Those who are interested in the tradition of Irish literature and writing in the Déise and the south eastern community are invited to the inaugural Comhdháil an Oirdheiscirt 2024, which will take place this Saturday, 7 September in Waterford.
The event, which will be conducted entirely through Irish, is a collaboration between South East Technological University (SETU), and MIC, St Patrick’s Campus, Thurles. It will take place at SETU Arena at SETU’s West Campus, Carriganore, Waterford city.
The title of this year’s conference is ‘Céad Bliain de Litríocht na nDéise agus an Cheantair Máguaird’ and it will include presentations, a short film screening and an open mic poetry reading.
Presenters
Presenters include Liam Ó Riain, Caoimhe Nic Lochlainn, Éamon Wall, Ríona Ní Churtáin, Róisín Sheehy, Éilis Neary and there will be keynote talks on ‘An Ghaeltacht mar inspioráid don scríbhneoir sa 21ú haois’ by Áine Uí Fhoghlú, and ‘Ionspioráid laethúil na Gaeltachta’ by Catherine Foley.
Organisers Dr Tony Ó Floinn and Dr Eimear Nic Conmhaic (MIC Thurles) and Dr Shane Grant and Dr Séamus Dillon (SETU) intend that the event will be biannual and will highlight various aspects of the south east’s rich Irish language culture and heritage.
Dr Séamus Dillon, lecturer in the School of Humanities at SETU, added that: “SETU is proud to join with MIC Thurles in hosting the first Comhdháil an Oirdheiscirt. We are particularly delighted that the first conference will be held at on SETU’s West Campus in Waterford, home to the University’s Irish language classes and courses.”
Platform
Dr Ó Floinn, a lecturer with Roinn na Gaeilge at MIC Thurles and a Dunmore East native, said: “The aim of Comhdháil an Oirdheiscirt is to provide a platform for the wealth of writing and Irish language literature throughout the south east of the country. We have a packed programme with a great line-up of speakers who will illustrate the abundance and variety present in the literature of this geographical area, which includes not just Waterford and Tipperary but Wexford, Kilkenny, and Carlow also.”
The organisers would like to acknowledge the financial support of the School of Humanities, SETU, Conradh na Gaeilge agus Oifig na Gaeilge, Waterford City and County Council.
There is no attendance fee but everyone is kindly asked to register in advance by filling in this online form. For more information on the programme, view the conference page by tapping here or contact: [email protected].