UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN
HONORARY CONFERRING
Wednesday, 4 September 2019 at 5.30 pm
TEXT OF THE INTRODUCTORY ADDRESS DELIVERED BY PROFESSOR MÁIRE NÍ ANNRACHÁIN, School of Irish, Celtic Studies and Folklore on 4 September 2019, on the occasion of the conferring of the Degree of Doctor of Celtic Studies, honoris causa on PÁDRAIG Ó SNODAIGH.
____________________________________________________________________
‘Múscail do mhisneach, a Bhanba!’ Sin an chéad líne de dhán le Pádraigín Haicéad sa seachtú haois déag, nuair a bhí an tír faoi leatrom agus faoi ghéarghoin tinnis. Dán é a cumadh chun muintir na hÉireann a ghríosadh, agus an dóchas a adhaint iontu.
Ba í an fhilíocht sméar mhullaigh na Gaeilge riamh anall. Ba í banríon na n-ealaíon í, faobhar na polaitíochta, buancháipéis na staire, áille na háille.
Ainneoin bhlianta an Drochshaoil sa gciall is leithne, claochlaíodh an fhilíocht ó bhonn, ach mhair sí beo. Tháinig deireadh le foirmeacha ársa, ach cruthaíodh foirmeacha nua, a mhair beo. D’éalaigh an phátrúnacht agus na scoileanna móra filíochta, ach ghlac aicmí eile ar bord í, agus maireann sí beo. Bhí sí bisiúil agus tá fós ar bhéal na ndaoine.
Níor leor sin uile d’Éirinn nua na hAthbheochana. Thuig na ceannairí go dteastódh samhlú nua agus litríocht nua, don domhan úrnua. Theastaigh litríocht ina bpreabfadh seanchuisle na Gaeilge féin i gcomhcheol leis an Eoraip nua – nó, mar a déarfaí inniu, an domhan uile.
Ó aimsir na hAthbheochana tháinig laochra ar an bhfód a mhúscail misneach Bhanba le neart a gcroí agus beart de réir a mbriathair. Bhí agus bíonn Pádraig Ó Snodaigh ag saothrú ar son na hÉireann agus na Gaeilge, agus ar son a litríochta, gach lá dá shaol. Roghnaím anseo an bhéim a leagan thar aon rud eile ar bhanríon na n-ealaíon, an fhilíocht. Ba gheall le hionchollú ar chóras pátrúnachta ann féin é Pádraig, córas trína dtacaíodh na taoisigh leis na filí anallód. Ghríosaigh sé na filí nua chun pinn, d’fhoilsigh sé iad, ghríosaigh sé arís iad, chuir sé in eagar iad, chruthaigh sé spás dóibh, chruthaigh sé muinín iontu, chuir sé ar fáil iad ar fud Éireann. Na céadta díobh.
Tá tuairim is míle trí céad leabhar foilsithe aige – níl fhios aige féin go cruinn cé méid. Ní luafaidh mé ainmneacha na bhfilí ina nduine is ina nduine, ach tá a bplúr is a scoth ar a liosta foilsithe. Tá an plúr is an scoth fíorthábhachtach, ach tá an t-iomlán chomh tábhachtach céanna, mar a bheadh cór glórtha ag canadh amach in ard a gcinn is a ngutha. Tá ceol na sféar san fhilíocht sin -- an tsainchuid de a bhaineann leis an nGaeilge in Éirinn go príomha, ach in Albain freisin.
Agus Pádraig ag gabháil dá ghaisce, bhí na tréithe aige a d’aithneodh na seanfhilí agus a d’éilídís ar a bpátrúin. Fear uasal é. Fear fial, le féile as cuimse. Fear cosanta filí. Fear léannta. Fear fuinniúil, a thóg agus a rith a ghnó foilsitheoireachta gan frapa gan taca murab ionann agus comhlachtaí móra foilsitheoireachta. Fear a sheas an fód in aghaidh an éilimh go n-aistreofaí dánta Gaeilge ón gcéad lá.
Luaitear trí phríomh-ainm ar na bandéithe a thug a hainm don tír seo: Éire, Banbha, Fódhla. Bhí triúr ag Pádraig freisin, ainmneacha traidisiúnta eile de chuid an Bhandé: Éire – an tír; Bríd – tig Bhríde ainm árais a chomhlachta Coiscéim; agus thar aon bhandia eile, Clíodhna – a bhean uasal, ar ealaíontóir cumasach í féin.
Is geall le spéirling é Pádraig Ó Snodaigh, le fuinneamh, le díograis, le neart. Tá an spéirling a luaigh Seán Clárach in ‘Mo Ghile Mear’, spéirling a bhí ina comhartha tubaiste, tá sí casta timpeall ag Pádraig Ó Snodaigh chun sochair dúinn. Rinne sé éacht agus mhúscail sé misneach Bhanba. Músclaíonn i gcónaí é. Aithnímid a shaothar anseo inniu. Faoi cheann nóiméid, bronnfaidh an Ollscoil seo, ollscoil ar céimí dá cuid é cheana féin, bronnfaidh sí DlittCelt air, gradam atá ar na gradaim is airde sa tír seo, le buíochas na hOllscoile, buíochas lucht Gaeilge agus buíochas na hÉireann.
I would now like to summarise my remarks in English:
A seventeenth century poem in Irish starts with the words ‘Múscail do mhisneach, a Bhanba!’, ‘Take heart, Ireland!’ It is a justly well-known poem, written to encourage the people of Ireland in dark and turbulent times.
Throughout most of the historical period poetry was queen of Irish arts, political document, permanent historical record, beauty of beauties. It lived through many transformations. Ancient forms were replaced; the system of poetic patronage broke down and bardic schools were lost but the poetry took new forms. By the start of the Irish Revival it was still a vibrant force in oral tradition. That living thread was not, however, sufficient for a new independent Ireland. Revivalists understood that a new literature had to be created that would derive authentically from its own past and yet be nourished by the modern world.
Pádraig Ó Snodaigh understood that call and became the beating heart of the development of Irish poetry since the mid-twentieth century as he almost single-handedly took over from the bardic patrons. With his company Coiscéim he inspired and encouraged poets, published them, publicised them, encouraged them again, built their confidence. He has published about thirteen hundred books. Not all are of poetry but a huge number are, including the work of almost all of our best and most heart-stopping poets. Those brightest stars light the firmament, but so too does the sheer critical mass of his publishing. He has allowed the voice of the Irish language to emerge in full-throated song, and has done more than any other publisher to ensure its beloved poetry is now sweetly in tune with modernity.
His personal qualities are those of the great poetic patrons of the past: noble of spirit, generous beyond telling, courageous in battling with meagre resources for untranslated poetry in an increasingly commercialised world, a learned man, a leader of people.
If anyone ever heeded the call to ‘Múscail do mhisneach, a Bhanba’ it is Pádraig Ó Snodaigh. He has raised our courage and our hearts and has breathed new life into poetry. For that reason the university is about to confer on him the degree of Honorary DlittCelt, one of the highest honours in Ireland. It will do so with its thanks, the thanks of the Irish language community and the thanks of Ireland.
____________________________________________________________________
Praehonorabilis Praeses, totaque Universitas,
Praesento vobis hunc meum filium, quem scio tam moribus quam doctrina habilem et idoneum esse qui admittatur, honoris causa, ad Gradum Doctoratus in Litteris Celticis; idque tibi fide mea testor ac spondeo, totique Academiae.