Pádraic Ó Conaire

Seacht mBua an Éiri Amach / Seven Virtues of the Rising

ISBN:

9781851321612

9781851321711 limited edition

Cnuasach de sheacht ngearrscéal le Pádraic Ó Conaire (1882–1928), an scríbhneoir ba nuálaí de chuid Athbheochan na Gaeilge, atá in Seacht mBua an Éirí Amach/Seven Virtues of the Rising, a foilsíodh den chéad uair sa Ghaeilge i 1918. Cé nach mbaineann siad go díreach le himeachtaí Éirí Amach 1916, pléitear sna scéalta an tionchar a bhí ag an réabhlóid ar shaol ghnáthfhir agus ghnáthmhná na hÉireann. D’fhéadfaí a rá gurbh é seo an chéad fhreagra ficsin ar an Éirí Amach agus is é seo an chéad uair a aistríodh na seacht scéal ar fad go Béarla agus a foilsíodh le chéile iad.

First published in Irish in 1918, Seacht mBua an Éirí Amach/Seven Virtues of the Rising is a collection of seven stories by Pádraic Ó Conaire (1882–1928), the most innovative writer to emerge from the Gaelic Revival. Although not directly concerned with the events of the 1916 Rising, the stories deal with the ways in which the revolt intervenes in the lives of ordinary Irish men and women. Arguably the first important fictional response to the Rising, this is the first time all seven stories have been translated into English and published together.

Pádraic Ó Conaire (1882–1928) Is i mbaile mór na Gaillimhe a rugadh Pádraic Ó Conaire agus is i gConamara agus i gCo. an Chláir a tógadh é. Ba é Ó Conaire an scríbhneoir Gaeilge ba nuálaí a d’eascair ó Athbheochan na Gaeilge, agus chum sé an chuid ab fhearr dá shaothar idir 1901 agus 1915 tráth a raibh sé ag obair mar státseirbhíseach i Londain. D’fhill sé ar Éirinn i 1915; cé go raibh go leor scríofa aige, is beag a bhí aige dá bharr. Bhí sé beo bocht nuair a bhásaigh sé in Ospidéal Richmond, Baile Átha Cliath, i 1928 agus tá sé curtha sa Reilig Nua ar an mBóthar Mór i nGaillimh. Bhí sé óg go leor nuair a fuair sé bás, ach bhí breis is 400 gearrscéal scríofa aige, sé dhráma agus úrscéal gearr amháin, chomh maith le 200 aiste ar ábhair éagsúla. Rinne an dealbhóir cumasach Albert Power dealbh d’Ó Conaire, a choimisiúnaigh Conradh na Gaeilge, agus a nocht Éamon de Valera san Fhaiche Mhór i nGaillimh i mí an Mheithimh 1935.

Born in Galway town and reared in Connemara and Co. Clare, Pádraic Ó Conaire was the most innovative Irish-language writer to emerge from the Gaelic Revival, producing much of his best work between 1901 and 1915 while working as a civil servant in London. Having returned to Ireland in 1915, he wrote profusely but unprofitably. He died in poverty in Richmond Hospital, Dublin in 1928 and was buried in Bohermore Cemetery, Galway. In his relatively short lifetime, he published more than 400 short stories, six plays and one short novel, as well as some 200 journalistic essays on a variety of topics. A statue of Ó Conaire by master sculptor Albert Power, which was commissioned by the Gaelic League, was unveiled in Eyre Square, Galway, by Éamon de Valera in June 1935.