“Má bhíonn tú liom, bí liom a stóirín mo chroí” – Brooklyn le Colm Toibín.

Tá ceist amháin ag croílár Brooklyn a d’aithneodh go leor Éireannach thíos tríd na glúine.

Is é sin an rogha idir saol a thógáil in Éirinn nó an t-aistear a dhéanamh thar lear – go dtí soilse geala Nua-Eabhrac i gcás Eilis, curtha i láthair ag mór-aisteoir Éireannach na huaire Saoirse Ronan.

Insítear scéal an scannáin dúinn trí shúile an chailín óig seo as Loch Garman a imíonn anonn tar éis di cúnamh a fháil óna deirfiúr.

Cé go bhfuil sí i bhfad ó bhaile, tá an ceangal sin lena háit dhúchais i gcónaí go láidir ina croí.

Is follasach an méid sin nuair a bhíonn Eilis ag cuidiú le daoine béile Nollag a ullmhú do Ghaeil bhochta an Úill Mhóir.

Is sa radharc seo a sheasann Iarla Ó Lionáird chun leagan binn den amhrán iomráiteach ‘Casadh an tSúgáin’ a chanadh.

Tá deacrachtaí na himirce le brath go láidir anseo agus uaigneas na bhfear ag am Nollag go mór i réim, iad ag machnamh faoin am atá caite agus faoina gcuid roghanna go dtí seo a thug i bhfad ó bhaile iad.

Is cuid lárnach tochtmhar d’fhuaimrian Brooklyn é an t-amhrán Gaeilge.

Ag labhairt dó le NÓS, dúirt Iarla nár theastaigh uaidh an pháirt a ghlacadh ar dtús, mar nach smaoiníonn sé air féin mar aisteoir ach go bhfuil sé an-bhródúil a bheith páirteach ann.

D’iarr údar an leabhair ar a bhfuil an scannán bunaithe, Colm Tóibín, go sonrach go dtabharfadh fear Chúil Aodha faoin ról, rud a thug spreagadh dó.

“Bhí áthas orm gur bhain siad an oiread úsáide as an amhrán, táim an-bhrodúil leis,” ar sé.

Is leagan neamhghnách de ‘Casadh an tSúgáin’ a chuireann an t-amhránaí clúiteach i láthair sa scannán.

“Is meascán de dhá leagan éagsúil é,” a mhínigh Iarla.

“Leagan Mhichíl Uí Dhomhnaill, a bhfuil foclaíocht aláinn Chúige Mumhan leis, agus leagan eile i stíl Chonamara, mar a bhí ag laoch sean-nóis na Gaillimhe, Seosamh Ó hÉanaí.”

Tá na liricí “Má bhíonn tú liom, bí liom a stóirín mo chroí” mar a bheadh macalla ar an gceist a bhfuil ar Eilis dul i ngleic léi sa scéal.

Tar éis di filleadh go hÉirinn i gcomhair sochraide, tá beirt fhear sa tóir uirthi.

Duine ar thit sí i ngrá leis i Nua-Eabhrac, agus stócach folláin sa bhaile a bhfuil a máthair ag iarraidh go rachadh sí leis.

An gcásóidh sí a droim ar fhear na hIodáile, fear ar thug sí gealltanas dó?

Tá post ann di anois in Éirinn agus roghanna saoil nach raibh aice roimhe a thabharfadh deis di a bheidh cóngarach dá muintir.

Déanann Saoirse Ronan an deighilt inmheánach seo a chur os ár gcomhair go grástúil.

Ní aon scéal úr é Brooklyn ach seasann sé amach mar gheall ar scoth na haisteoireachta, súil ghéar na ndearthóirí feistis, cumas scéalaí an stiúrthóra Jim Crowley a thugann léargas fíor dúinn ar an imirce, gan trácht ar ndóigh ar amhránaíocht bhinn laoch Chúil Aodha, Iarla Ó Lionáird!

Cá bhfaighimid post?

Foilsithe ar Nós.ie / Published on Nós.ie.

Más céimí thú atá ag cuardach poist sa teicneolaíocht faisnéise, sa chuntasaíocht nó sa bhaincéireacht, seans maith go dtiocfaidh tú ar fholúntas éigin a d’oirfeadh duit anseo in Éirinn.

