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by Seán Cafferkey, Senior Library Assistant
They say you should never judge a book by its cover but perhaps we can make an exception when judging the covers of some of the An Gúm publications from the Dónal Ó Súilleabháin collection held in Special Collections and Archives, UL.
In 1926, the newly formed Irish Government, through its Department of Education, established a publications section called An Gúm (later known as Oifig an tSoláthair). The main aim of An Gúm was to support the Government’s policy of reviving the Irish language by supplying a variety of Irish language textbooks and other resources needed for educational purposes and for the widespread promotion of the Irish language.
During the 1930s and 1940s many popular books were translated from English, together with books from other languages such as French, Latin, Italian and German. As well as providing financial support for authors and translators to carry out this work, An Gúm also commissioned artists to create colourful dustjackets and paperback covers for many of its publications. Some of these publications can be found in the Dónal Ó Súilleabháin collection.
The Dónal Ó Súilleabháin collection contains a significant number of Irish language published texts and other materials relating to the subjects of Irish literature and culture ranging in date from early eighteenth century to the late twentieth century. I am cataloguing the collection at present and have come across a number of hard copy Irish language publications with an interesting feature. Many of these hard back publications have the dustjacket/paperback covers pasted inside their front covers.
The purpose of this blog post is to show a sample of these publications, especially the wonderful artwork, and to identify their original titles, authors, translators and the artists involved. You will see that all but one of the items presented here are autographed and dated by the original owner – Cormac Ó Cadhlaigh. Further information on An Gúm and its artists can be found on forasnagailge.ie.
The publications displayed here were donated to the Glucksman Library, UL in 2016 by the family of the late Dr Dónal Ó Súilleabháin, M.A.O., F.R.C.O.G, F.R.C.S.E. A native Irish speaker from County Kerry, Dr Ó Súilleabháin, over his lifetime, accumulated a significant library of Irish language material. Much of the Ó Súilleabháin Collection was originally owned by Cormac Ó Cadhlaigh which explains why items in this display were signed and dated by him. Cormac Ó Cadhlaigh (1884–1960) was a respected Irish scholar, author and translator. Included in his translations is Aindeise Shiobhán’s (1928 ) translation of Comtesse Segur’s Les Malheurs de Sophie, from French to Irish. For more information on Cormac Ó Cadhlaigh and the Ó Súilleabháin collection please see our earlier blog post by Patricia Moloney.
We owe a debt of gratitude to Dónal Ó Súilleabháin and Cormac Ó Cadhlaigh for collecting and preserving these publications with their vintage Irish book covers and it is nice to be able to share them with a wider audience this Seachatin na Gaedhilge!
References
Ó Conchubhair, Brian. “Free State Art: Judging Ireland by its Book Covers.” Boston College Libraries
Hickey, R. (Ed.) (2016) Sociolinguistics in Ireland, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan
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scríofa ag Seán Cafferkey, Senior Library Assistant
Maidir le cludach leabhair leabhair tá sé ráite “ní hionann i gcónaí an cófra is a lucht” ach b’fhéidir gur féidir linn eisceacht a dhéanamh agus muid ag déanamh breithiúnais ar chlúdaigh chuid de na fhoilseacháin An Gum atá sa chnuasach Dhónal Ó Súilleabháin i Sainbhailiúchain agus Cartlanna, Ollscoil Luimnigh.
I 1926 bhunaigh Rialtas nuachruthaithe na hÉireann, trína Roinn Oideachais, rannóg foilseachán darbh ainm An Gúm (ar a dtugtaí Oifig an tSoláthair níos déanaí). Ba í príomhaidhm An Gúm ná tacú le polasaí an Rialtais an Ghaeilge a athbheochan trí réimse téacsleabhair Gaeilge agus acmhainní eile a cuir ar fáil don oideachais agus chun an Ghaeilge a chur chun cinn go forleathan.
I rith na 1930idí agus 1940idí aistríodh go leor leabhair móréilimh ón mBéarla chomh maith le leabhair ó theangacha eile ar nós Fraincis, Laidin, Iodáilis agus Gearmáinis. Chomh maith le tacaíocht airgid a chur ar fáil d’údair agus d’aistritheoirí chun an saothar seo a dhéanamh, choimisiúnaigh An Gúm ealaíontóirí chun forchlúdach agus clúdaí leabhair a chruthú do go leor dá bhfoilseachán. Tá cuid de na foilseacháin seo le fáil i mbailiúchán Ó Súilleabháin.
Tá líon suntasach téacsanna Gaeilge agus ábhar eile a bhaineann le litríocht agus cultúr na Gaeilge i mbailiúchán Ó Súilleabháin ó thús an ochtú haois déag go dtí deireadh an fichiú haois. Tá mé ag catalógú an bailiúchán faoi láthair agus tháinig mé ar roinnt foilseachán cruachóipe Gaeilge le gné spéisiúil. I go leor de na foilseacháin seo tá na forchlúdaigh/clúdach bog gliúáilte taobh istigh dá gclúdaigh tosaigh.
Is é is aidhm don bhlagphost seo ná sampla de na foilseacháin seo a thaispeáint, go háirithe an saothar iontach ealaíne, agus na bunteidil, na húdair, na haistritheoirí agus na healaíontóirí atá i gceist a thaispeáint. Tá na míreanna go léir seachas ceann amháin a chuirtear i láthair anseo sínithe agus dátaithe ag an úinéir bunaidh – Cormac Ó Cadhlaig. Tá tuilleadh eolais ar An Gúm agus a ealaíontóirí ar fáil ar forasnagailge.ie.
Bronnadh na foilseacháin atá ar taispeáint anseo ar Leabharlann Glucksman, OL i 2016 le teaghlach an Dr Dónal Ó Súilleabháin, nach maireann, MAO, FRCOG, FRCSE. Cainteoir dúchais Gaeilge ó Chontae Chiarraí ab é an Dr Ó Súilleabháin agus thar a shaol chuire sé leabharlann shuntasach d’ábhar Gaeilge le chéile. Ba é Cormac Ó Cadhlaigh an chead úinéir den cuid mhór de Bhailiúchán Uí Shúilleabháin agus sin é an fáth ar shínigh agus ar chuir sé dáta ar na leabhair san taispeántas anseo. Scoláire, údar agus aistritheoir Gaeilge den scoth ab ea Cormac Ó Cadhlaigh (1884-1960). San áireamh ina chuid aistriúcháin tá Aindeise Shiobhán (1928), aistriúchán ón bhFraincis go Gaeilge ar Les Malheurs de Sophie le Comtesse de Ségur. Chun tuilleadh eolais a fháil ar Chormac Ó Cadhlaigh agus ar mBailiúchán Ó Súilleabháin féach ar an blagphost níos luaithe le Patricia Moloney.
Táimid faoi chomaoin do Dónal Ó Súilleabháin agus Cormac Ó Cadhlaigh as na foilseacháin seo a bhailiú agus a chaomhnú lena gclúdaigh seanleabhair Ghaeilge agus is deas a bheith in ann iad a roinnt le lucht níos leithne an Seachtaine na Gaedhilge seo!
Tag
Hickey, R. (Ed.) (2016) Sociolinguistics in Ireland, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan
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