to want Patrick in Ireland; these forces continued to be powerful in Britain down to the alleged second visit of Germanus in the 440s. One might object that Patrick could as easily have been trained by anti-Pelagian elements within the British Church. This possibility cannot be disproven, but I have not found any evidence in the fifth or sixth century of British-based writers in sympathy with the grace-drive theology of Augustine. Gildas, who I think wrote in the early sixth century, displays a skillful neutrality. Patrick's depiction of himself as an involuntary instrument of God's grace is anomalous for a British writer of the fifth or even sixth century. There may be a grain of truth in Muirchú's account after all. Fergus Kelly Old Irish airthenn, Modern Irish fiorthann 'fiorin-grass' - a suggested etymology Old Irish airthenn refers to a type of grass, and has been identified with Modern Irish fiorthann (farthann, etc.) 'creeping bent-grass', anglicised as fiorin. In this paper, I discuss the various etymologies which have been proposed for this word. Dan McCarthy The chronology of Saint Colum Cille The Irish annals all agree with the Féilire of Aengus and the Roman Martyrology that Colum Cille died on the fifth ides of June (9 June); however the published editions of the annals do not agree as to the year, placing it variously in the last decade of the sixth century. In 1857 William Reeves combined the annalistic data with the detail given by Adomnán in his Vita Columbae, that Colum Cille had died on a Sunday, to deduce that the year in question was AD 597. Ever since then it has been accepted by most scholars that Sunday 9 June 597 was the date of Colum Cille's death, indeed it has sometimes been described as the only 'secure' date in the Irish history of the sixth century. Regarding the length of Colmcille's life Reeves observed that the annals gave dates for his natus 'ranging from 518 to 523', and he concluded that 'calculation from Adamnan's data gives 521 as that most likely'. Nevertheless, ambiguity regarding the chronology of Colum Cille's life has persisted on account of the fact that the Annals of Ulster, which have been regarded as the principle source for the chronology of early Irish history, provide duplicate natiuitates and obits for him, and that their various data do not reconcile with Reeves' conclusions. However, recent research has shown that of all the Irish annals the combination of the Annals of Tigernach and the Chronicon Scotorum best represent the chronology of the earliest phase of Irish annals, that of the Iona Chronicle, and these two agree in placing Colmcille's natus in AD 520 and his obit in 593. Furthermore, critical examination of Adomnán's account of Colum Cille's death discloses internal inconsistencies, so that it is no longer possible to accept confidently Adomnán's assertion that the death occurred on a Sunday, with the result that the basis for Reeves' argument no longer stands. Rather, as will be shown, the chronology of Tigernach/Scotorum reconciles plausibly with their own entry for his exile to Scotland and their statement of Colum Cille's age at both his exile and death. Since the evidence shows that the Iona Chronicle was maintained in Iona from the mid-sixth century, there are good grounds, therefore, to accept this as an accurate chronology for Colum Cille's life. Reference: W. Reeves, The Life of St. Columba, (Dublin 1857) pp. lxix, lxxvii, 309-12. Full text (PDF, 71KB), Slides (PDF, 141KB) Seán Mac Corraidh Líofacht agus cruinneas: tréithe na Gaeilge a tháirgeann páistí a shealbhaigh í faoi choinníollacha srianta an tumoideachais Ar dtús caithfear a mhíniú cad chuige a ndeirim gur coinníollacha srianta iad na coinníollacha faoina mbíonn páistí i gcláir oideachais trí mheán na Gaeilge. Is é an chéad rud atá le rá nó nach gcluin na páistí oiread agus focal den sprioctheanga go dtí go dtéann siad ar naíscoil agus faoin am sin bheadh cuid mhaith de rialacha comhréire agus gramadaí na chéad teanga ar eolas acu agus iad á gcur i bhfeidhm ina n-urlabhra sa teanga sin. Ní féidir béim go leor a chur ar thábhacht na heaspa seo teagmhála leis an dara teanga go hóg ina saol. Creidtear go dtarlóidh an mhíorúilt nuair a chaitheann an leanbh bliain nó dhó ar naíscoil ach ní bliain nó dhó atá i gceist nuair a amharctar go géar ar an achar a chaithfeas an leanbh i dteagmháil leis an teanga. Cluinfidh an leanbh an Ghaeilge ar feadh dhá uair a chloig sa lá. Cad é an pointe teagmhála a bhíonn ag na páistí seo? Stiúrthóirí naíonra agus i gcuid mhór cásanna ní hé an cumas is fearr sa Ghaeilge a chuala tú riamh a bhíonn ag na stiúrthóirí céanna. Mar sin de an t-am is mó a mbíonn cainteoir dúchais Gaeilge nó a chomh-mhaith teangeolaíoch ag teastáil ó na foghlaimeoirí