Ní dóigh go bhféadfaí teacht ar sceideal níos cuimsithí ná níos ilghnéithí ná sceideal Imram na bliana. I don’t think you could find a more comprehensive or multi-faceted schedule than this year’s Imram programme.
Cuirtear síos ar an ócáid mar fhéile litríochta Gaeilge ach dá gcaithfeá súil ar an gclár is cosúil go bhfuil níos mó ná an litríocht á cheiliúradh ag an bhféile. Tá traidisiúin liteartha á ríomh taobh le siompóisiam ar bhlagadóireacht trí Ghaeilge agus ceol de chuid Edith Piaf aistrithe go Gaeilge á cheol ag iar-bhuaiteoir Chorn Uí Riada.
An rud a chur an gliondar is mó ná na bealaí ina gcuirfear an fhéile seo i láthair. Ní féile lán le léachtaí fada a bhéas anseo ach féile nua-aimseartha ina mbeidh scannáin, oíche fhilíochta agus cheoil, siompóisiam, suiteáil físe, filíochta agus fuaime ar siúl.
Cuirfear fáilte roimh fhoghlaimeoirí agus tá fo-theidil ag cuid de na himeachtaí, rud atá luaite sa chlár. Is cosúil go bhfuil iarracht déanta ag stiúrthóir na féile imeachtaí a léireodh réimse leathan na ndaoine a bhaineann úsáid as an teanga a chur ar fail, agus d’éirigh leis.
Ní hí an Ghaeilge amháin atá in úsáid san fhéile ach oiread, beidh léacht á thabhairt ag an tOllamh Máire Ní Annracháin ar fhile Albanach Somhairle Mac Gill-Eain.
Más spéis leat cultúr, ealaíon, litríocht agus teanga b’fhiú go mór duit féachaint ar an gclár seo. Geallaim duit go gcuirfear iontas ort le oiread imeachtaí spéisiúla, ealaíonta atá ar siúl trí theanga atá ag forbairt i gcathair Bhaile Átha Cliath.
Is scríbhneoir agus léachtóir le Gaeilge í Siún Ní Dhuinn in UCD
The festival is described as an Irish language literature festival, but taking a glance through the programme reveals much more than that. The traditional literature element is complemented by events such as a symposium on Irish-language blogging and Edith Piaf’s music translated to Irish and sung by a previous champion of Corn Uí Riada.
The aspect that excited me most was the ways in which the language and its reflections are being presented. This is not a festival that will be filled with long lectures but will explore the modern possibilities of culture and literature through films, poetry and music nights, symposium, and multi-media installations.
Learners of Irish are welcomed, with subtitles provided at some events (highlighted in the programme).
It appears that the director of Imram has made an effort to organise a festival which reflects the wide range of Irish-speakers and their interests, and it looks like he has succeeded.
There are other languages to be represented also, with Professor Máire Ní Annracháin giving a lecture on Scottish poet Somhairle Mac Gill Eain’s works.
If you’re interested in culture, the arts, literature and languages it would be well worth looking at this programme. I promise you’ll be surprised by the amount of fascinating events being held through a language which is growing in Dublin city.
