2014 Oireachtas Gaeilge Cheanada: Tamworth & Dún Laoghaire

Oireachtas Gaeilge Cheanada

Once again this past June (27-29 June), the 2014 Oireachtas Gaeilge Cheanada (Gaeltacht Thuaisceart An Oileáin Úir) was held both in Tamworth and at the Days Inn and Conference Centre in Kingston (Dún Laoghaire), Ontario. This year the weather was sunny and hot, and the competitors had to seek refuge under the tents as the Saturday temperature was well over 30°C!

There were competitions held on the Saturday on the field location of Tamworth. The categories are as follows:

Speaking: Oration, Story Telling, Poetry Recitation, Pair Dialogue

Writing: Poetry, Prose, Learning Books and Aids

Singing: Sean Nós Singing, Singing in Irish (not Sean Nós), Individual, Choir, Lúibíní

Music: Harp, Uilleann Pipes, Céilí Bands

Dancing: Sean Nós, Set Dancing

Oireachtas Gaeilge Cheanada, Celtic Choir.

Several CCE Ottawa members actively participated at the Oireachtas, in music, speaking, Sean Nós dancing, Singing, and Set Dancing.  

CCE Set Dancers

Oireachtas Gaeilge Cheanada, Ottawa Céilí Band

CCE member Ellen MacIsaac’s Celtic Choir, took the first place (Gold medal) on the Choir competition, the Ottawa Céilí Band took the first price in their category. In the Sing in Styles other than Sean Nós, CCE members were quite successful, Ellen MacIsaac took the 1^st place (gold medal), Síle Scott, the 2nd place (Silver medal), and Oscar Mou was tied for the 3^rd place!  Shadyn Proctor took 2nd place on Sean Nós dancing, and the CCE Ottawa Set Dancers took the first place on Set Dancing for a second year running!

Oireachtas Gaeilge Cheanada, Sean Nos, 2nd place

Oireachtas Gaeilge Cheanada

Check the list of Winners in all categories: http://www.oireachtas.ca/pdfs/Buaiteoiri.Bearla.2014.pdf

Oireachtas Gaeilge Cheanada

Oireachtas Gaeilge Cheanada

Congratulations to everyone who competed, regardless of the result!

Oireachtas Gaeilge Cheanada: Tamworth and Dún Laoghaire (Ontario) 2013

In case that you missed it, the last weekend of June (28-30 June) was the 2013 Oireachtas Gaeilge Cheanada as part of the Gaeltacht Thuaisceart An Oileáin Úir that was held both in Tamworth and at the Days Inn and Conference Centre in Kingston (Dún Laoghaire), Ontario. For detailed information check: http://www.oireachtas.ca/forbhreathnu-bea.shtml 

Tamworth. Photo courtesy C. Hamm

During the three-day event, the most exciting is the one held on the Saturday, at the Tamworth site. There is where all the competitions are held; competitions are grouped as follows: 

Speaking: Oration, Story Telling, Poetry Recitation, Pair Dialogue 

Writing: Poetry, Prose, Learning Books and Aids 

Singing: Sean Nós Singing, Singing in Irish (not Sean Nós), Individual, Choir, Lúibíní 

Music: Harp, Uilleann Pipes, Céilí Bands 

Dancing: Sean Nós, Set Dancing 

Several CCE Ottawa members actively participated at the Oireachtas, in music, speaking, Sean Nós dancing, Singing, and Set Dancing. At the end of a Saturday where the rain held off for the most part of the day (began to rain as the participants were heading off to the Banquet in Kingston!), the Ottawa group fared quite well. 

Ellen MacIsaac’s Celtic Choir, took the first place (Gold medal) on the Choir competition, the Ottawa Céilí Band took the first price in their category, Ellen MacIsaac took the 2nd place (Silver medal) in the Corn Mhic ConCharraige competition, the Sean Nós competition for those who have already won the open Sean Nós competition. Emilie Funston took 3rd place on Sean Nós dancing, Patrick Scott took the 1st Annual Bob Ely award for Poetry Recitation, and the CCE Ottawa Set Dancers took the first place on Set Dancing.

Ellen Singing and Medals. Photo courtesy of Oireachtas Gaeilge Cheanada

Pat Scott reciting. Photo courtesy C. Hamm

Pat Scott receiving the Bob Ely Award. Photo courtesy of Oireachtas Gaeilge Cheanada

Ottawa Céilí Band. Photo courtesy C. Hamm

CCE Ottawa Set Dancers. Photo courtesy C. Hamm

Two of our dancers, Emilie Funston and Melanie Courtemanche with their winning medals! Photo courtesy of Oireachtas Gaeilge Cheanada

Congratulations to everyone who competed, regardless of the result!

Branch member Ellen MacIsaac competes in 2012 Oireachtas na Samhna

Today is the day that our Ellen MacIsaac of Ottawa is competing at the Oireachtas na Samhna in Ireland! The event goes from 30 Oct to 4 Nov., and is held in Letterkenny, Donegal. We think Ellen has already won, just by simply qualifying to go! What a thrill it must be. We're all so proud of Ellen.

We have just caught a Tweet heard from folks attending the event: 

Our Ellen sang today at O na G "Thig liom a rá gan drogall gur “nailed it” an abairt is fearr chun cur síos air." says Aralt MacGiolla Chainnigh.

Written just before leaving for Ireland, with permission, we turn the story over to Ellen's own words:

I guess this is as good a time as any to tell my story, and what going to this Oirachtas means to me. 15 years ago, when I was young and stupid, I went to Ireland to do my higher degrees in Ethnomusicology (ed. a PhD). My chosen subject was sean-nos singing, and the Irish tradition in general. I spent a year and a half doing as much research as I could, attending Oireachtas, talking to people, doing interviews. But my Irish was far from fluent, and I realized that my Irish was never going to be good enough in the time I had available to me to be able to interview people in their native language. So out of respect for the people who speak this language every day, I abandoned the project and chose another topic. It has remained the great Unfinished Thing in my life, the one thing I failed at. Until now. Two years ago, Aralt Mac Giolla Chainnigh, Sheila Scott, Allyson Reid, Michelle Reid and all the others came along, and asked me to be involved in the Oireachtas Gaeilge Cheanada. I immediately said yes, and brought both myself as a solo singer, and my choir, to the Oireachtas down in Kingston. While I competed in the sean-nos category, I figured I'd seen and heard the real deal, I couldn't possibly measure up. And yet, this year, the judges picked me as the winner of the sean-nos category. And so I find myself going back to Ireland, back to an tOireachtas Mor, to see and hear and be immersed again in this style again. Except this time, I'm not a stupid 22 year old with big eyes and ears. This time, I'm going in as a singer. It's a huge deal for me, terrifying, daunting, and yet exciting, moving, and such a great honour. I hope I can do everybody proud, and can call this a Finished Thing.