óga, ní bhíonn sí sin ar fáil dóibh. Sa pháipéar seo ba mhaith liom cuid de mhórghnéithe agus de na mórcheisteanna a bhaineann leis an ábhar a chur os bhur gcomhair. Caithfidh an leanbh roinnt blianta sa bhunoideachas ach arís is é an múinteoir an t-aon fhoinse amháin líofa sa dara teanga, agus ní bhíonn mórán teagmhála idir é agus foinsí eile líofa sa dara teanga. Scrúdóidh mé cuid de na hiarmhairtí a éiríonn as na coinníollacha seo i sealbhú na Gaeilge. Micheál Ó Cearúil Listening to a tenth-century Irish poem again Interpretations of early Irish literature have in some cases achieved canonical status. Two varying interpretations of a sample piece of that literature will be looked at and two possible further interpretations offered. Brian Ó Curnáin An córas forainmneach i nGaeilge Iorras Aithneach Is iomaí sin bearna inár gcuid eolais ar chóras forainmneach na Gaeilge. Pléifear roinnt tréithe de Ghaeilge Iorras Aithneach ar beag an trácht a déanadh orthu go dtí seo: An forainm taispeántach siud Uaimse ~ uaidh mise Ceistniú sna réamhfhocail chomhshuite An mhír dhá i leagan céasta ainm briathardha mar tá fataí dhá chur Jan Erik Rekdal The other causa for Maghnus Ó Domhnaill's rewriting of the Life of Colum Cille The sixteenth-century rewriting of this popular saint's Life must be seen as part of the ongoing revising, rewriting and translation of earlier texts of the time. There was among fourteenth- and fifteenth-century Irish chiefs a need to refer to their twelfth-century (pre-Norman) predecessors. When there was no such predecessor, something had to be made up. In this paper I will try to show that the new revised text had two major ends. In addition to providing people with a new version of the Life intelligible to all, as is explicitly claimed in its preface, the text was also meant also to present the O Domhnaills with the appropriate genealogy. I will further argue that it in order to serve these two ends a differentitation is not made between the 'original' of Adomn n and later developments of the Columban legend. Paul Russell Vita Griffini filii Conani: the original Latin life of Gruffudd ap Kynan The biography of Gruffudd ap Kynan has been preserved in a 13th manuscript written in Middle Welsh which is thought to be a translation of an original Latin life. Several copies of a Latin life have been preserved from the sixteenth century but these have always been thought to be translations from the Welsh life. The earliest of these Latin lives which is preserved in a Peniarth MS in the NLW is an extremely messy and untidy text; it has in parts been heavily edited. The editing seems to have been intended to bring it in line with the Welsh text. The underlying Latin text, however, in places diverges significantly from the Welsh text. It will be argued that the simplest explanation is that the underlying Latin text is in a direct line of descent from the original Latin life. The historical implications are considered. David Stifter The etymology of OI riched 'Christian Heaven' In DIL and in LEIA the OIr. word for the 'christian heaven' ríched is given with a long i. Both dictionaries basically accept the etymology of Kuno Meyer, who explained the word as an old compound *rigo-sedon 'royal seat'. In my paper I want to show that in Old Irish literature evidence can be found which points to an original short i. On the basis of this observation another etymology is defended, which Whitley Stokes had proposed more than a hundred years ago. Cathy Swift Gallo-Brittonic name forms? The evidence from Bath and Uley The recent publication of the 300-odd curse tablets from Bath and their 80 or so counterparts from the temple site of Uley in Gloucestershire have received relatively little attention from Celtic linguists although Roger Tomlin's suggestion that there may be examples of written forms of British amongst the Bath artefacts is well known. The purpose of this paper is to draw attention to the different formulae used for personal names which can be found in this corpus of material and to compare these with the name-forms found in the 'Recueil des Inscriptions Gauloises'. Nicholas Williams I-affection in Breton and Cornish In this short paper I will discuss the incidence of i-affection in the Cornish and Breton verbal systems. I will show how i-affection has almost entirely disappeared from Modern Breton and that a similar loss of i-affection can also be seen in the later Cornish texts, e.g. sevys > savas 'he stood', leverys > lavaras 'he said', etc. If the language had survived, i-affection would probably have disappeared altogether. Although this is rather a dry topic, I will attempt to make it as interesting as possible, particularly to those with no previous knowledge of Breton or Cornish.

