An Irish Language Feature by Colin Ryan
Below is an article that appeared in Colin Ryan’s An Lúibín in May. It has been translated here in order to spread the news about this organisation that aims to document all who are writing in Irish
Cé tá ag scríobh i nGaeilge?
What is being written In Irish?
Sa bhliain 2016 d’fhoilsigh Tuairisc.ie píosa le beirt údar Gaeilge, Anna Heussaff agus Éilís Ní Anluain – ‘Scríbhneoirí na Gaeilge – cé mhéad acu atá ann agus cad atá á scríobh acu ?’1 Shíl siad ag an am go raibh os cionn 500 scríbhneoir Gaeilge inár measc inniu – ‘daoine ar foilsíodh ar a laghad leabhar amháin Gaeilge leo, nó a raibh dráma nó script leo ar stáitse nó ar chainéal aitheanta’. Dá gcuirfí san áireamh gach duine ar foilsíodh scéal, dán, blag nó alt léinn leo in irisí na Gaeilge nó a bhuaigh duais i gComórtais Liteartha an Oireachtais, seans go mbeadh 700 ainm ann, dar leo.
In 2016, the magazine Tuairisc published an item by two Irish language writers, Anne Heussaff and Éilís Ní Anluain that was tiled ‘Irish Language Writers – how many are there and what are they writing?’ They thought at the tine that there were around 500 writers among us today – ‘people who have published at least one Irish language book, or who had a play or script staged or on a recognised television channel’. The further said that if you were to include everyone who had published a story, a poem, a blog, or an academic article in an Irish language magazine or who had won a prize in the Oireachtas Literary Competition, it’s likely there would be 700 names.
Beagnach dhá bhliain sular scríobhadh an píosa sin cuireadh Aontas na Scríbhneoirí Gaeilge ar bun. In alt a scríobh Anna Heussaff agus Éilís Ní Anluain do Tuairisc.ie le déanaí, tá an méid seo le rá acu:
In a little over the two years since this was published, the Writers Union was founded. In a recent article written for Tuairisc, Anna Heussaff and Éilís Ní Anluain had this to say:
Cé hiad scríbhneoirí Gaeilge an lae inniu? Cén dream is líonmhaire ina measc – filí, gearrscéalaithe, scríbhneoirí don aos óg, lucht critice nó eile? Cad iad na haoisghrúpaí is treise ina measc? An bhfuil scríbhneoirí comhaimseartha againn ó gach contae in Éirinn, gach cathair, gach Gaeltacht? Tá suirbhé ar bun ag Aontas na Scríbhneoirí maidir leis na ceisteanna seo – agus más scríbhneoir tusa ar foilsíodh leabhar amháin leat ar a laghad, nó drámadóir a raibh dráma nó script leat ar stáitse nó ar chainéal aitheanta, ba bhreá leis an Aontas go líonfá ceistneoir gairid. Ní gá bheith i do bhall den Aontas chuige sin.
Who are today’s writers? Who are the majority – poets, short story writers, writers for young people, critical or other kinds of writers? Which age groups are the most significant? Do we have modern writers from every county in Ireland, every city, every Irish-speaking district? The Writers Union has a survey out on these questions. And if you have published at least one Irish language book, or who had a play or script staged or on a recognised television channel, the Union would appreciate you filling in a short questionnaire. You don’t need to be a member of the Union to do this.
Tá an ceistneoir agus roinnt eolais ar an tionscadal le fáil anseo:
http://www.aontasnascribhneoirigaeilge.ie/sonrai-nuachta.php?ID=28.
Above is the URL where you’ll find the questionnaire and other information.
Níl sé fada – níl ag teastáil ach d’ainm, an áit ar fhoghlaim tú Gaeilge, aon leabhair nó eile atá foilsithe agat, beagán eolas breise (más gá) agus do sheoladh ríomhphoist (nach bhfoilseofar). San alt úd thuas luaitear filí, úrscéalaithe, gearrscéalaithe, criticeoirí, staraithe, scríbhneoirí taistil agus eile; drámadóirí, scriptscríbhneoirí, eagarthóirí cnuasach, aistritheoirí. Ach ní áireofar údair leabhar a sholáthraítear do scoileanna amháin.
It’s not long – they’re only looking for your name, where you learned Irish, the book you have had published, a little extra information if necessary and your email address (that will not be published. In the above piece mentioned were poets, novelists, short story writers ,critical writers, historians, travel writers and others; playwrights, scrip writers, collection editors, actors. But they do not include school text books.
Tá suíomh gréasáin nua á dhearadh don Aontas agus beidh torthaí an tsuirbhé le feiceáil i mBunachar na Scríbhneoirí Gaeilge. Liosta inchuardaithe atá i gceist mar áis ag léitheoirí, lucht eagraithe féilte, leabharlannaithe, iriseoirí agus taighdeoirí.
The Union has a new website and the survey results will be published on the Irish Language Writers Database. The idea is a searchable list as a tool for readers, festival organisers, librarians, journalists, and researchers.
Beidh suim ar leith ag An Lúibín san uimhir scríbhneoirí thar lear a bheidh le fáil ar an liosta. Tá siad ann, go háirithe i Meiriceá Thuaidh. Léiriú amháin é sin ar an bhfuinneamh a bhaineann leis an teanga mar uirlis chumadóireachta agus chumarsáide, fuinneamh arbh fhiú don saol mór ceann a thógáil dó
An Lúibín will be interested in seeing the number of overseas writers on the list. They exist, especially in North America. That is one indication of the strength of the language as a communication and creative tool, strength which is worth the attention of the wider world.
Text from An Lúibín May 2018
Translation by Dymphna Lonergan a member of the Tinteán editorial collective
Tinteán 