Innealtóirí agus feirmeoirí, tá áit anseo daoibhse freisin.

Lucht an leighis, tá fáilte romhaibh chomh maith, cé gur seans go bhfágfaidh sibh an tír i gcomhar tuarastail níos fearr agus uaireanta oibre níos lú ar aon nós.

A mhúinteoirí, céard a dhéanfaidh muid gan sibh?

Rogha choitianta is ea an mhúinteoireacht go fóill cé nach leor na poist do líon na múinteoirí cáilithe sa tír agus gur sin mar a bhí le fada an lá.

Lucht cróga na seirbhísí éigeandála, tá sibh ag teastáil go géar, ach b’fhéidir go n-iarrfaí oraibh oibriú go deonach.

A smaointeoirí sna dána, ceoltóirí, ealaíontóirí agus an dream eile taobh amuigh de na réimsí thuas ar fad, beidh oraibh tarraingt ar bhur scileanna cruthaitheacha agus a bheith seiftiúil solúbtha i mbun do chuid fostaíochta más maith leat fanacht in Éirinn, agus amach ó scuaine Oifig an Leasa Shóisialaigh.

Bhí níos mó ná 2,500 post a thairiscint do chéimithe ag comhlachtaí a bhí i láthair ag ócáid fostaíochta in Ollscoil na hÉireann, Gaillimh (OÉG) le déanaí.

Ar an mórchuid, ba chomhlachtaí teicniúla iad, a bhfuil neart acu sa tír bheag seo, agus iad compordach leis an ráta íseal cánach a ghearrtar orthu.

Ina measc bhí an comhlacht ríomhaireachta HP, a bhfuil 750 duine fostaithe acu sa lárionad bogearraí i nGaillimh, agus codán post ar fáil gach bliain go sonrach do na céimithe is déanaí a leag uathu an caipín.

Bhí an-tóir ar dhream an airgeadais chomh maith, le níos mó iomaíochta sa chuntasaíocht i gcomparáid le blianta roimhe.

Dúirt Andrea Paolella ón gcomhlacht airgeadais PwC le NÓS go bhfuil ‘athrú mór’ feicthe acu i dtaobh na hearcaíochta le dhá bhliain anuas agus go bhfuil comórtas dian idir na comhlachtaí móra chun na daltaí is láidre a tharraingt ina dtreo.

Is am maith é, dar le hAndrea, le bheith ag teacht amach as an ollscoil má tá tú ag dul i mbun na seirbhísí airgeadais.

Ba dheas a chloisteáil go dtuigeann an comhlacht Accenture go bhfuil buntáiste mór i gceist le daoine ar réimse éagsúil taithí agus cáilíochtaí a fhostú, mar a mhínigh urlabhraí an chomhlachta Anthony Grady le NÓS.

“Má chuireann tú grúpa innealtóirí isteach i seomra agus má iarrann tú orthu fadhb a réiteach, beidh an fócas céanna acu ar fad, ach má chuireann tú daoine eile ó chúlra na n-ealaíon isteach chomh maith, gheobhaidh siad réiteach iomlán difriúil ar an bhfadhb.

“Sin mar a smaoiníonn Accenture agus muid ag earcú daoine,” ar sé.

Tá gradaim bainte amach ag an gcomhlacht céanna mar gheall ar an gcur chuige seo agus sílim go bhfuil níos mó den sórt smaoinimh sin ag teastáil i measc comhlachtaí móra.

D’aithrígh mé beagán níos muiníní ó thaobh an gheilleagair de agus mé ag fágáil OÉG an lá sin.

Is cosúil go bhfuil níos mó féidearthachtaí i láthair na huaire dóibh siúd ar mhaith leo saol a thógáil in Éirinn.

Ach ansin smaoiním ar roinnt de mo chairde féin atá tar éis céim a bhaint amach sna healaíona; an stair, an scannánaíocht, an ealaín, an ceol srl.

Ní raibh mórán deiseanna, mar bhí fiú deis amháin, sa seomra sin a bheadh feiliúnach dóibh.

Más duine den dream sin thú, bí ag súil le tréimhse mhaith i mbun intéirneachtaí agus obair saor in aisce.