Dé Sathairn, 24 Mí na Samhna 2001 | 4911 hits | Priontáil | PDF |  R-Phost | Report

10. Tionól 2002

Léadh na páipéir seo leanas i dTionól Scoil an Léinn Cheiltigh, 22-23 Samhain, 2002. David Barnwell Maitias Ó Conmhaí, teangeolaí, 1766-1842 (PDF (167KB)) Rugadh Maitias Ó Conmhaí i gCathair na Gaillimhe i 1766. Cainteoir dúchais Gaeilge ab ea é. D'fhág sé Eire in aois a 17 dó, agus de réir dealraimh níor fhill sé riamh. Chaith sé an chuid eile dá shaol i Meiriceá Thuaidh, seachas tréimhsí gearra a chaith sé ar oileáin éagsúla sa Chairib. Teangeolaí agus foclóirí ab ea Ó Conmhaí. Tá tábhacht ag baint leis ar dhá chúis. Ar an gcéad dul síos, b'é Ó Conmhaí an chéad duine a d'fholsaigh acmhainní do mhúineadh na Spáinnise i SAM, dhá leabhar a tháinig amach thart ar 1810. Ceann amháin de na leabhair seo, is ainilís ar ghramadach na Spáinnise é, agus tá gach cuma air gurab é an chéad leabhar teangeolaíochta feidhmí a fhoilsíodh i Meiriceá. An leabhar eile, cnuasach d'ábhar léitheoireachta do lucht foghlamtha na Spáinnise is ea é. Go bhfios dom is é an chéad téacleabhar do mhúineadh na nuatheangacha i Meiriceá é. Bhí Fraincis ar a thoil ag Ó Conmhaí chomh maith, agus d'fhoilsigh se aistriúchán de dhráma Fraincise go Béarla. D'fhéadfaí a rá gurab é Ó Conmhaí athair múineadh na nua-theangacha sna Stáit Aontuithe, agus is deas an smoineamh go bhfuil an clú sin tuillte ag cainteoir dúchais Gaeilge. An fáth eile gur fiú tuilleadh aird a thabhairt ar bheatha agus ar shaothar Uí Chonmhaí ná gur chaith sé cuid mhaith dá shaol ag obair ar an nGaeilge. Bhí dhá thionscnamh idir láimhibh aige ar feadh na blianta. Faraoir nár foilsíodh ceachtar acu riamh. Ceann amháin díobh seo ná staidéar iltheangach a chuirfeadh an Ghaeilge ina suíomh cuí i measc teangacha na hEorpa, an ceann eile ná foclóir Béarla-Gaeilge a chur le chéile. Sa pháipéar seo tugaim cur síos gearr ar bheatha Uí Chonmhaí, déanaim iarracht eolas bunúsach a chur ar fáil maidir lena shaothar, agus tugaim stracfhéachaint ar fhadhbanna áirithe a bhaineann le na foinsí atá ar fáil chun breis staidéir a dheanamh ar an ábhar seo. Máire B. de Paor Gáir na Gairbe (Early Irish Lyrics no. 44) This paper treats of the genre, structure, context and content of the poem beginning Gáir na Gairbe glaídbinne (Murphy, Early Irish lyrics, no. 44). Wilson McLeod The filidh in Scotland: towards a re-examination Scholars studying the literary history of Gaelic Scotland have disagreed over the roles of the filidh and baird and over the extent to which the poetic hierarchy that prevailed in Ireland during the classical period was also operative in Scotland. In particular, some scholars have questioned whether the filidh were established in eastern and northern areas outwith the sway of the 'Lordship of the Isles'. This paper will re-examine the evidence relating to the classical period and consider the meanings of the terms filidh and filidheachd in vernacular poetry and song from the seventeenth century onwards. Although the evidence is less than fully clear, it appears the filidh did hold an elevated position in the Scottish Gàidhealtachd and that the evidence of a restricted and regionalised role is limited. Maxim Fomin Recension A of Audacht Morainn: some aspects of language and style An Old Irish wisdom-text Audacht Morainn is well-known to the Celticists due to R. Thurneysen's edition of recension A (in German) and F. Kelly's edition of recension B. However, they both aimed at restoring the original version of the text, and this approach influenced the presentation of the text in their editions and the subsequent translations of it. A Middle Irish version of the text (known as recension A) is an interesting composition on its own. In this paper we shall be looking at some passages of recension A in relation to their style, language, MSS tradition and subject-matter in the perspective of the corresponding passages in other recensions. Cathy Swift New Ogam stones and an old syllabic nasal Over the last ten years, since the publication of Damian McManus' A Guide to Ogam, a number of new ogam stones have been discovered. Many of these have come to light through the work of the various Archaeological inventories of the different counties. Others have been found during the course of excavation. One of the purposes of this paper is to draw together information on these various finds. The second part of the paper looks at the ogam stone from Andreas in the Isle of Man and