When: Saturday 22 March 2014, from 2:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Where: McKibbin’s Pub (downstairs in “the Sheebeen”), 1426 Bishop Street, Montréal. Be aware that there are a number of different “McKibbin’s Pubs” in town, this one is on Bishop’s St.
There will be music, songs and entertainment. The primary organizer is Yolanta Kruk.
Special Guest: Máirín Uí Chéide, from Boston, originally from Leitir Móir, Conamara, a previous winner of Corn Uí Riada, the highest honour in traditional Irish singing.
Please come and help us celebrate Patrick’s contributions to the Irish Language, Irish Culture and Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, at his investiture.
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President (Uachtaráin) of Oireachtas Gaeilge Canada for the Irish language open-air festival June 27 – 29, 2014 in Tamworth/Erinsville/ Kingston, Ontario.
Pádraic Ó Conaire (Pat Conroy, as he is known to his Canadian friends), who is a native Irish speaker, was born in the heart of the Connemara Gaeltacht in Carraroe in 1927. His parents were farmers who like many at the time emmigrated to North America in 1929 in search of a better life.
Pádraic was subsequently raised in Carraoe by his grandmother. In addition to farming Pádraic attended Carraroe Technical School where he studied carpentry. At sixteen, Pádraic became a member of the Local Defense Force (Army Reserve) and was part of the guard of honor when Éamonn de Valera visted the area. In his spare time in Tir an Fia Pádraic enjoyed watching the men on the Galway hookers and the currachs going about their work hauling turf, other goods and fishing in the bay. Pádraic's other great love was music and is self-taught on the melodeon. His music was enjoyed by the community at large during festive occasions and appreciated by the local séan-nós dancers, who would dance on the flat stones by the shore as was the custom in the day.
In 1947 Pádraic emmigrated to Canada to join his parents who had settled in Montreal at that time. Pádraic was thrilled to finally meet his sister, born in Canada when he was 10 years old. Over the years, Pádraic worked at constructing green houses at Cartierville Airport, at Imperial Tobacco and spent 35 years working at Northern Electric until his retirement. After a visit back to Ireland in 1973 with his friend Joe Mell, Pádraic made strong connections with Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éirnn (CCE) and the following year brought the travelling CCE "Echos of Erin" show for its first ever performance in Montreal. This achievment would be the followed by many more such occasions. A branch of Comhaltas was established in Montreal by Pádraic and his friend Joe Mell. Pádraic served as president until his retirement a few years ago. Over the years Pádraic has received many accolades and honors for his services in promoting Irish language and culture in Montreal.
As well as serving as president of Comhaltas Montreal, Pádraic would host informal Ciorcal Comhrá (conversation circles) sessions regularly for those who were interested in the language and for those ex-pats who wanted to keep from getting rusty. Pádraic was also a member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians and of Innisfail Montreal. You can still rely on Pádraic to have his "bosca ceol" (button accordian) at the ready at any Innisfail social gathering to entertain. Although many of Pádriac's peers who were ex-pats and Irish speakers from all corners of Ireland have passed on, you can still hear Pádraic speaking our beautiful Irish language whenever the opportunity arises. This is a marvelous thing in itself after leaving Connemara behind 67 years ago.
Today Pádraic resides in Rawdon Quebec, a semi-rural community north of Montreal with his wife Eunice. Pádraic has 3 children; Peggy who resides in Vancouver, Kevin who resides in Toronto
and Patricia Conroy who lives in Nashville and is an award winning Country and Western singer. Although Pádraic has retired from Comhaltas Montreal, he is still very much involved with it. During the summer months he enjoys hosting music sessions at his home, visiting his children and of course visiting the "home" he left behind in Ireland.
The committee is honoured and pleased that Pádraic has accepted the role of being our president for the June 2014 festival held in venues in Tamworth/Erinsville and Kingston, Ontario.
For information and to purchase tickets please visit Oireachtas.ca.
Enquires in Irish Gaelic can be made to Aralt Mac Giolla Chainnigh
Please direct media enquires in English to Allyson Reid
Pádraic Ó Conaire (Pat Conroy, as he is known to his Canadian friends), who is a native Irish speaker, was born in the heart of the Connemara Gaeltacht in Carraroe in 1927. His parents were farmers who like many at the time emmigrated to North America in 1929 in search of a better life.
