(Seán Mac Mathúna)
'Ní
bhíonn amhras riamh ar léitheoir Úlla gur fíorlitríocht,
scríbhneoireacht cheart nach féidir a mhúineadh ná a fhoghlaim, atá sna
scéala. Má chuir an t-údar saothar air féin ag tabhairt an amhábhair
chun críche, níl aon rian den róshoathrú le feiceáil.'
Ian Ó Caoimh
(Liam Ó Muirthile)
'Is
túisce ionraiceas ná áilleacht den gcuid is mó i bhfilíocht Uí
Mhuirthile agus é ag iomrascáil lena mhothú stobarnálta féin nó le
gnéithe contrártha den saol lasmuigh: bás cairde agus gaol, caidreamh
teaghlaigh agus uaigneas i ndiaidh an alltair.'
Louis de Paor
(Máirín Nic Eoin)
'Ní
cúis iontais ata ann gur bhain Trén bhFearann Breac an chéad áit amach
ar an liosta seo Comhar mar is leabhar léannta agus sofaisticiúil é ach
is leabhar ábhartha soléite chomh maith é. Is leabhar é seo nach foláir
d'aon duine a bhíonn ag plé le cultúr, le litríocht, le pleanáil teanga
nó le todhchaí na Gaeilge a léamh agus a mheas ... Cois Life a d'fhoilsigh an leabhar, comhlacht foilsitheoireachta a
bhfuil cion tairbhe faoi leith déanta acu do léann na Gaeilge ó bunaíodh
é sa bhliain 1995 ... Ceann d'ilbhuanna an leabhair seo is ea an
shoileire a nochtar tuairimí coimpléascúla agus teoiricí casta ann. Ta
friotal agus teanga shofaisticiúil ann, ach iad nádúrtha agus dúchasach
san am céanna, ionas gur féidir é a léamh agus a thuiscint go soiléir
gan mórán stró.'
Brian Ó Conchubhair
Ní hamháin sin, vótáladh An Fuíoll Feá sa chéad áit ar an gCnuasach Filíochta is Fearr (Mórchnuasach) agus vótáladh Gonta le hAlex Hijmans i measc na ndeich gnuasach gearrscéalta i nGaeilge is fearr ó thús na mílaoise - bhí sé sa séú háit.
__________________________________________________
The December edition of the Irish language literary magazine Comhar has
a list of 'Na Deich
Leabhar Gaeilge is Fearr a Foilsíodh ó Chasadh na Mílaoise' ('The Ten
Best Irish Language Books Since the Start of the Millenium'). We're
delighted to say that Cois Life's authors did themselves proud in the
poll. Here is the countdown:
9. Úlla, Seán Mac Mathúna (Cois Life, 2005)
8. Leabhar Mór na nAmhrán, Micheál Ó Conghaile, Lochlainn Ó Tuairisg agus Peadar Ó Ceannabháin (eag.) (Cló Iar-Chonnacht, 2013)
7. An tAthair Pádraig Ó Duinnín - Bleachtaire, Biddy Jenkinson (Coiséim, 2008)
6. An Tionscadal, Tomás Mac Síomóin (Coiscéim, 2007)
5. An Fear nach nDéanann Gáire, Micheál Ó Conghaile (Cló Iar-Chonnacht, 2003)
4. An Fuíoll Feá: Rogha Dánta, Liam Ó Muirthile (Cois Life, 2013)
3. Fontenoy, Liam Mac Cóil (Leabhar Breac, 2005)
2. An Cléireach, Darach Ó Scolaí (Leabhar Breac, 2002)
1. Trén bhFearann Breac, Máirín Nic Eoin (Cois Life, 2005)
Úlla (Seán Mac Mathúna)
'The
reader of Úlla is never in any doubt but that these stories are true
literature, real writing that can't be taught of learned. If the author
was at pains to mould the raw materials of the stories to perfection,
there's no trace of effort or striving discernable.'
Ian Ó Caoimh
Ian Ó Caoimh
An Fuíoll Feá: Rogha Dánta / Wood Cuttings: New and Selected Poems (Liam Ó Muirthile with translations by Gabriel Rosenstock)
'For
the most part integrity is more important than outward beauty in Ó
Muirthile's poetry as he struggles with his own stubbon feelings or with
conflicted aspects of the external world: the deaths of friends and
relations, family relationships and a yearning for the distant, the
unattainable.'
Louis de Paor
Trén bhFearann Breac (Máirín Nic Eoin)
'That
Trén bhFearann Breac has topped this poll which Comhar organized
shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone; it's a learned, sophisticated
book but it's also eminently readable. Anyone involved in the culture,
literature, language planning or the future of the Irish language should
read this book and consider what it says ...
Cois Life are the publishers, a company that has done more than its share of good for Irish letters since its establishment in 1995 ...
One of the book's many gifts is how effortlessly it expresses complex opinions and involved theories. The language and style are sophisticated, yes, but also natural and rooted in the tradition of the language, so that one can read and understand clearly without any undue difficulty.'
Brian Ó ConchubhairCois Life are the publishers, a company that has done more than its share of good for Irish letters since its establishment in 1995 ...
One of the book's many gifts is how effortlessly it expresses complex opinions and involved theories. The language and style are sophisticated, yes, but also natural and rooted in the tradition of the language, so that one can read and understand clearly without any undue difficulty.'
Not only that, but An Fuíoll Feá: Rogha Dántá / Wood Cuttings: Selected Poems was voted the best book of collected poetry overall and Gonta by Alex Hijmans was named in the top ten collections (it came sixth) of short stories in Irish since the start of the millenium.