The Strokestown Poetry Prizes 2009 - for Irish/Gaelic poetry
The Colmcille Prize 
Below is the shortlist, in alphabetical order.  The prizes will be announced and awarded at
Strokestown International Poetry Festival, 1st ~ 3rd May 2009

    
     
     
     
     
         
                           
                           
    'S ann à Uibhist a Deas a tha Aonghas Pàdraig Caimbeul, ged a tha e a'
fuireach a-nis anns an Eilean Sgitheanach.  Tha e air grunn nobhailean
agus leabhraichean bàrdàchd fhoillseachadh, agus air duaisean cuideachd
a chosnadh mar neach-naidheachd agus mar chleasaiche. Tha e pòsda le
sianar chloinne. 'S toigh leis na sgrìobhaidhean aig Kundera, Kafka,
Calvino agus Laxness.

Angus Peter Campbell is from the Island of South Uist, though he now
lives on the Isle of Skye. He has published several Gaelic novels and
three collections of poetry, and has also been given numerous awards as
a journalist and actor. He is married with six children and greatly
admires the writings of Milan Kundera, Franz Kafka, Italo Calvino and
Hallrod Laxness
 		      
         
         
         
                           
    Eapaic

Thig an tè
a chruthaicheas
an ath eapaic
Ghàidhlig

o bhonn na mara.

Cha bhuin i dhan talamh.

Bidh a h-adhradh
sligeach, croimheal.

Bidh Mac Mhaighstir Alasdair
mar chreig dhi, marbh, balbh.

Thig e le a h-òrain fhèin
a' sèideadh bholgain-ciùil,
ann an ainm Cholm Chille
no ann an ainm Tiara Xzing

agus bidh a' cànan
mar allt an t-siùcair, air madainn

chùbhraidh chèit.

~

Epic

The one
who will create
the next Gaelic epic
will emerge from

the bottom of the sea.

She will not belong to earth.

Her worship will glitter
like the shell of a coral.

Mac Mhaighstir Alasdair
will be like a rock to her, dead, dumb.

She will ascend with her own song
blowing bubbles of music
in the name of Columba
or in the name of Tiara Xzing

and her language
will be like the babbling brook, on a bright

may morning.

(Note: the last two lines of this poem are the first two lines of a great
song 'Allt an t-Siùcair' - 'The Babbling Brook' - by the Scottish Gaelic
poet par excellence, Alasdair Mac Mhaighstir Alasdair, who is also of
course referred to earlier in the poem.)

          
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
                           
   
     
                           
   

Celia de Fréine was born in Northern Ireland and now lives in Dublin and Connemara. Her poetry has won many awards, including the Patrick Kavanagh Award (1994), Duais Chomórtas Filíochta Dhún Laoghaire (1996), the British Comparative Literature Association Translation Award (1999), Duais Aitheantais Ghradam Litríochta Chló Iar-Chonnachta (1999) Duais Smurfit/Lá (2003), and Gradam Litríochta Chló Iar-Chonnachta (2004). She was awarded Arts Council Bursaries in 1997 and 2000, and Duais an Oireachtais for best play in 2003 and 2004.

      
         
         
         
                           
          Derbforghail              
   

 

                                    Nuair a choscraigh do reo-ghruaig

                                    is a chaith do chraiceann arctach

                                    a chalóga ar aiteann na háite

                                    ní raibh coinne ar bith agat

                                    le fuacht na fáilte a cuireadh romhat

 

                                    Ní hamháin gur thnúthaigh na mná eile

                                    dod áilleacht is dod ghrás

                                    bhí gráin acu ar an gcaoi aisteach

                                    a bhí agat le do chúram a fhreastal

                                    gan trácht ar an bhfear a ghoid tú uathu

 

                                    Thug siad do dhúshlán páirt

                                    a ghlacadh i gceann dá ndeasghnátha

                                    agus chonacthas dóibh

                                    loch sách mór lena smáil a ní

                                    á tharraingt uait ag an aer séimh

 

                                    Níl tú in ann boladh dá bhfuath níos mó

                                    ná an faitíos a fheiceáil ina súile

                                    is nuair a bhraitheann tú barróg do leannáin

                                    níl do chuid focal in ann do theanga a aimsiú

                                    le hachainí air gan díoltas a bhaint amach

~

Derbforghail
 

                                    When your ice-hair thawed

                                    and your arctic pelt shed its flakes

                                    onto the whin bushes

                                    nothing prepared you

                                    for the coldness of the welcome

 