re-examines its importance for the history of syllabic nasals in the light of a recent examination of the stone. Gwen Awbery Literary and folk traditions: who 'owns' the poems on Welsh gravestones? Welsh-language inscriptions on gravestones often include a poem - a meditation on the brevity of life, an expression of religious faith, or praise of the departed. Hundreds of such poems have been recorded, though in many cases the same poem is found time and again on different gravestones, suggesting that it was felt to be particularly appropriate for this purpose. The actual form of the poem may vary, however, and although it is recognisably the 'same' poem in each case, not every instance is identical. This is perhaps not surprising where the author is unknown, and the verse has become part of the general body of folk poetry freely available to all. It is much more surprising to find that poems which are part of the official literary tradition, the work of well known authors, are also freely adapted to meet the needs of the inscriptions.There appears to be no particular respect for the original form of the poem, or for the poet as the 'owner' of his work; rather the poem, once made available, is part of the common store and belongs to the community as a whole. Róisín McLaughlin The Old Irish heptad on satire The Old Irish heptad on satire, accompanied by glosses and commentary, is found in the fifteenth century manuscript Rawlinson B 487 and published in Corpus Iuris Hibernici 29.17-31.5. The purpose of this paper is to examine some of the types of satire listed in the heptad. This will include an examination of one of the sources used by the Middle Irish glossator and a discussion of various types of physical defects and social conditions which gave rise to mockery and ridicule. Edel Bhreatnach Middle and Early Modern Irish sources for the people and topography of Connacht The tales Táin Bó Flidais, Cath Airtigh, Cath Leitreach Ruibhe and Cath Chumair have as a common theme the enmity between the Ulaid and the Connachta. However, these tales also serve as sources for information regarding the population groups and topography of north Connacht - a dimension explored in this paper with a view to contributing to dynastic and landscape studies of the region, and also to understanding the context in which these tales were composed. Jacqueline Borsje Fate in early Irish texts: aspects of development In his pioneering article of 1910 - On the Idea of Fate in Irish Literature - Edward Gwynn draws the conclusion that a term for Fate or Destiny was absent from early Irish texts. He wrote, however, before the publication of the Dictionary of the Irish Language, in which several terms related to Fate are listed. This paper will give a sample of these terms and put them in a chronological order. Although Tom Sjøblom (Early Irish Taboos: 101) is right that we cannot expect to find a 'uniform cultural notion of "fate" in early Irish thought', it nevertheless seems that we can detect a certain development within the 'wide range of cultural representations from the workings of chance to divine predestination'. It will be argued in this paper that there seems to be a development, in which Gwynn's 'passive notion of Fate' in the Old Irish period is extended to include his 'active notion of Fate' in the Middle Irish period. Colmán Etchingham Irish, Anglo-Saxon and Pictish: the significance of some terms for brooch in Bretha Nemed Toísech A passage in Bretha Nemed Toísech contains two terms for brooch, one an Old English loanword and the other explained elsewhere as Pictish. This is a significant reflex of the relationship between Irish, Anglo-Saxon and Pictish elite metalwork in the eighth century. This relationship is the subject of much discussion among art historians, who, together with other medievalists, should find the passage in question of great interest. In particular, the text of Bretha Nemed Toísech, together with glossary citations, show a precise awareness of the distinctive form of the eighth-century penannular brooch type from Pictland. Roibeard Ó Maolalaigh ScG iorram and the dían-metres: origin and significance A number of important, though unsubstantiated, claims have been made with regard to Scottish Gaelic (ScG) iorram as an old metrical term (W. J. Watson, D. Macintosh), pertaining to the bard as opposed to the file (W. Matheson). However, the requisite linguistic cum metrical evidence to support such