Tá meon ann nach gá pá ceart a thabhairt don dream áirithe seo agus don té atá ag tosú amach b’fhearr i bhfad luach an taithí ar CV ná airgead sa phóca.

Is dearcadh dainséarach é sin a d’fhás leis an Tíogar Ceilteach, agus atá fós ag fás le scéimeanna ar nós JobBridge a bhaineann an bonn de luach an oibrí

Díreach inné d’fhág mé slán le duine eile de na cairde sin atá ag tabhairt aghaidhe ar Cheanada ar thóir oibre san earnáil scannánaíochta.

Agus muid ag gluaiseacht níos faide agus níos faide isteach in Éirinn chorparáideach, fágann muid slán le lucht óg ilchumasach.

Tá an droichead seo le sárú fós chun réimse leathan an taithí, na smaointí agus na nuálaíochta a rugadh anseo in Éirinn a choinneáil sa tír féin.

Léiriú iontach ar dhúsláin na scannán

Caitríona Ní Chadhain

Tugadh le chéile ag ‘Talking Production 2014’ (27ú & 28ú Mí na Samhna) iad siúd atá ag tosú amach ar ghairm bheatha na scannánaíochta, agus iad siúd a bhfuil clú bainte amach acu cheana fhéin sa réimse sin.

Ba léir ón méid a pléadh ag an deireadh seachtaine go gcaithfidh duine oibriú go dian chun pé fís atá aige a chur i gcrích, ach go bhfuil sé tábhachtach freisin go mbeadh comhpháirtíocht ann i measc lucht déanta scannán.

Felim MacDermott and Beau Willimon of House of Cards at the Galway Film Centre’s Annual Seminar Talking Production 2014 at the Connemara Coast Hotel. http://www.galwayfilmcentre.ie. Photo:- Andrew Downes

Dúirt Jimmy Flynn, léiritheoir Love/Hate go bhfuil sé scannalach nach bhfuil craoltóir ar bith in Éirinn a dhéanann infheistíocht cheart i  ngné-scannáin. Comhléirithe idir comhlachtaí léiriúcháin sa Bhreatain agus léiritheoirí anseo iad na scannáin ‘Éireannacha’ is mó go mbíonn rath orthu.

Ba léir, áfach, ó bheith ag éisteacht lena raibh i láthair ag ‘Talking Production 2014’, go bhfuil an mianach i muintir na tíre seo a thuilleadh scannán móra a chur ar an scáileán, ach a thuilleadh tacaíochta a bheith ann.

B’údar áthais don phainéal stiúrthóirí go bhfuil seónna i dteangacha éagsúla ag tarraingt aird go hidirnáisiúnta faoi láthair, leithéidí The Bridge (atá le feiceáil ar TG4 faoi láthair). Go deimhin, bhí Anders Landström, léiritheoir The Bridge, i measc na n-aíonna i gConamara.

Gan amhras d’fhéadfadh gur tuar dóchais é an rath a bhíonn ar chláir le fotheidil do léirithe Gaeilge. Labhair Paddy Hayes, léiritheoir Corp & Anam, faoi na scileanna sainiúla atá ag baint le fotheidealú agus dúirt gur deacair an rud é aistriúchán a dhéanamh ar shaothar teilifíse gan baint de bhunéirim na scripte.

Ní raibh aon ghá le fotheidil ó aoi mór na deireadh seachtaine, Beau Willimon, nuair a chuir sé tús lena phíosa cainte ag guí beannacht ar an slua as Gaeilge. Is scribhneoir agus léiritheoir é Beau ar an tsraith teilifíse de chuid Netflix House of Cards. Dúirt Beau go gcaitear idir naoi agus deich mí ag scríobh gach sraith, agus seacht mí ag taifeadadh.

Tá Beau den tuairim go bhfuil an teilifís an-chosúil leis an amharclannaíocht, agus go mbíonn drámadóirí níos fearr ag scríobh don teilifís toisc go bhfuil taithí acu ar aiseolas a fháil ar an toirt ón lucht féachana.

Maidin Dé hAoine chualamar ó roinnt daoine aitheanta a bhíonn ag obair in earnáil beochana na hÉireann agus na hEorpa. Paisean agus foighde an dá thréith is mó a luadh leis an gceird seo. D’inis Heather Grace Mills ó Telegael dúinn faoi thogra nua darbh ainm Morten on the Ship of Fools. Is é seo an chéad scannán beochain íomhá ar íomhá (stop-motion) a léireofar in Éirinn.

