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by Seán Cafferkey, Senior Library Assistant and Áine Ryan, Transition Year Student from Mungret Community College
As Seachtain na Gaeilge draws to a close it is a good time to highlight some of the Irish language material in our collections. To whet your appetite I have selected one early 19th century and three early 20th Century grammar books from our book collection together with a number of old Irish music airs from the Ernest de Regge Papers (P16).
Book Material
The first item of interest is entitled An Introduction to the Irish Language in Three Parts by Willian Neilson. As the title suggests this book is divided into three parts: Part 1 relates to Irish grammar; Part 2, familiar phrases and dialogue and Part 3, extracts from Irish books and manuscripts. The Spine Title is Neilson’s Irish Grammar.
Rev. William Neilson (1774-1821) was a highly regarded learned Irish speaking presbyterian minister from Rademon, Co. Down, and according to Séamus Ó Saothraí this book is significant because it is “our only authority for the Irish Dialect of South East Ulster” (Saothraí) 1989 : 26). Interestingly the Special Collections edition was printed in 1845 on the Mission Press, Achill Island Co Mayo. A digital copy of the 1808 edition is available on Archive.org.
Next we have three books from the early twentieth century compiled by the Society for the Preservation of the Irish Language: An Cheud Leabhar Gaedhilge : First Irish Book (1901); An Dara Leabhar Gaedhilge : Second Irish Book (1903); and An Treas Leabhar Gaedhilge: Third Irish Book (1901). Not surprisingly all three books include Gaelic Type (Cló Gaelach). An Cheud Leabhar Gaedhilge begins with a useful introduction to the Gaelic Type alphabet and how it corresponds to its Roman Type (Cló Rómháanach) equivalent. It then goes on to deal with the division and classification of letters e.g. vowels, consonants, pronunciation, phonology and vocabulary with many examples and exercises for each category.
An Dara Leabhar Gaedhilge deals with Aspiration and Eclipsis again with examples and exercises. An Treas Leabhar Gaedhilge concerns the verb “to be” in various tenses leading to the use of various idioms and modes of expression. Earlier editions of all three books are available on Archive.org
- An Cheud Leabhar Gaedhilge : First Irish Book
- An Dara Leabhar Gaedhilge : Second Irish Book
- An Treas Leabhar Gaedhilge: Third Irish Book
Archival Material: Ernest de Regge Papers
Ernest de Regge was born on 15 January 1901 in Overmere, Flanders, Belgium. In 1923, Bishop Fogarty of Killaloe appointed Ernest de Regge as music professor at St. Flannan’s College, Ennis and organist-choirmaster in the Cathedral of SS Peter and Paul. Together with Micheál Ó Siochfhradha, a primary school inspector based in Ennis, tenor John McCormack, Father Joseph Rogers, Irish professor at St Flannan’s and Sister Mary Albeus of the Sisters of Mercy, he worked for several years adapting old Irish airs for school choirs. Ernest de Regge became an adopted son of Ennis, and as such had been taken to the town’s heart. He had left his mark on the musical and social life of so many in County Clare and farther a-field. The Ernest de Regge Papers were donated to the University of Limerick in 2013 and below are four excerpts of old Irish airs with music scores taken from his papers.
A catalogue of the Ernest de Regge Papers is available on our website.
Léigh an phostáil as Gaeilge
scríofa ag Seán MacEachmarcaigh, Cúntóir Sinsearach Leabharlainne agus Áine Ní Riain, Dalta Idirbhliana ó Coláiste Pobail Mungairit
Agus Seachtain na Gaeilge ag druidim chun deiridh is tráth maith é chun aird a tharraingt ar chuid den ábhar Gaeilge atá inár mbailiúcháin. Chun do suim a spreagadh tá leabhar gramadaí amháin ón naoú haois déag agus trí leabhair gramadaí ó thús an an fichiú haois roghnaithe agam as ár mbailiúcháin leabhar chomh maith le roinnt sean-aer ceoil Éireannach as na Cáipéisí Ernest de Regge (P16/).
