Community, Connectivity & Culture

A Rich and Vibrant Culture

GAA Football

Like all over County Kerry GAA is an important part of community life on the Iveragh Peninsula. New membership is always welcome and becoming involved in the heart of the sport community here in South Kerry is a fantastic way of keeping fit, meeting new people and settling into the community.

 Clubs currently active in South Kerry include CLG Piarsaigh na Dromoda, Naomh Mícheál/An Fhaill Mhór, Renard, Waterville, Skellig Rangers, St Mary’s Cahersiveen and Sneem. Membership can be obtained from all clubs. 

More information is available from the South Kerry GAA Board and on individual clubs’ social media sites.

South Kerry Board: https://www.facebook.com/South-Kerry-GAA-1194644007231592/  

Piarsaigh na Dromoda: https://www.facebook.com/dromidpearses/  

St Michael’s Foilmore: https://www.facebook.com/St-MichaelsFoilmore-GAA-Club-163574520351255/  

Amergin Solstice Poetry Gathering/Éigse na Gréine

The annual festival Amergin Solstice Poetry Gathering takes place on the Iveragh Peninsula in June. The festival aims to celebrate poetry in Ireland, in the backdrop of the location of the mythological origin of poetry in Ireland with the arrival of Amergin and the Milesians.  Mental health is to the fore of the festival in memory of Anthony Clare, a well-known Psychiatrist that spent much of his final years in Waterville.

More information is available at:

https://www.amerginpoetry.com/

Éigse na Brídeoige (The Festival of Brigid)

Éigse na Brídeoige is a festival that aims to celebrate the local culture and heritage of the Iveragh Peninsula. It was established in 1993 by Paddy and Fíona Bushe. Each year has a focus on a different theme relevant to the heritage of history of the area. Among the themes which have been covered over the past twenty-seven years include: folklore, song singing tradition of Iveragh, poetry, the sea, climate change, Skellig Michael and various topics relevant to the history of the locality.

More information is available at: 

https://www.eigsenabrideoige.com/ 

Both music and song are a core part of the cultural tradition on the Iveragh Peninsula. Amongst the well-known and celebrated singers and song writers of the peninsula include Tomás Rua Ó Súilleabháin (1785 – 1848), Sigerson Clifford (1813-1885). 

Tomás Rua Ó Súilleabháin (1785-1848)

is arguably the most well-known poet and singer from the Iveragh Peninsula. Many of his songs are still sung in the local community over 170 years after his death. He had a close relationship with the famous, Daniel O’ Connell (the liberator). He wrote the song ‘A Rí an Domhnaigh’ for O’ Connell, bidding with God to help him to come out of a bout of sickness he was in at the time. When O’ Connell was elected to Westminster Parliament, he was welcomed home to Derrynane by Tomás Rua with the song  ‘Sé Donall Binn Ó Conaill Caoin’. Amongst the other songs still know and sung in the community include: Maidin Bhog Álainn, Amhrán na Leabhar agus An Gheadach dá Crú sa Ghleann.

Tomás Rua Ó Súilleabháin’s ‘Amhrán na Leabhar’ or ‘Song of Books’ is widely known and sung to this day. Tomás Rua was a schoolteacher who was transferred from Derrynane to Portmagee. He had a large collection of books in print and manuscript. He had placed these books on board a boat that was transferring from Derrynane Bay to Valentia Harbour. Unfortunately, the boat overturned, and his collection was lost. He wrote this song following the incident. Full Irish language version is available from Tim Dennehy, local singer: https://www.sceilig.com/amhran_na_leabhar.htm 

Amhrán na Leabhar (“The Song of Books” or “Cuan Bhéil Inse”)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQgXY07sz8Q 

Go Cuan Bhéil Inse casadh mé

Cois Góilín aoibhinn Dairbhre

Mar a seoltar flit na farraige

Thar sáile i gcéin.

I Portmagee do stádas seal,

Faoi thuairim intinn maitheasa

D’fhonn bheith sealad eatarthu

Mar mháistir léinn.

Is gearr gur chuala an eachtra

Ag cách mo léan!

Gur i mbord Eoghain Fhinn do chaileathas

An t-árthach tréan…

https://www.sceilig.com/amhran_na_leabhar.htm

By Valentia harbour I happened once 

Near sweet Goleen Dairbhre

To be the master in Portmagee

Where ships set sail for the ocean deep.

Soon all had the sorrowful story then

Of the sturdy craft, lost an Owen Finn,

Sad was my heart for the ship that failed;

Better this land had survived the gail. 

Sigerson Clifford (1813-85)

Born in Cork in 1813 but moved to Cahersiveen when he was two years old. His most well-known song is the ‘The Boys of Barr na Sráide’. 

