Agallamh le Liam Ó Muirthile ar Southword

"I  gcás na filíochta, is sainchuid den saothar féin guth an fhile, maidir le rithim, canúint, luí na bhfocal sa líne agus leis na línte, ceol, urlabhra,  – gach gné den dán, an feisteas iomlán i ndáiríre. Gníomh éisteachta chomh maith le gníomh scríbhneoireachta is ea líne filíochta." - Liam Ó Muirthile

Sin cuid den smaointeoireacht a nocht an file agus é faoi agallamh ghéarchúiseach ag Ailbhe Ní Ghearbhuigh faoina chnuasach dátheangach An Fuíoll Feá: Rogha Dánta in eagrán 24 de Southword. Is féidir an t-agallamh ar fad ach cliceáil anseo.

"In the case of poetry, the poet's voice is an integral part of the work, rhythm, dialect, how the words ie in the line and with the lines, music, speech, - every aspect of the poem, the whole apparel, really. A line of poetry is an act of listening as well as an act of writing." - Liam Ó Muirthile

Just some of the ideas which the poet discusses in an insightful interview about his bilingual collection An Fuíoll Feá/Wood Cuttings: New and Selected Poems. The interview is conducted by Ailbhe Ní Ghearbhuigh in Southword (edition 24). The entire interview can be read here (interview transcription in Irish only). 

Seoladh Fuíoll Feá le Liam Ó Muirthile 8 Feabhra 2013 / Launch of Fuíoll Feá in the Unitarian Church 8 February 2013

[scroll down for English language version, please!]

Bhí ócáid fhíorthaitneamhach ag Cois Life san Eaglais Úintéireach, Faiche Stiabhna, BÁC 2, dé hAoine 8 Feabhra tráth ar seoladh Fuíoll Feá: Rogha Dánta / New and Selected Poems le Liam Ó Muirthile. Is é seo an chéad mhór-rogha dá shaothar filíochta a foilsíodh agus an chéad leabhar dátheangach leis ina bhfuil leaganacha Béarla dá shaothar ann. Gabriel Rosenstock - mórfhile aitheanta eile agus sáraistritheoir - a d'aistrigh formhór na ndánta ach tá roinnt leaganacha eile sa leabhar le daoine eile ar nós Paul Muldoon, Peter Sirr agus eile. 

Liam Ó Muirthile agus Gabriel Rosenstock

 Bhí idir cheol is fhilíocht ag an ócáid. Chuir an fear a' tí, Cathal Póirtéir an oíche i láthair agus choinnigh stiúir ar an mbabhtáil idir na focail fhileata agus na nótaí maise ceoil. Léirigh sé tuiscint an scoláire agus é ag cur síos ar shaothar Liam ach níorbh fhada uaidh a chuid scileanna léiriúcháin - agus leathshúil aige ar an gclog ar feadh an ama! Le tús a chur leis an oíche sheinn Peter Browne roinnt dreasanna ceoil a mhacallaigh timpeall na heaglaise go binn. Ansin léigh Liam roinnt dánta as an gcnuasach agus d'aithris Gabriel ansin an t-aistriúchán a bhí déanta aige. Ansin rinneadh uainíocht le dreasanna ceoil le scoth na n-oirfideach: Peter Browne, Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh agus Iarla Ó Lionaird. Luaigh Liam gur i stiúideo Iarla a rinneadh taifeadadh ar an dlúthdhiosca a ghabhann leis an leabhar, diosca ar a bhfuil roinnt dánta agus aistriúchán á n-aithris aige féin agus ag Gabriel.