Labhair an léiritheoir Stephen Woolley (The Butcher Boy, Michael Collins, The Crying Game) chomh maith faoin deacracht a bhaineann le scannán a dhéanamh sa lá atá inniú ann, agus dúirt sé go bhfuil sé i bhfad níos deacra ná mar a bhí nuair a bhí seisean ag tosú amach. Tá a chara, Neil Jordan, ceann de na stiúrthóirí is mó le rá dá bhfuil ann, ar aon intinn leis, a dúirt sé. Léiriú ann féin ar na fadhbanna atá ag lucht déanta scannán i láthair na huaire.

Interview with Sol Cat

Interview with Sol Cat

I interviewed Nashville-based group Sol Cat in July. Here is the article which arose from that interview, published originally on the Journalist.ie.

http://thejournalist.ie/entertainment/music-interview-sol-cat/

Sol Cat

Sol Cat’s self-titled debut album is a little beauty of a record with an artful charm that seems to get better with every listen. Chiming guitar-riffs, slick bass-lines, the rhythmic backbone of the drums, and buoyant key-riffs, mix with vocalist Brett Hamman’s dulcet tones, to create this upbeat sound with its effortless cool. Sol Cat’s music feels like a soundtrack to summer days and blue skies. Their sound has been described as “psychedelic jungle-groove rock” amongst other things. However you might phrase it, this is music to have a good time to and that’s what the six-piece intended. There’s no melodrama or pretension, just music for the love of music. It’ll make you want to kick back and take it all in or get up on your feet and dance.

Chatting to Brett (vocals) and Johny (guitar), they seem as chilled out as their music is. Brett and Johny were the bands’ founding members. They’re have since been a number of changes in the line-up but the six-piece as they are now blend together with an interestingly diverse but compatible range of experiences and influences. Sol Cat already have some material for their next album. “We could almost put out something tomorrow if we wanted to as far as having enough songs for it, but we still want to give this one as much life as it’s got.” ‘Sea of Light’ and ‘Disco Forest’ are highlights on the album, although it’s hard to choose. Think swigging from a coconut with the sun on your face, sand between your toes, and a hammock beneath you. Sol Cat can bring you there. Well, with a bit of imagination at least.

The bands’ members come from across America but are are based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Belmont School of Music in Nashville is what brought most of the bands members together. Nashville is well known for its country music scene, but the city’s musical landscape is much more diverse than that, as the guys explained; “You can really see anything you want pretty much on any given night, and everyone’s actually really good at it”, Johny explained. “Everybody is so focused and driven on what they want to do here, it’s really a cool thing. But it’s so vast, it’s impossible to have your band really get recognised in town or at least taken seriously until you’ve worked that extra little bit and gained that extra little respect”, added Brett.

These guys deserve all the recognition they get and are a great example of a band working self-sufficiently. The album was recorded in a studio in keyboardist Jeremy Clark’s house, and self-released on Bandcamp. (http://solcat.bandcamp.com/)  The album artwork designed by bassist Aaron Martin, and their music videos were made with help from friends. Check out the video for ‘Dirty Glasses’ (it might make you want to invite some friends around for a party in the shower) and ‘Fishin’ with John’ below. A video for ‘Sea of Light’ is on the cards soon.

Tír le Teanga

http://vimeo.com/64314658

Tá an Ghaeilge á múineadh i scoileanna na hÉireann ó bhunaíodh an Saorstát. In ainneoinn an iarracht atá curtha isteach i múineadh na Gaeilge, fágann a lán daoine an scoil gan a bheith in ann an teanga a labhairt. An é stádas éigeantach ag léibhéal na hArdteiste an rud is fearr don teanga? Agus cén iarracht atá á dhéanamh chun feabhas a chur ar mhúineadh na Gaeilge?