Pádraic was subsequently raised in Carraoe by his grandmother. In addition to farming Pádraic attended Carraroe Technical School where he studied carpentry. At sixteen, Pádraic became a member of the Local Defense Force (Army Reserve) and was part of the guard of honor when Éamonn de Valera visted the area. In his spare time in Tir an Fia Pádraic enjoyed watching the men on the Galway hookers and the currachs going about their work hauling turf, other goods and fishing in the bay. Pádraic's other great love was music and is self-taught on the melodeon. His music was enjoyed by the community at large during festive occasions and appreciated by the local séan-nós dancers, who would dance on the flat stones by the shore as was the custom in the day.
In 1947 Pádraic emmigrated to Canada to join his parents who had settled in Montreal at that time. Pádraic was thrilled to finally meet his sister, born in Canada when he was 10 years old. Over the years, Pádraic worked at constructing green houses at Cartierville Airport, at Imperial Tobacco and spent 35 years working at Northern Electric until his retirement. After a visit back to Ireland in 1973 with his friend Joe Mell, Pádraic made strong connections with Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éirnn (CCE) and the following year brought the travelling CCE "Echos of Erin" show for its first ever performance in Montreal. This achievment would be the followed by many more such occasions. A branch of Comhaltas was established in Montreal by Pádraic and his friend Joe Mell. Pádraic served as president until his retirement a few years ago. Over the years Pádraic has received many accolades and honors for his services in promoting Irish language and culture in Montreal.
As well as serving as president of Comhaltas Montreal, Pádraic would host informal Ciorcal Comhrá (conversation circles) sessions regularly for those who were interested in the language and for those ex-pats who wanted to keep from getting rusty. Pádraic was also a member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians and of Innisfail Montreal. You can still rely on Pádraic to have his "bosca ceol" (button accordian) at the ready at any Innisfail social gathering to entertain. Although many of Pádriac's peers who were ex-pats and Irish speakers from all corners of Ireland have passed on, you can still hear Pádraic speaking our beautiful Irish language whenever the opportunity arises. This is a marvelous thing in itself after leaving Connemara behind 67 years ago.
Today Pádraic resides in Rawdon Quebec, a semi-rural community north of Montreal with his wife Eunice. Pádraic has 3 children; Peggy who resides in Vancouver, Kevin who resides in Toronto
and Patricia Conroy who lives in Nashville and is an award winning Country and Western singer. Although Pádraic has retired from Comhaltas Montreal, he is still very much involved with it. During the summer months he enjoys hosting music sessions at his home, visiting his children and of course visiting the "home" he left behind in Ireland.
The committee is honoured and pleased that Pádraic has accepted the role of being our president for the June 2014 festival held in venues in Tamworth/Erinsville and Kingston, Ontario.
For information and to purchase tickets please visit Oireachtas.ca.
Enquires in Irish Gaelic can be made to Aralt Mac Giolla Chainnigh
Please direct media enquires in English to Allyson Reid
Twitter: @OGCheanada
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Pádraic Ó Conaire ceaptha mar Uachtarán don Cheathrú Fhéile Bhliantúil
“Oireachtas Gaeilge Cheanada” 27 – 29 Meitheamh 2014 Tamworth/Erinsville/Kingston, Ontario
Rugadh Pádraic Ó Conaire (‘Pat Conroy’ dá chairde
i gCeanada), cainteoir dúchais Gaeilge, i gcroí-lár Ghaeltacht Conamara ar an
gCeathrú Rua sa bhliain 1927. B’fheirmeoirí
a thuismitheoirí, agus cosúil le go leor eile ag an am, thóg siad an bád bán go
Meiriceá Thuaidh sa bhliain 1929 ag iarraidh saol níos fearr a bhaint amach
dóibh féin. D’fhan Pádraic ar an
gCeathrú Rua lena sheanmháthair agus tógadh ann é. Chuaigh sé le feirmeoireacht, agus ina theannta sin, d’fhreastail
sé ar Scoil Teicneolaíochta na Ceathrún Rua, áit a d’fhoghlaim sé
siúinéireacht. Nuair a bhí Pádraic
sé bliana déag d’aois, rinneadh ball den Fhórsa Cosanta Áitiúil de, agus bhí sé
mar chuid den Gharda Onóra nuair a tháinig Éamonn de Valera ar chuairt sa cheantar.
