Macallaí na Staire / The Echoes of History Darach Ó Scolaí, Liam Mac Cóil agus Réaltán Ní Leannáin ag caint le Professor Michael Cronin

In Partnership with IMRAM

Plé ar fhicsean staire leis an Ollamh Michael Cronin. Úrscéal é Bódléar (Leabhar Breac) le Darach Ó Scolaí a phléann leis an athrú a bhí ag teacht ar shaol na tuaithe ar fud na hEorpa san 19ú haois. Bhuaigh An Cléireach, úrscéal leis atá suite sa chéad leath den 17ú haois, Duais an Oireachtais in 2007. Ina húrscéalta staire, tugann Liam Mac Cóil trasna na hEorpa muid i gcomhluadar Lúcáis Uí Bhriain i mblianta tosaigh na 16ú hAoise. Bhuaigh a úrscéal Fontenoy Gradam Uí Shúilleabháin in 2006, agus roghnaigh an iris Comhar í ar na deich leabhar is fearr ó chasadh an chéid, agus tá sí anois sa tríú cló. Tarraingíonn Réaltán Ní Leannáin ar stair agus ar chuimhní teaghlaigh ina húrscéal, Cití na gCártaí (Cois Life).

A round-table discussion with Professor Michael Cronin on historical fiction in Irish-language literature. Darach Ó Scolaí is the author of Súil an Daill (Leabhar Breac), set in a world of bishops and clergy, clerks and councillors, lords and ladies in the Medieval and Renaissance Gaeltacht. Liam Mac Cóil is the author of the acclaimed Lúcás Ó Briain series (Leabhar Breac) of historical thrillers set in a war-ravaged Europe in 1612. In Cití na gCartaí (Cois Life), Réaltán Ní Leannáin tells the story of Katarina, a young Maltese woman who marries an Irish soldier in the British army, taking us from the slaughter of Gallipoli to the sectarian conflict of 1920s Belfast.

© Chris Bellew / Fennell Photography

Michael Cronin is 1776 Professor of French in Trinity College Dublin and Senior Researcher in the Trinity Centre for Literary and Cultural Translation. Among his recently published titles are Irish and Ecology: An Ghaeilge agus an Éiceolaíocht (FÁS, 2019) and Eco-Travel: Journeying in the Age of the Anthropocene (Cambridge University Press, 2022). He is a Member of the Royal Irish Academy, a Member of the Academia Europaea, an Officier in the Ordre des Palmes Académiques and a Fellow of Trinity College Dublin. 

Liam Mac Cóil is a writer and critic. He lives in the County Meath Gaeltacht of Ráth Chairn. He has written books, articles and essays on literature, history, the arts and television. His novel An Dochtúir Áthas (1994) was the first Irish language book shortlisted for The Irish Times Literary Awards. Since then, he has written other novels including An Claíomh Solais (The Sword of Light), a writer’s diary, Nótaí ón Lár, and An Chláirseach agus an Choróin: Seacht gCeolsiansa Stanford, a book about the composer Charles Villiers Stanford. His novel, Fontenoy won the Gradam Uí Shúilleabháin 2006 award. His ‘Lúcás Ó Briain’ series of historical thrillers are set in Ireland and the continent of Europe in 1612.

© Aoife Herrity

Réaltán Ní Leannáin was born and bred in Belfast. She has lived and worked in many parts of Ireland and Spain. Cití na gCártaí is Réaltán’s third book. Her first is a poetry collection, Turas Ailse (Coiscéim), a record of a life-changing experience. Turas Ailse was followed by a collection of short stories, Dílis (Cló Iar-Chonnacht), brimming with tales rooted in the memories of her teenage years, growing up in Belfast during the Troubles and in particular the seventies.

Darach Ó Scolaí is a writer, playwright, and publisher. His novel An Cléireach (Leabhar Breac, 2007) won the Oireachtas Prize 2007 and Gradam Uí Shúilleabháin ‘Irish language Book of the Year’ 2008, and his edtion of Táin Bó Cuainge won the Aodán Mac Poilín Memorial Prize 2017 and Gradam Uí Shúilleabháin ‘Irish language Book of the Year 2018. He published two retellings of the tales An Ceithearnach Caolriabhach (2002) and Feis Tigh Chonáin (2000). For young readers he has written An Bradán Feasa, Dóiteoir na Samhna and Bodach an Chóta Lachna in the series ‘Fionn’.

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