claims has not been forthcoming. This paper discusses new evidence to support the claim that ScG iorram may in fact be an old native metrical technical term, which has survived in Scotland but not in Ireland. The linguistic and metrical significance and relevance of the dían-metres (airthrom, midtrom, íarseng, airsheng, midsheng, íarseng) is also discussed. Neil McLeod Protection and sanctuary in Irish law In Irish Law, violence done to an individual was an offence against their 'protector'. This paper will outline the legal requirements for the various types of protection, including the provision of safe-conduct to travellers, the safe-guarding of those facing threats of unlawful violence, the protection of those being pursued for crimes, and the informal protection that arose from being in a person's company or on his land. Examples will be given from Irish literature. The discussion will include the role of the bunnsach chomairce ('rod of safe-conduct') and the nature of ecclesiastical sanctuary. Caoimhín Breatnach The transmission and structure of Immram Curaig Ua Corra The purpose of this paper is to re-assess the transmission of both the prose version and prose/poetic version of the narrative Immram Curaig Ua Corra and to draw attention to some important matters which have previously either gone unnoticed or have not been properly discussed. It is also intended to discuss certain aspects of this narrative with the intention of providing a better understanding of the nature of its composition. Diarmuid Ó Sé Syntactic differences between Irish dialects Syntax has received only limited attention in Irish dialect studies to date. However, scholars who have written on Irish syntax from within the framework of generative grammar have noted the geographical distribution of some of the phenomena which they have discussed. This paper will offer an outline of the principal syntactic differences within the dialects, beginning with a point of basic word order. Mike Baillie Tree-ring chronologies, and stories from myth (PDF (98KB)) Myth is not something that a scientist expects to have to deal with at a professional level. Thus it was a surprise to me when, in attempting to better understand a global environental event in the time-window AD 536-545, I discovered that several bodies of mythology seemed to focus directly onto this time window. The background story goes as follows. In the Irish oak tree-ring chronology there is a strong suggestion of a catastrophic environmental downturn - with trees not just stressed, but some actually damaged - in the years around AD 540. Subsequently it transpired that other tree-ring chronologies from around the world also showed effects at the same time; hence the Irish oaks were merely showing the local aspects of a global phenomenon. History supplied information of the plague of Justinian starting in the early 540s and plague arriving in Ireland in the mid-540s. So, from a scientific viewpoint a dramatic environmental downturn could be implicated in both widespread famines and the outbreak of a major plague. It is then the duty of the scientist to attempt to understand the underlying physical cause of the environmental downturn; what physical mechanism could produce this catastrophic environmental outcome? Volcano or comet? This paper will allow the opportunity to show how mythology, and some otherwise disregarded history, seems to point best in the direction of the comet scenario. Some of the stories even come with traditional dates which focus inside the time window specified as AD 536-545 by the tree-ring chronologies. The logic seems clear. If the myth does contain a core of truth then it beholds us to take a fresh look at the mythology. If it contains a core of truth then it wasn't all 'made up'. See: Baillie, M.G.L. 1994. 'Dendrochronology raises questions about the nature of the AD 536 dust-veil event.' The Holocene 4 (2), 212-217 Donnchadh Ó Corráin St Patrick and the judges that never were In Confessio par. 53 St Patrick has his famous encounter with kings and 'illis qui iudicabant per omnes regiones quos ego frequentius uisitabam'. Scholars have been at loggerheads about this passage (e.g. Binchy vs Bieler, St Patrick and his biographers, p. 8) and the translators of Patrick have rendered it in contradictory ways. In this paper I revisit the problem and suggest a resolution.

Dé Sathairn, 23 Mí na Samhna 2002 | 3761 hits | Priontáil | PDF |  R-Phost | Report