This is a ten-minute documentary I made in relation to the Irish language and the debate over whether or not it should be compulsory at Leaving Certificate level. I learnt a lot during the making of this documentary and I made it my mission to get the viewpoints of people from across the country and further afield. Almost all the people I spoke to felt strongly about the importance of the language, although opinions were divided on whether or not it should be taught as a compulsory subject at Leaving Certificate. Many felt the government weren’t doing enough to encourage the public’s interest in the language, and that an outdated school curriculum meant a lack of interest amongst young people. I then posed these concerns to Minister of State for the Gaeltacht Dinny McGinley, who outlined the steps the Government are taking to improve the provisions in place for the Irish language.

The Irish Examiner – Budget 2013 series

In the run-up to and following the announcement of Ireland’s national budget for 2013, I co-produced a number of videos on behalf of the Irish Examiner, showing public reaction to the proposed cuts.

2011 in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 1,600 times in 2011. If it were a cable car, it would take about 27 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

Would calling off RAG week curb disruption?

The years spent as a student are regarded by many to be the best years of their lives. It’s a time for finding your feet, meeting new people and exploring new interests. For many it’s the first time they’ll spend a considerable amount of time away from their parents and is a step in the direction of the real world. Yeah most people go a bit wild every now and again in their college years. In fairness it’s the perfect time to get up to all sorts of malarkey you wouldn’t dream of doing when you’re that bit older. Outside of the academic side of things, college is for having a good time, living those stories you’ll tell the grandkids about, and surviving on toast and noodles.

Unfortunately there are always those unwilling neighbours that get inflicted with the loud parties and antics of the life of a college student. And again this year there have been the inevitable complaints about Charity Week shenanigans throughout the country. In Limerick the Plassey Residents Association wrote to the Higher Education Authority again this year regarding the University of Limerick’s Charity Week saying that students in the University of Limerick are turning the Castletroy area into a “slum” with their disruptive behaviour. And in a document which they also sent to all Limerick TD’s and councillors and to the University’s president, they refer to a culture of binge drinking and poor academic records amongst UL students. Plassey Residents Association chairman, Joseph O’Shea complained that “Whole estates have been taken over by students engaged in lawlessness that wouldn’t be tolerated elsewhere.”

University of Limerick student union’s communications officer Finn McDuffie, said that “the complainant residents send a letter every year and every year they mention the same thing. They’re asking the University to control private individuals.” He went on to explain that the students union put in place a number of steps to control students’ activities during this years’ Charity Week. They coordinated timing with Tralee IT and NUIG in order to reduce the number of students travelling to UL from other colleges to join in the festivities, and put in place constant student patrol to break up house parties and pick up litter, amongst other things.

It’s unfortunate that these residents are inflicted with the noise and the unruly behaviour that comes hand in hand with Charity week, but is there really anything that can be done about it? Would calling off Charity Week solve the problem or make it worse? Facebook nowadays yields much more power than the students union or the president of a University. If Charity Week were to be called off students would set up Facebook events for an unofficial RAG week. Guaranteed. And without a student body to be held accountable it would end up a lot messier and out of control than the official event. Residents complained of house parties going on into the early hours of the morning and couches being dragged out on to the lawn with loud music blaring. Things like this will happen in the fine weather, Charity Week or no Charity Week. Most students mean no harm and are conscious of not disrupting the neighbours. But like everywhere else, there are always those few who earn their compatriots a bad reputation.

National University of Ireland, Galway also got some bad press for their students’ Charity Week antics this year, where 37 students in total were arrested for anti-social behaviour. The president of the University Jim Browne called upon the students union to call off the event following the week which saw videos of bottle throwing and huge fires in residential areas gain much attention online. Again, these were the actions of a few students who got the whole college into disrepute. The NUIG student union’s president Peter Mannion’s view on the matter is that; “If the students union in any particular University or IT decide to get rid of Charity Week from their point of view, what will happen is that nightclubs and other business interests in that particular town or city will end up branding a week, a rag week or college week, and what would happen is you’d have all the unfortunate negative elements without all the great benefits in terms of fundraising and students having a good time.”

So the question is should Charity or ‘RAG’ week as it was formerly known be called off? Maynooth tried it, but the few who cause the trouble continued to cause trouble. Students will be students at the end of the day, living close to a college is bound to cause some disruption. That’s why these residents are given cheaper rent and mortgage rates. But calling off Charity Week wouldn’t put a stop to the parties. Anywhere there are students, there will be parties. Only individuals can be held responsible for their actions, all students can’t be blamed for the actions of a few.