Oh the town it climbs the mountain and looks out upon the sea
At sleeping time or waking, 'tis there I long to be
To walk again that kindly street that place where life began
And the boys of Barr na Sráide went hunting for the wren

With cudgels stout we roamed about to hunt the dreoilín
We searched for birds in every furze from Litir to Dooneen
We sang for joy beneath the sky, life held no print or plan
And we, boys of Barr na Sráide, went hunting for the wren

And when the hills were bleeding and the rifles were aflame
To the rebel homes of Kerry the Saxon stranger came
But the men who dared the Auxies and who beat the Black-and-Tan
Were the boys of Barr na Sráide who hunted for the wren

You can listen to the song ‘The Boys of Barr na Sráide’ being sung by Christy Moore here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdNP86KuU-I 

Binneas – Song Collection Project

The project Binneas was founded to conserve the rich musical and song singing heritage of the Iveragh peninsula and to pass it on to the next generation of the community. The musician Peter Mullarkey from Liverpool who is now living in Cahersiveen has collected a large repertoire of local songs. More information is available from Binneas.com 

Mé Gaoth ar Muir

(Am Wind on Sea)

Mé Gaoth ar Muir (Am Wind on Sea)– it was with these words in the Song of Amergin that the leader of the Milesians Amergin Glúngel announced their arrival and claim to to the land of Ireland. According to the Book of Invasions, it is said that these were the first words of poetry spoken in Ireland. Between the years 1655 and 1659, the local poet Seán Ó Conaill composed the poem ‘Tuireamh na hÉireann’ in which he describes the mythical arrival of the Milesians to Ireland. 

In County Kerry to the west of Erin

They made landfall at Inbhear Scéine. 

At the mouth of Coireán lies the reef where

Misjudgement led to the death of Éanna.

(translated by Paddy Bushe).

The following words, written down in Old Irish, were said to have been recited as Amergin and the Milesians approached the shore of Ballinskelligs Bay:

Am gaeth i m-muir,
Am tond trethan,
Am fuaim mara,
Am dam secht ndirend,
Am séig i n-aill…

Paddy Bushe, a local poet composed a contemporary version of Laoi Aimhirghin (Song of Amergin) entitled Amergin’s Footstep.

Amergin’s Footstep

Am wind on sea

Am wave swelling

Am ocean’s voice

Am stag of seven clashes

Am falcon on cliff

Am sublit dewdrop

Am rarest of herbs

Am boar enraged

Am salmon in pool

Am lake in plain

Am learning’s essence

Am sharpened spear dealing death

Am God who kindles fire in the head.

Who makes smooth the stony mountain?

Who elucidates the lives of the moon?

Who proclaims where the sun will rest?

Who leads the waves like cattle from the ocean?

On whom do the waves smile?

What troop, what god edges blades in a plaque-struck fortress?

Keening of weapons. Keening of wind.

Paddy can be heard talking about the story of Amergin and reading his poem ‘Freagra Scéine’, an imaginative response by Amergin’s wife Scéine to his claiming of the land.

Listen to Olivia O’ Leary speaking on Drive Time, RTÉ of the Amergin Poem and the local festival:

The Amergin Solstice Poetry Gathering - https://radio.rte.ie/radio1highlights/drivetime-olivia-oleary-amergin/ 

Contemporary Poets in Iveragh 

Three contemporary Irish language poets whom are most commonly associated with the Iveragh peninsula include: Mícheál Ua Ciarmhaic (“Michael Kirby”) (1906 – 2005), Paddy Bushe (1948 - ) and Mícheál Ó Siochrú (1947 - ) 

Paddy Bushe is a bilingual writer, editor, translator and poet. He was born in Dublin in 1948. He has been living in Waterville on the Iveragh Peninsula for over forty years; since the early seventies. He is creative director with the Amergin Solstice Poetry Gathering Festival. He is a member of the esteemed association Aosdána.  

Paddy has published in both languages; English and Irish. He has published a number of books as individual poetry collections, has edited several poetry anthologies and translated works from other languages. Among his work includes the following titles: Poems with Amergin (Beaver Row 1989) ‘Teanga’ (Coiscéim 1990), ‘Counsellor’ (Sceilg Press 1991), ‘Digging Towards the Light’ (Dedalus Press, 1994) , ‘To Make the Stone Sing’ (Sceilg Press / Wolfhound Press, 1996) , ‘Hopkins on Skellig Michael’ (Dedalus Press, 2001) , ‘In Ainneoin na gCloch’ (Coiscéim 2001) , ‘The Nitpicking Of Cranes’ (Dedalus Press, 2004), ‘An Góstfhear/The Ghostman’ (Coiscéim 2004),  ‘Gile na Gile’ (Coiscéim, 2005) , ‘To Ring in Silence: New and Selected Poems’ (Dedalus Press, 2009), Voices at the World’s Edge: Irish Poets on Skellig Michael ed., (Dedalus, 2010),‘My Lord Buddha of Carraig Éanna’ (Dedalus Press, 2012) ,‘Ó Choill go Barr Ghéaráin’ (Coiscéim 2013), ‘Móinéar an Chroí’ (Coiscéim 2018), ‘Second Sight: Poems in Irish’ (Dedalus Press 2020) agus ‘Peripheral Vision’ (Dedalus Press 2020). 

