Product Description
(Winner / Buaiteoir – Gradam Uí Shúilleabháin 2007)
This book provides a fascinating insight into the life and work of piper and music collector Séamus Ennis during his period as full-time collector with the Irish Folklore Commission when he worked in counties Galway, Clare, Mayo, Donegal, Limerick and Cavan.
Séamus Ennis was born in north County Dublin, and at the age of twenty-three was appointed by the Irish Folklore Commission as a collector. His work involved travelling to different parts of Ireland to document traditional music and song in oral tradition. The diary he kept of his time in the field working for the Commission is part of the National Folklore Collection at UCD, and has now been published by Ríonach uí Ógáin. It provides an absorbing account of Ireland during World War II. Of its nature, the diary comments on many aspects of life at that time – the musical tradition, the people and communities Ennis visited, their way of life, the state of the Irish language, and the diary also paints a vivid picture of Ennis himself, a man who remains a highly respected and admired figure. The importance of his work cannot be underestimated, and the thriving traditional music culture we enjoy in Ireland today owes much to his extensive work, collecting and recording songs and music which would otherwise have been lost.
Is éard atá sa leabhar seo ná dialann taistil Shéamus Ennis ón tréimhse a chaith sé ag bailiú amhrán agus ceoil i gContaetha na Gaillimhe, an Chláir, Mhaigh Eo, Dhún na nGall, Luimnigh agus an Chabháin do Choimisiún Béaloideasa Éireann. Tá léargas rí-spéisiúil ar Shéamus Ennis agus ar a chuid oibre le fáil sa leabhar seo, atá curtha in eagar ag Ríonach uí Ógáin.
Rugadh Séamus Ennis i dtuaisceart Chontae Bhaile Átha Cliath, agus ceapadh é ina bhailitheoir le Coimisiún Béaloideasa Éireann nuair a bhí sé trí bliana is fiche d’aois. Is éard a bhí i gceist leis an bpost, taisteal chuig ceantair éagsúla ar fud na tíre leis an gceol agus na hamhráin a bhí beo i mbéal na ndaoine a bhreacadh síos. Tá an dialann a choinnigh sé agus é ag obair leis an gCoimisiún anois i seilbh An Choláiste Ollscoile i mBÁC i gcnuasach Bhéaloideas Éireann. Faightear tuairisc ann ar an saol in Éirinn le linn an Dara Cogadh Domhanda. Mar is dual do dhialann, déantar tagairt ann do ghnéithe éagsúla den saol ag an am sin – traidisiún an cheoil, na daoine agus na pobail éagsúla ar thug Ennis cuairt orthu, an saol a bhí acu, an teanga, agus tá tuiscint le fáil ann chomh maith ar Ennis féin, fear a bhfuil árdmheas air i gcónaí. Tá tábhacht thar cuimse leis an obair a rinne sé agus tá a thionchar le brath go fóill sa traidisiún ceoil atá faoi bhláth sa tír seo. Murach an obair bhailiúcháin a rinne Ennis is cinnte go mbeadh cuid mhaith de na hamhráin agus de na foinn atá le cloisteáil go fairsing anois caillte go deo.