Iarla Ó Lionaird, Peter Brown, Liam Ó Muirthile, Cathal Póirtéir, Gabriel Rosenstock, Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh

Ghabh Liam buíochas le Gabriel ní hamháin as na haistriúcháin ach as an spreagadh agus as an gcabhair agus an gcairdeas uile thar na blianta. Ghabh sé buíochas freisin leis na haistritheoirí eile a bhfuil saothar leo sa chnuasach agus leo siúd ar tiomnaíodh dánta dóibh. Thagair sé go sonrach do bheirt atá ar shlí na fírinne agus a bhraith sé uaidh ar an oíche: Michael Davitt, file eile den bhuíon INNTI agus, mar a dúirt Gabriel, 'fathach', agus an tOllamh Bob Welsh, a cailleadh le déanaí agus a bhí ar an mbeagán a thuig an dá thraidisiún teanga in Éirinn. Gach seans gur bhraith an slua 150 duine a bhí an Eaglais Úinitéireach nach rófhada uathu a bhí an bheirt seo ar an oíche. Slua ildánach ilaoiseach a bhí ann - daoine ar mór leo an fhilíocht - agus an ceol. Bhí an t-aos léinn i láthair go tiubh, ar ndóigh - chonacthas an tOll Alan Titley i láthair, mar shampla agus bhain slua ón dara bliain in Ollscoil na hÉireann, Baile Átha Cliath atá ag staidéar an Bhéarla an-taitneamh as an oíche chomh maith. Tá Cois Life buíoch den Chomhairle Ealaíon agus d'Fhoras na Gaeilge as a dtacaíocht leanúnach. Tá buíochas ar leith ag dul do Kevin Robinson san Eaglais Úinitéireach as a chúnamh uile.

Cois Life organised a very enjoyable and unusual evening in the Unitarian Chapel, St. Stephen's Green, Dublin 2 on Friday 8th of February to launch Fuíoll Feá: Rogha Dánta / New and Selected Poems by Liam Ó Muirthile. This is the first major selection of Liam's work from his various collections to be published and the first bilingual book with English versions of all the poems. Gabriel Rosenstock - a renowned poet himself and master translator - produced most of the translations but some versions are by other hands such as Paul Muldoon, Peter Sirr and others. 

An file sa lár agus é ag baint taitnimh as a chlann mac, Ciarán, Iara Donncha agus Rónán: the poet centre stage joking with his sons Ciarán, Iarla, Doncha and Rónán

  It was a night of both music and poetry. Master of Ceremonies Cathal Póirtéir presented the evening's events with a depth of understanding and considerable practical skill as befits a scholar and  seasoned radio producer and handled the transitions from poetry to music seamlessly. Peter Browne's piping rang through the beautiful old building and then Liam read some poems and then Gabriel read his translations of them. The musicians were Peter Browne, Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh and the doyen of sean-nós singing, Iarla Ó Lionaird. Liam mentioned that the recordings of some of the poems and their translations on the CD which accompanies the book were made in Iarla's studio. 

Mná calma Chois Life!  An Dr Caoilfhionn Nic Pháidín, Comhstiúrtóir an tigh foilsitheoireachta, Fionnuala Cloke, Oifigeach Foilseachán agus Julianne Ní Chonchúir, Comhlairleoir Cumarsáide. Formidable ladies from Cois Life! Dr Caoilfhionn Nic Pháidín, Co-Director of the publishing house, Fionnuala Cloke, Publications Officer and Julianne Ní Chonchúir, Communications Consultant. 

 Liam thanked Gabriel not just for the translations but for comvincing him to undertake the project and said that it reflected their long friendship. He also thanked the other translators of work in the book and those to whom poems were dedicated. He mentioned two people in particular who are no longer with us: Michael Davitt, another INNTI poet, and indeed as Gabriel said 'a giant' of poetry and  Bob Welsh, former Professor of English in the University of Ulster, who died recently. Bob, said Liam, was one of the few who had a deep understanding of both the English and Irish language traditions in Ireland. The 150 or so strong audience at the event probably felt that these two were present in spirit on this special night for Irish literature. The audience was varied and represented all age groups - lovers of poetry and music. Academics were out in force - Prof. Alan Titley congratulated Liam and Gabriel afterwards and a number of second year students of English from the National University of Ireland, Dublin said they enjoyed the night also. Cois Life is - as always - grateful to the Arts Council and Foras na Gaeilge for their continued support. Also a special word of thanks to Kevin Robinson of the Unitarian Church for all his help.