Is beatha teanga í a labhairt

Tosaíonn Seachtain na Gaeilge inniu (a mhaireann dhá seactain i ndáiríre!) Chuir mé ceist ar dáltaí as Ollscoil Luimnigh faoin Ghaeilge, an úsáid a bhaineann siad as, agus na bealaí is fearr chun an teanga a chur chun cinn.

Tosaíonn an mír faoin Ghaeilge ag 12.45nóim

Seachtain na Gaeilge starts today! I recently asked students at the University of Limerick about the language in their lives and the best ways to promote it.

The Irish segment starts at 12.45mins

Agus ar nóta eile seo amhrán nua na Rubberbandits, as Gaeilge! Seachain thú fhéin Róisín!

Was it for this the Wild Geese spread?

The count for the Limerick City constituency in election 2011 took place in the University of Limerick’s Sports Arena on Saturday the 26^th of February

‘Let him down gently!’, tittered a bystander after Michael Noonan had been lifted into the air after securing his seat in the Limerick City constituency on the first count. Followed by a crest of laughter from the nearby crowd. An elated moment for the man likely to become the country’s Minister for Finance. It seems an apt expression for a man soon to be battling the stern terms of the IMF. Right now he rejoices, but what if his plight to soothe Ireland’s economic tension is trampled by the demands of Europe. It’s a delicate rope to thread and if it snaps we’ll all feel the brunt. No-one will be let down gently.

The air in the arena was abuzz with talk of the future of the country. A country which seems to have forgotten its history and the price it has paid before for worshipping the materialistic. Its people again see the price of greed. The price of electing puppets with deep pockets. Yeats wrote that romantic Ireland is dead and gone. And yet again the country’s blight is a tale of greasy tills and shivering prayers. He saw the Ireland of ideals, of art and culture being cast aside by the selfish pursuits of the powerful. And so it happens again, and all we’ve learnt is that we don’t learn from the mistakes of the past.

Daylight flickered through the high windows and onto the ballot boxes as the laborious task of counting was executed. The University of Limerick’s sports arena was rich with chatter and a sense of anticipation which clung to the air. People huddled around various television screens inspecting the numbers and observing results from other constituencies. United in their hope for a better Ireland. It wasn’t until the fifth count that a second candidate was hoisted onto the shoulders of his colleagues in celebration. This time it was Fine Gael’s Kieran O’Donnell, deemed elected to a wave of cheers. This custom seemed strange considering the country’s situation. Suddenly the politicians, those we’ve bemoaned for months now are lifted high into the air again as if the colour of their shirts makes all the difference.

And so we open a new chapter in our country’s history. A chapter which must delve deep into the policies of its predecessors and unearth it’s mistakes if we want to build a stronger country than before. I hope Fine Gael and Labour have the strength to undertake the reform Ireland needs in order to grow from this experience. This time they must start at the roots, taking a look at the withered electoral system and structure by which we are governed. Ireland and Europe will be watching more intently now. Perhaps with the advancements of the information super-highway we will remember our past this time around, and not let ourselves be deceived by the politicians of our future. The people want a more open and resolute bureaucracy. With the world watching and information spreading faster than ever before, hopefully this is what they will get. It wasn’t until the 6^th count that Willie O’Dea was elected, a stark contrast to his landslide victory in the 2007 elections. Showing that Irish politics isn’t a personality contest anymore and depicting lost faith in Fianna Fáil. Jan O’Sullivan of Labour claimed the fourth and final seat of this constituency on the seventh count, without reaching the quota. For Limerick county Patrick O’Donovan and Dan Neville of Fine Gael were appointed, along with Niall Collins of Fianna Fáil.

Let’s not lower Yeats’ memories of a romantic Ireland into the ground just yet. It’s still there under a cloud of corruption and deceit. A cloud which now rains down upon this little island we call home. Sending thousands scurrying for shelter in warmer climates. But this rain beating down on our roofs is only momentary in the grand scheme of things. Eventually it leads to growth and fresh life. Calm will succeed the storm. Sooner or later we’ll hear the pitter-patter of little cub feet as the now sluggish Celtic Tiger gives birth to new hope.