                                    Not only did the other women

                                    covet your beauty and your grace

                                    they despised your strange way

                                    of attending to your chores

                                    not to mention the man you had stolen from them

 

                                    They challenged you to take part

                                    in one of their rituals

                                    and watched as the temperate air

                                    drew from you a lake big enough

                                    to wash over their sins

 

                                    You can no longer smell their hate

                                    or see the fear in their eyes

                                    and when you feel your lover’s embrace

                                    your words can find no tongue

                                    to beg him not to avenge you

 		          
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
                           
   
     
                           
    Pádraig Mac Fhearghusa has published five books of poetry in Irish, and has won the Oireachtas national poetry prize and the open prize for poetry at Listowel Writers week on several occasions. He has also published a history of the Gaelic League in Kerry, and an introduction to the psychology of Freud and Jung, Tóraíocht an Mhíshonais (The Pursuit of Unhappiness). Tá sé ina eagarthóir ar an míosachán liteartha, Feasta, agus ina uachtarán ar Chonradh na Gaeilge faoi láthair. He is editor of the Irish literary monthly, Feasta, and is president of Conradh na Gaeilge.      
         
         
         
         
         
                           
                           
   

Geasa

A dhuine chroí, ab áil leat a bheith beo,
Nó is long tú i ngábh ar chaolas reoite i gcéin,  
An ghrian adha-fhuar in airde ag glioscarnaíl
Ar chreaga slé’, an fhirmimint lomlán  dá háille dhian?

    A háille dhian ag breith an deoir dod shúil,
    A méara róis ag sní an fhuacht’ id chnámh,
    Níor shamhlaís tráth an scéimh mar éagadh beo,
    Do sheol  díomhaoin, an t-oighear máguaird ina thámh.

An t-oighear ina  thámh ach d’aigne i bhfad ar shiúl:
Tráthnóna uaibhreach faoi  mhonúr toinne i gclúid,
Grian eile,  cneasta, ag spraoi, do shearc led thaoibh,
An bhóchna ag tál a solais ghlé gan ghruaim.

    Gan ghruaim, d’ainneoin sin, thréigis géag an áidh,
    Gan aird a thóg do sheolta an cuan ó thuaidh,
    Gan mhairg  scarais lena leacain chaoin —
    Rómhall is léir don dúire a dealús.

I ndealús ataoi, spéir fheanntach os do chionn,
An sunda  reoite is béim adha-fhuar ad’ chrá,
Brat  seaca ar d’fhabhra, mar leacra léith’ do sheol,
Ach méara róis ag mónúr i smuas do chnámh.

    Faoin gcnámh ó chuaigh an grá gan fhios don chiall,
    Is  cloíte ataoi ar ilchríoch ghránna i gcéin,
    Ar d’fheitheamh go n-impódh an lon dubh bán,
    Ag tnúth led fhuascailt ó gheasa crua an léin.
 

              
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                           
   
     
                           
    Seán Ó Curraoin was born in Freeport, Co. Galway, and now lives in the Liberties of Galway City. He has spent most of his working life as an official translator with the Civil Service. He writes both prose and poetry, and, of his three poetry collections, the most recent is Cnoc na Cainte (Coiscéim, 2003).      
         
         
         
                           
   

Loch Inse

Bhí sé ag cur seaca ar feadh coicíse

Is bhí Loch Inse ina gloine

Bhí sioc go gaineamh rua

Is bhí reothalach ar an loch

Bhíodh faitíos ar na seandaoine roimh an loch

Mar deiridís go raibh loch síúil

Is go mbeadh sí ag éileamh a coda dá bhféadfadh sí é

Mar nuair a bhí slua ón mbaile

Ag baint móna ar a bruach uair amháin

Dúirt Aindí go ngabhfadh sé ag snámh théis an ate

Isteach leis – ní fhacthas ó shoin e

Deirtí go raibh poill dhoimhne lena bruach

Bhí muide ag obair ag an am

Is dúradh fúinn go raibh muid staidéarach

Thosaigh muid ag triáil na leice oighre

Ag caitheamh clocha léi

Go bhfeicfeadh muid an scoiltfeadh sí

Ach d’fhan na clocha ar an dromchla

Go tobann bhuail fonn millteach imeachta muid

Amach linn ar an leacoighre

Amach, amach go lár an locha

Agus trasna go dtí an taobh eile

Isteach linn ar an Oileán Mór

Nár éirigh linn a dhul air ariamh cheana

Ach ag breathnú amach air ón mbruach

Mhothaíomar inár bpáistí aríst

Go suáilceach, gealgháireach

Mar bhí an draíocht bainte den loch againn.