Paddy can be heard reading at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bs0e920_35k  

Mícheál Ó Siochrú was born in Clochán na nUagh, Ballinskelligs on the Iveragh Peninsula in 1947. He has been living in Limerick for the past fifty years. He is a bilingual poet and novelist. He has published four poetry collections in Irish, one in English and three novels. His work includes the following titles: ‘Gealach na gCoinlíní’ (Coiscéim 1985), ‘An Spás á Ghlanadh’ (Coiscéim 1991), ‘Oidhre na Priaireachta’ (Coiscéim 1991), ‘Rachlas’ (Coiscéim 2015), ‘The Healing Room’ (Revival Press 2015),‘An File’ (Coiscéim 2017),‘Redshank’ (Ionad Scríbhneoirí Luimnigh 2018) agus ‘Scáil an Scéil’(Coiscéim 2019). 

 Mícheál Ua Ciarmhaic was a well-known and highly regarded member of the community on the Iveragh Peninsula. He was born in 1906 in Ballinskelligs. He was a live long fisherman, a writer, an artist and a poet. He wrote his first book in his seventies in 1984, publishing the poetry collection ‘Cliathán na Sceilge’ (Coiscéim 1984). He thereafter published both English and Irish titles. Among the eleven books he published over the years include: Cliathán na Sceilge (Coiscéim 1984), Íochtar Trá (Coiscéim 1985), An Gabhar sa Teampall (Coiscéim 1986), Barra Taoide (Coiscéim 1988), Ceol Maidí Rá (Coiscéim 1990), Chuireas mo líonta (Cló Iar-Chonnacht 1993), Guth ón Sceilg (Coiscéim 2000), Skelligside (The Lilliput Press 1990), Skelligs Calling (The Lilliput Press 2003) agus Skelligs Sunset (The Lilliput Press 2006). 

Ireland is known to be the home to one of the largest folklore collections in Western Europe. More material was gathered on the Iveragh Peninsula than anywhere else in Ireland during the work of the Irish Folklore Commission nó Coimisiún Bhéaloideas Éireann, which began in the 1930s. The local folklore Tadhg Ó Murchadha (1896 – 1961) (from Waterville) was particularly active in the area.  

The most well-known informant was the seanchaí, or storyteller from the village of Cill Rialaig, Bolus Seán Ó Conaill (1853-1931). Ó Conaill was illiterate in both English and Irish. He was highly regarded during his time as one of the best Irish speakers in the area. He was notably celebrated for his expansive repertoire of stories and is recognised today as being a vital in the transmission of the Irish oral tradition and in particular with reference to the Iveragh Peninsula and Gaeltacht Uíbh Ráthaigh.  ‘Leabhar Sheáin Uí Chonaill’ (1948), a title published on the stories and lore gathered by Séamus Ó Duillearga from Seán Ó Conaill is regarded as a classic in the field of folklore studies in Ireland.  

The abandoned village of Cill Rialaig (the home of Seán Ó Conaill) was renovated in 1991 and is now host to a writer’s retreat. More information available at:

https://cillrialaigartscentre.com/residencies/  

Amongst the vast and varied nature of the folklore collection from the Iveragh peninsula includes reference to the story of origin of poetry in Ireland with the arrival of the Milesians, stories of St. Finian, stories of the Fianna cycle (An Fhiannaíocht) and much more. Further information on the folklore of the local area and across Ireland can be found at:

https://www.duchas.ie/en  

Mythology and the Gaelic tradition are ingrained in the Iveragh peninsula landscape. There is a close connection between the mythological story of Amergin and the Milesians with a host of natural features on the peninsula. It is said that Ir, Donn and Érannán (brothers of the Milesian leader Aimhirghin) died during the sea voyage upon their arrival to Ireland. Erranán died on what is now known as Carraig Éanna. Ir was buried on Skellig Michael and Donn was laid to rest on Oileán Doinn.

The Fianna Cycle 

Landscape, mythology and folklore are closely intertwined on the Iveragh Peninsula. Two of the primary stories of the Fianna cycle are associated with the area. In the story Oisín in the Land of Youth (Oisín i dTír na nÓg), the point at which Niamh Chinn Óir agus Oisín left Ireland was at Tonn Tóime (one of the four great waves of Ireland). This is located between Rosbeigh Strand and Inch Beach. In what over Ballaghoisheen pass (Bealach Oisín) that Oisín met with St. Patrick after having arrived home despondent for all of the Fianna were long gone.