Julie and Ian heading up Centre Gully on Corrauntoohil in the last of the snow.
the mountaineering collective | 2020
Category: Sleibhteóireacht
Postcards from Connemara
TMC returned to Connemara in April for a weekend of mountaineering organised by Bertie Hickey. Routes included the Clencoaghan Horseshoe, which includes six of the Twelve Bens mountain peaks of Derryclare (677m), Bencorr (711m), Bencollaghduff (696m), Benbreen (691m), Bengower (664m) and Benlettery (577m).
The Bens were featured in an early guide to Connemara. Rambles in Ireland: A Fortnight in Ireland; 0r, Pen and Pencil Sketches of a Tour in the Autumn of 1846 was compiled by the Gascoigne Sisters, Mary Isabella and Elizabeth (De Burca Rare Books Catalogue No 96, Spring 2011, pages 84-6).
The guide included illustrations from sketches made on the spot. The sisters promised that travellers would ‘be sure to meet with novelty, incident, and adventure,’ although the ‘accommodation at the inns would certainly admit of improvement; but there is excellent salmon to be had everywhere.’
The sisters spent 15 days travelling through Galway, Mayo, Galway, Mayo, Sligo, Donegal, Derry, and Antrim in 1846, in the middle of the Height of the Great Famine. The sisters were very wealthy. Their family were landlords in County Limerick and owned collieries in Yorkshire. The sisters were noted for their charitable work in England and Ireland. Rambles in Ireland was published to raise funding for relief work in Limerick, which was targeted at Protestant orphans.
The Bens were featured again during the An Gorta Beag or the second famine of the 1890s. Robert John Welch, a naturalist and photographer, climbed the Bens in 1894 and 1895 and recorded the main geomorphological features of the Glencoaghan Horseshoe. He published the photographs in an album that was presented to Arthur “Bloody” Balfour in recognition of his patronage of the Galway to Clifden railway line.
Light railways were built in the west of Ireland to provide employment to the poorest section of the population, who otherwise, would probably have starved to death. Balfour’s brother described it as a political strategy for “killing Home Rule with Kindness.” Maud Gonne, quoting a priest from Mayo, described these relief works as ‘organised famine.’
Píosa dramaíochta faoi chursaí sléibhteoireachta: in omós do Aodh Ó Domhnaill 1947-2018
From tuairisc.ie:
An scríbhneoir ildánach Aodh Ó Domhnaill ar shlí na fírinne
Choimeád éagsúlacht agus feabhas shaothar Aodha Uí Dhomhnaill spiorad agus nuálaíocht i ndrámaíocht na Gaeilge. Tá creathadh mór bainte as saol na Gaeilge agus saol na hamarclannaíochta tráthnóna ag an scéala go bhfuil an scríbhneoir ildánach Aodh Ó Domhnaill imithe ar shlí na fírinne.
Bhásaigh Aodh Ó Domhnaill go tobann Eanair 24, 2018 agus é i mbun na hoibre ab ansa leis ag a dheasc scríbhneoireachta.
Rugadh Aodh Ó Domhnaill i mBaile Átha Cliath sa bhliain 1947 ach, ag maireachtáil i mBaile an Fheirtéaraigh i gCorca Dhuibhne a bhí Aodh agus a bhean chéile Máiréad Ní Chinnéide, arb as Ciarraí di, le roinnt blianta anuas.
Le fiche bliain anuas is leis an drámaíocht is mó a bhíodh sé ag plé agus luaitear go háirithe é leis an gcompántas a raibh a chroí agus a anam ann, Aisteoirí Bulfin.
Taifeadadh an píosa seo in Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne, ar an mBuailtín, i Mí na Samhna seo chaite, tar éis do comórtas a bhuaigh le linn Oireacthtais na Samhna, i dteannta le Noel Ó Maoileoin.
The Mountaineering Collective 