Nuair a bhíodh am saor aige, i dTír an
Fhia, bhaineadh sé sult as a bheith ag féachaint ar phúcáin na Gaillimhe, báidmhóra agus ar na
curachaí ag tabhairt faoina gcuid
saothair ag tarraingt móna agus earraí eile, agus ag iascaireacht sa
chuan. Bhí fíorghrá aige don cheol
riamh, agus mhúin sé an bosca ceoil dó féin. Bhí ardmheas ar a chuid ceoil i measc an phobail i
gcoitinne, agus i measc na ndamhsóirí ar an sean-nós, a bhíodh ag damhsa ar na cloche
cois cladaigh mar b’iondúil ag an am.
Sa bhliain 1947, thóg Pádraic an bád bán go
Ceanada, chun bualadh suas lena thuismitheoirí i Montréal, áit a raibh siad
lonnaithe ag an am sin. Bhí áthas
an domhain air bualadh ar deireadh lena dheirfiúr a rugadh I gCeanada nuair a
bhí sé féin deich mbliana d’aois.
Thar na blianta, d’oibrigh sé ag tógáil tithe gloine, in aerfort
Cartierville, in Imperial Tobacco, agus chaith sé cúig is tríocha bliain ag
obair ag Northern Electric, go dtí gur imigh sé ar scor.
Le linn
cuairt a thug sé ar Éirinn lena chara Joe Mell sa bhliain 1973, rinne sé naisc
láidre le Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann (CCÉ). An bhliain dár gcionn thug sé an seó
taistil de chuid CCE go Montréal.
Is iomaí ócáid dá leithéid a tharla ó shin i leith. Bhunaigh Pádraic agus a chara Joe Mell
craobh de Chomhaltas i Montréal.
Bhí Padraic ina Uachtarán ar an gcraobh go dtí gur éirigh sé as cúpla
bliain ó shin. Thar na blianta, tá
go leor acaláidí agus onóracha bronnta ar Phádraic de bharr a sheirbhísí a chur
chultúir agus teanga na hÉireann chun cinn i Montréal.
Chomh maith le bheith ina Uachtarán ar
Chomhaltas Montréal, d’eagraíodh Pádraic seisiúin chiorcal comhrá neamhfhoirmiúil
dóibh siúd a raibh suim acu sa teanga agus do na hinimircigh a raibh fonn orthu
snas a choimeád ar a mblas.
Freisin, bhí Pádraic ina bhall de Ancient Order of Hibernians agus ina
bhall de Innisfail Montréal. Bíonn
sé i gcónaí ullamh chun a bhosca ceoil a sheinm ag cruinnithe sóisialta de
chuid Innisfail. Cé go bhfuil go
leor de na hinimircigh le Gaeilge, a bhí ar comhaois leis, imithe ar slí an fhírinne,
úsáideann Pádraic a theanga dhúchais fós.
Is rud iontach é seo, ós rud é gur fhág sé Conamara seacht is trí scór bliana
ó shin.
Sa lá atá inniu ann, tá Pádraic lonnaithe i
Rawdon, Quebec, i bpobal leath-thuaithe, ó thuaidh de Montréal lena bhean
chéile Eunice. Tá triúr páistí acu:
tá Peggy lonnaithe i Vancouver agus Kevin i dToronto agus tá Patricia Conroy
ina cónaí i Nashville, áit a bhfuil clú agus cáil uirthi mar amhránaí cheol
tuaithe.
Cé go bhfuil Pádraic éirithe as Comhaltas Montréal,
tá sé fós an-tógtha leis. I rith
an tsamhraidh, is aoibhinn leis bheith ag cur seisiúin ceoil ar siúl ina theach
féin, ag tabhairt cuairteanna ar a pháistí, agus gan dabht ag tabhairt athchuairteanna
ar a bhaile dúchais in Éirinn.
Is onóir agus pléisiúr don choiste go
bhfuil Pádraic toilteanach bheith ina Uachtarán ar Oireachtas Gaeilge Cheanada
2014, féile a bheidh ar siúl Mí an Mheithimh i láithreacha i
dTamworth/Erinsville agus Dún Laoghaire (Kingston), Ontairió.
Chun tuilleadh eolais a fháil agus chun ticéid a cheannach, tabhair cuairt ar: Oireachtas.ca.
Cuir fiosrúcháin as Gaeilge goAralt Mac Giolla Chainnigh
Cuir fiosrúcháin chumarsáide as Béarla go Allyson Reid
