Séadna (Cois Life, 2011)

Agallamh le Maighréad Uí Lionáird faoi Séadna

Agallóir: Liam Ó Muirthile

Ceann de bhunchlocha próis na Nua-Ghaeilge é Séadna. Is é an leagan coimrithe is mó ar fad atá léite ag an bpobal coitianta, mar leabhar scoile tráth, agus gean ag na glúnta ar scéal an ghréasaí bróg a dheineann margadh leis an bhFear Dubh.

Ach nochtaítear sa leagan iomlán seo, léargais bhreise ó bhonn ar líonra carachtar, ar chomhluadar tuaithe agus a meon saolta, ar an anamúlacht agus ar an gcroíúlacht úd i measc mhuintir na hÉireann a bhíonn ceilte i dtráchtais staire agus liteartha, go deimhin, agus a shíneann siar agus síos isteach go domhain ina gcultúr coiteann.

Ceann de na buntréithe a bhaineann le saothar a dtugaimid clasaic air, mar is ea Séadna, go soláthraíonn sé slat tomhais dúinn chun gnéithe den saol reatha a mheas faoi scáth na gclaochluithe atá tarlaithe idir an dá linn, de thoradh an tsaothair sin féin go minic.

Fúinn féin atá san.

Tá an t-eagrán seo mar aon le réamhrá cuimsitheach cóirithe ag an Ollamh Liam Mac Mathúna. Tá closleabhar den leagan iomlán de Séadna, agus é á léamh ag Maighréad Uí Lionáird, á fhoilsiú ar leith ag Cois Life comhuain leis an leabhar.

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Interview with Maighréad Uí Lionáird about Séadna

Interviewer: Liam Ó Muirthile

Séadna is one of the great classics of modern Irish prose, a version of the Faust legend in a retelling from the beginning of the twentieth century, it is often referred to as the first, proper modern Irish novel. Those who are familiar with it have usually read the abridged, school version and have a (perhaps grudging) fondness for the cobbler who makes a deal with 'An Fear Dubh'.

This edition allows an altogether more nuanced version of the story to emerge, one which portrays more fully life in the countryside, the earthy, hearty approach to life which hasn't come across in the historical or literary theses, a philosophy of life deeply rooted in the culture of ordinary folk.

One measure of what constitutes a classic - which Séadna undobtedly is - is whether it provides us with a way of seeing the present in the context of what has changed in the interim.

Séadna certainly does this - the rest is up to us.

This edition is by Prof. Liam Mac Mathúna and contains an expanded, revised introduction. An audiobook of the unabridged version of Séadna, read byMaighréad Uí Lionáird, is also being published separately by Cois Life at the same time as Prof. Mac Mathúna's new edition.