Ba é Oileán Acla an dán buaiteach i gcomórtas a chuir Máirtín Mac Donnchadha ar siúl ar Raidió na Gaeltachta i rith roinnt míonna in 2010 chun comóradh 100 bliain ó bhunú Scoil Acla agus comóradh 25 bliain a hathbheochana a cheiliúradh. Bhí 44 iontráil sa chomórtas. De réir na rialacha, caithfidh dánta a bheith sna hiontrálacha faoi Acaill agus bhí ar an líne ón amhrán ‘Cúl na Binn’, “Is deas an áit é ag strainséirí” le bheith iontu. Ba é buaiteoir an chomórtais Brian Ó Baoil.
Ba í an duais ar an chomórtas a bhuachan béilí agus cóiríocht seachtaine in Óstán Oileán Acla. Rinne Óstán Oileán Acla an duais a urrú.
Sheinn John 'Twin' an fonn leis an dán agus is ón aisling Poor Old Gráinne Mhaol atá sé, amhrán a chan athair John ag ceolchoirm Irish Ireland i gCathair na Mart (1913) a d’eagraigh Conradh na Gaeilge.
________________________________________________________
The poem Oileán Acla was the winning entry in a competition run by Máirtín MacDonnchadha on Raidió na Gaeltachta over several months in 2010 to mark the 100th anniversary of the founding of Scoil Acla and the 25th anniversary of its revival. There were 44 entries in the competition. The conditions of the entries were that the poems were to be about Achill and had to contain the line from Cúl na Binn "Is deas an áit ag Strainséirí". The winner of the competition was Brian O’Baoil.
The prize was one week's meals and accommodation in Óstán Oileán Acla, sponsored in full by Óstán Oileán Acla.
The air was put to the poem by John Twin and is from the aisling 'Poor Old Gráinne Mhaol', a song that John’s father Anthony sang at an 'Irish Ireland' concert in Westport (1913) which was organised by Conradh na Gaeilge.
lyrics
Is deas an áit ag strainséirí Oileán Acla álainn thiar,
Is fáilteach iad na sléibhte ann, is na gleannta séimhe fial,
Bíonn glór na dtonn go ceolmhar trom ag bualadh ar an trá,
Ag cur fáilte roimh na stráinseirí, chuig an oileán glas gan smál
Bíonn píobairi ag siúl na slí faoi Chruachán is Sliabh Mór,
Agus seinneann lucht na bhfeadóg, ina mílte, sean is óg,
Cuirfidh Gob a' Choire fáilte romhat, Dumha Acha is an Caol,
Beidh rince agus drámaí romhat, agus spórt ar chuile thaobh.
Ó nach breá a bheith ag siúl na trá, is ag fánaíocht faoi 'n spéir,
Faoi dhraíocht ag cúr na mara ann, is a cheol i ndeireadh lae,
In Acaill aoibhinn, aláinn, glas is binne glór na n-éan,
Ó gabh i leith, tabhair cuairt gan teip, as a muintir Ghaelach shéimh.
Is a chuairteoirí chuig Acaill, cuirfear fáilte romhaibh go léir,
Agus beidh sibh sona sásta ann, in measc na ndaoine fhéin,
Tá séipéilín Naomh Damhnait ann, agus caisleán Ghráinne Mhaol,
Is an baile tréigthe faoi Shlíabh Mór, is na céadta dán is scéal.
Is a bhuachaillí is a chailíní, sea, fanaigí go fóill,
Comóirigí an saibhreas ‘tá ‘n ár ndúchas láidir ceoil,
Comóirigí an Ghaeilg' ‘sí ár dteanga cheolmhar fhéin,
Agus roinn í leis na stráinséirí, in Acaill seo na nGael.
credits
from Oileán m'Aislingí / Island of my Dreams,
released October 24, 2022
Lyrics: Brian O'Baoil
Music: Air from the aisling Poor Old Gráinne Mhaol.
Musical accompaniment: Stephen Doherty (Bodhrán, Keyboard)
Diarmuid Gielty (Fiddle), Laoise Kelly (Harp), Paul McGrattan (Flute),
Cian McNamara (Accordion), Caoilte Ó Cuanaigh (Guitars, Mandolin)
& Kieran O’Malley (Uilleann pipes)
John 'Twin' McNamara is one of Achill’s most important historians, folklorists and collector of songs, poetry and stories
associated with Achill and its connections to significant aspects of our local and national cultural heritage. His life has been dedicated to the promotion of Achill and in particular its language, music, and culture. He was the driving force behind the revival of Scoil Acla,...more
Adapting their calculated standards into a raw, live setting, the radical UK folk duo rework six highlights from their spellbindincatalogue. Bandcamp New & Notable Dec 7, 2022
Traditional folk music and field recordings meld into fascinating long-form sound collages on the new LP from Shovel Dance Collective. Bandcamp New & Notable Dec 6, 2022
