On Winter in Ireland and Photography

Yet another post, this time on visual art. RTÉ had a photography competition on "wintery scenes" (of Ireland). The winners and runners up etc. can be viewed at RTÉ's website. They're all fairly similar stylistically, but quite nice and very much natural Ireland.

On Music and Poetry

Continuing with the trend of including flash clips from YouTube, I've included a couple more here relating to Irish music. We've just begun covering the role of music in Irish culture in my Irish culture course here at NUIG, and it's by far my favorite part. Finally a topic worthwhile! (No offense to poetry but to me it is a waste of time and honestly, if it was important poets would just come out and say it instead of hiding it in allegories requiring hours of thought and interpretation). Then again I've no patience for poetry. Music I absolutely love though. The current musician we're covering is Sean O'Riada who composed the score to Mise Eire. For a bit of commentary (provided by BBC 4 via what else, YouTube):




For a beautiful singing of the song Róisín Dubh (from which O'Riada got his theme for his main composition of the piece) you can hear Caitlín Maude. You have to wait a moment to hear the vocals. The lyrics, provided, are as follows with the translation (this is one of many versions):

A Róisín, ná bíodh brón ort ná cás anois

Róisín, do not be sad or distressed now

Tá do phardún Ón bPapa is ón Róimh agat

You have your pardon from the Pope and Rome

Ta na bráithre ag teacht thar sáile 's iad ag triall thar muir,

The priests are travelling over the seas

Is ní cheilfear fíon Spáinneach ar mo Róisín Dubh

And Spanish wine will comfort my Róisín Dubh

Tá grá agam i mo lár duit le blain anois,

I have a lonely love for you for a year now

Grá ceilte, grá cásmhar, grá ciapaithe

Love hidden, love plaintive, love tormented

Grá a d’fhág mé gan sláinte, gan rian, gan rith

Love that has left me without health, without vigour, without energy

Is go brách, brách, gan aon fháil agam ar mo Róisín Dubh

And forever and ever, looking for my Róisín Dubh

Beidh an fharraige ina tuillte deagra is an spéir ina fuil.

The sea will flood with red and the sky will be blood

Beidh an saol so ina chogadh craorach de dhroim na gcnoc.

This world will be at war crimson war from the hilltops

Beidh gach gleann sléibhe ar fud na hÉireann is móinte ar crith

Every mountainy glen and bog throughout Ireland will shake

Lá éigin, sara n-éagfaidh mo Róisín Dubh.

Should me Róisín Dub die some day.

So I guess I do like poetry. Though I still say the vast majority wasn't even worth the time it took for the poet to write it.

On Dublin and Tourism

Most people I talk to here don't care overly much for Dublin; I don't either, but it's still a fun weekend and the commercial sure is cute.