 

      
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
                           
   
     
                           
    Peadar Ó hUallaigh was born in Clonmel in 1950. He spent his teenage years in sixties Dublin. During the seventies and eighties he performed traditional music, mostly on the Continent. Most of his poetry was written since 2005 at home on the Dingle Peninsula. Some of the poems have appeared in periodicals and books. Two collections are as yet unpublished.      
         
         
         
                           
   

Sliabh Alpa                

                                    Ag tarraingt i gcóngar

                                    na binnteacha sneachta,

                                    léimeann mo chroí

                                    roimh íomhá na háille.

                                    Romham, thar an droim,

                                    sileann an t-oighearshruth,                      

ag téaltú anuas

ós na beanna is airde.

 Líonann na deora lem' shúile.

  

                                    Ach ná titeadh fiú braoinín

                                    de dheoir bhog áthais,

                                    ar dhul in airde dom

thar úire an oighir ghoirm.

                                    Anois go bhfuil leá

                                    á fhógairt lenár linn,

                                    ní chuirfinn oiread na fríde

                                    leis an gcoscairt chinniúnach

                                    atá faoinár mbráid.

 		          
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
             
                           
   
     
                           
    Is file agus socheolaí é Pádraig Breandán Ó Laighin. Foilsíodh Ealaín Draoi agus Adhlacadh Éabha sa bhliain 1990, agus tá bailiúchán nua filíochta leis ar na bacáin. Chaith sé seal fada i Montréal, áit a raibh sé ina léachtóir in Ollscoil McGill agus ina cheann ar Roinn na nEolaíochtaí Sóisialta i gColáiste Vanier. Is Comhalta Taighde é in Ionad Taighde na hEolaíochta Comhdhaonnaí i gColáiste Ollscoile Bhaile Átha Cliath, agus tá monatóireacht ar siúl aige ar chur i bhfeidhm na Gaeilge mar theanga oifigiúil oibre den Aontas Eorpach.
Pádraig Breandán Ó Laighin is a poet and a sociologist. Ealaín Draoi agus Adhlacadh Éabha was published in 1990, and a new poetry collection is forthcoming. He spent many years in Montréal, where he lectured at McGill University and was head of the Social Sciences Department at Vanier College. He is a Research Fellow at the Social Science Research Centre in University College Dublin, and is monitoring the implementation of Irish as an official working language of the European Union.		      
         
         
         
                           
                           
   

Oileán na nGael

  

Seo Grosse-Île

Oileán na nGael

l’Île des Irlandais                                               (1832-4)

 

Seo oileán na dtríochaidí

Cuan an Chalair ansin amuigh

            mar ar éag mórán Gael

            a ling de longa lena slogadh

            ag gaineamh súraic

Seo oileán na mílte gan ainm

            a cailleadh sa deichniúr sin

 

Seo Grosse-Île

Oileán na nGael

l’Île des Irlandais                                               (1846-7)

 

Seo oileán an Ghorta Mhóir

oileán na long mar chónra chláir

            amuigh ar an gcuan

            ar stad gan suan

            cois ula na n-íospartach

Is oileán leis lucht páirte

an ghrá i ngníomh ar tír

 

Seo Grosse-Île

Oileán na nGael

l’Île des Irlandais

 

Seo oileán na n-iomairí leathana

a chumhdaíonn claiseanna chorp

na ndaoine

            a madhmadh as alt

            as cnoc as gleann

Oileán giniúna chlaochlú tíre

            dá ngairtear Ceanada

 

Seo Grosse-Île

Oileán na nGael

l’Île des Irlandais

 

Oileán na nGael i bhfad ó thír

a ndúchais is a mbuandoilís

            inis sheodmhar seirce

            a d’iompaigh

            ina hárthach síothlaithe

dá raibh ag súil le muir fhlaithiúil

            ach gur in uaigh a rángadar

 

Seo Grosse-Île

Oileán na nGael

l’Île des Irlandais                                               (1996)

 

Inniu cois cuain cois croise móire

briathraímid bhur n-ainmneacha

            mar shuan sí

            bhur muirniú

            ó thromluí géar

chun a rá linn go leomhtar dúinn

            na seolta a ardú an athuair

 

 

Grosse-Île, Québec

      
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
                           
   
     
                           
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