[English version below]

Ainneoin gur mar scríbhneoir Béarla is mó a bhí cáil ar an Árannach Liam Ó Flaithearta (1896–1984) – na déaga d’úrscéalta agus beagnach dhá chéad gearrscéal – bhí tionchar nach beag ag an aon leabhar Gaeilge a d’fhoilsigh sé lena bheo, an cnuasach gearrscéalta Dúil (1953), ar léitheoirí Gaeilge. Agus ní hamháin de bharr gur chaith sé blianta fada ar chúrsaí scoile agus ollscoile.

Go deimhin is minic a tharraingítear anuas an cheist an fearr a shaothar Gaeilge, más tanaí féin é, ná a shaothar Béarla. Agus cén bhaint go díreach a bhí acu le chéile. Ceist eile ar fad í cén fáth gur i mBéarla a d’fhoilsigh sé formhór mór a shaothair in aon chor.

Ainneoin sin is uile, is mithid féachaint an athuair ar a shaothar trí shúile an Ghaeilgeora ,agus sa leabhar seo tá Gaeilge curtha go paiteanta ag Micheál Ó Conghaile ar a rogha féin de scoth na ngearrscéalta, trí cinn agus tríocha, mar a gcíortar téamaí mar chruas agus ainnise shaol na n-oileánach Éireannach, ról na mban sa tsochaí sin, dearcadh suaithinseach Uí Fhlaithearta ar an gcléir agus ar an eaglais Chaitliceach, an spéis thar na bearta sa dúlra agus sa nádúr. Athshealbhú cruthaitheach don aonú haois is fiche.

Láithreoir: Seán Ó Catháin

Aíonna: Deirdre Nic Chárthaigh agus Liam MacAmhlaigh

[Leagan Gaeilge thuas]

Liam Ó Flaithearta is best known as a writer in English. The Aran Islands native (1896–1984) published over a dozen novels and nearly two hundred short stories in English during his lifetime but just one collection of short stories in Irish, Dúil (1953).

This book went on to have a lasting impact on readers of Irish-language literature and not just because it spent many years on school and university curricula. A common topic of debate regarding Ó Flaithearta's work is whether his work in Irish was even better than his writing in English. And what relationship exists, if any, between his writing in Irish and in English? Another issue is why he published most of his work in English in the first place.

All that aside, it is worth taking another look at Ó Flaithearta's work through the eyes of the Irish speaker and in this book Micheál Ó Conghaile has translated his selection of Ó Flaithearta's short stories. The collection includes thirty-three short stories, in which themes like the hardship of life for people living in the Irish islands, the role of women in society, his distinctive view of the clergy and the Catholic church, and his fascination with nature.

Presenter: Seán Ó Catháin

Guests: Deirdre Nic Chárthaigh and Liam MacAmhlaigh