Ábhar Leabhair
Is é an teideal den chéad mhír inspéise ná An Introduction to the Irish Language in Three Parts le Willian Neilson. Mar a thugann an teideal le fios tá an leabhar seo roinnte ina thrí chuid: Baineann Cuid 1 le gramadach na Gaeilge; Cuid 2, le frásaí aithnidiúla agus comhrá agus Cuid 3, le sleachta as leabhair agus as lámhscríbhinní Gaeilge. Is é Teideal na Spíne ná Neilson’s Irish Grammar.
Ministir preispitéireach a bhí ardmheas air mar Gaeilgeoir a bhí an t-Urr. William Neilson (1774-1821) ó dhúchas as Rademon, Co. an Dúin. De réir le Séamus Ó Saothraí tá suntas ag baint leis an leabhar seo toisc gurb é “an t-aon saineolaí atá againn do chanúint Ghaeilge Oirdheisceart Uladh” (Saothraí 1989 : 26). Tá sé spéisiúil gur cuireadh eagrán na Sainbhailiúcháin faoi gcló ar an an Clóphreas Misean, Oileán Acla, Co. Mhaigh Eo in 1845. Tá cóip dhigiteach d’eagrán 1808 ar fáil ar Archive.org .
Ina dhiaidh sin tá trí leabhair ó thús an fichiú haois a curtha le chéile ag Cumann Buan-Choimeádta na Gaeilge: An Cheud Leabhar Gaedhilge : The First Irish Book (1901); An Dara Leabhar Gaedhilge : The Second Irish Book (1903); agus An Treas Leabhar Gaedhilge : The Third Irish Book (1901). Ní nach ionadh go bhfuil Cló Gaelach sna leabhair ar fad. Tosaíonn An Cheud Leabhar Gaedhilge le réamhrá úsáideach ar an aibítir Cló Ghaelach agus mar a fhreagraíonn sé dá chineál Cló Rómhánach. Déileálann sé ansin le roinnt agus rangú litreacha m.sh. gutaí, consain, fuaimniú, fóineolaíocht agus stór focal le go leor samplaí agus cleachtaí do gach catagóir.
Pléitear an Séimhiú agus an Úru i An Dara Leabhar Gaedhilge, arís le samplaí agus cleachtaí. Baineann An Treas Leabhar Gaedhilge leis an mbriathar “bí” in aimsirí éagsúla agus conas a n-úsáidtear i nathanna cainte agus modhanna éagsúla cainte. Tá eagráin níos luaithe de na trí leabhair ar fáil ar Archive.org.
- An Cheud Leabhar Gaedhilge : First Irish Book
- An Dara Leabhar Gaedhilge : Second Irish Book
- An Treas Leabhar Gaedhilge: Third Irish Book
Ábhar Cartlainne: Ernest de Regge
Rugadh Ernest de Regge ar 15 Eanáir 1901 in Overmere , Flóndras , sa Bheilg. Sa bhliain 1923, cheap an tEaspag Fógartaigh ó Chill Dálua Ernest de Regge mar ollamh ceoil i gColáiste Fhlannáin, Inis agus mar orgánaí-stiúrthóir-cóir in Ardeaglais Naomh Peadar agus Pól. In éineacht le Micheál Ó Siochfhradha, cigire bunscoile a bhí lonnaithe in Inis, teanóir Seán MacCormaig, an tAthair Seosamh Ruairí, ollamh le Gaeilge i gColáiste Fhlannáin agus an tSiúr Máire Albeus de Siúracha na Trócaire, d’oibrigh sé ar feadh roinnt blianta ag cur sean-aeróga na hÉireann ar fáil de cór na scoile. Bhí a bhaile déanta ag Ernest de Regge in Inis agus bhí ardmheas ag muintir na háite air. D’fhág sé a rian ar saol cheoil agus shóisialta go leor i gContae an Chláir agus níos faide i gcéin. Bronnadh cáipéisí Ernest de Regge ar Ollscoil Luimnigh in 2013 agus thíos tá ceithre shliocht de shean-aer na hÉireann le scóir cheoil tógtha ón a chuid cáipéise.
Tá catalóg de na na gCáipéisí Ernest de Regge ar fáil ar ár suíomh Gréasáin.
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