At this literary event, writers Laoighseach Ní Choistealbha, Eoin P. Ó Murchú and Éilis Neary, who are among the finest contemporary Irish-language writers, discussed their work and the craft of writing, and read excerpts from their work. The event was conducted through the medium of Irish.
This event was organised and chaired by Dr Peter Weakliam, Department of Irish and Celtic Languages, School of Languages, Literatures and Cultural Studies, and he reports here on the event as Gaeilge and in English.
Image from left to right: Éilis Neary, Eoin P. Ó Murchú, Laoighseach Ní Choistealbha, Peter Weakliam.
[Béarla thíos / English below]
Ar an 30 Márta 2026, ghlac triúr scríbhneoirí Gaeilge - Laoighseach Ní Choistealbha, Eoin P. Ó Murchú agus Éilis Neary - páirt in imeacht liteartha ar champas Choláiste na Tríonóide. Le linn an imeachta seo, rinne an Dr Peter Weakliam ó Roinn na Gaeilge agus na dTeangacha Ceilteacha cathaoirleacht ar phlé painéil leis an triúr scríbhneoirí, agus léigh na scríbhneoirí sleachta óna saothar. Bhí idir bhaill foirne agus mhic léinn de chuid Choláiste na Tríonóide i láthair ag an imeacht seo, chomh maith le cainteoirí Gaeilge ón bpobal áitiúil.
Rinneadh cardáil ar réimse leathan ábhar sa phlé painéil. Labhair na scríbhneoirí faoin gcaoi ar chuir siad tús lena gceird féin, agus luaigh siad triúr an tacaíocht a fuair siad ó eagarthóirí thar na blianta agus an tábhacht a bhaineann le hirisleabhair liteartha i bhforbairt scríbhneoirí. Phléigh Éilis Neary na dúshláin ar leith a bhaineann le bheith ag scríobh leabhair Ghaeilge do pháistí, agus roinn sí a cuid tuairimí faoin bhficsean dírbheathaisnéiseach mar sheánra. Cheistigh Eoin P. Ó Murchú an ró-acadúlacht atá le sonrú, dar leis, ar chuid mhór de litríocht chomhaimseartha na Gaeilge, agus thug sé léargas don lucht éisteachta ar ghnéithe éagsúla dá chleachtas cruthaitheach féin - an fhilíocht ó bhéal, an ghearrscéalaíocht agus an t-aistriúchán liteartha san áireamh. Labhair Laoighseach Ní Choistealbha faoina tuiscint ar a cuid dánta féin mar phíosaí scríbhneoireachta ina bhfuil pearsantacht agus fírinne cé nach bhfuil siad pearsanta ná fíor, agus chosain sí ceart an léitheora a bhrí féin a bhaint as saothar litríochta ar bith.
Bhí éagsúlacht mhór - ó thaobh seánra, cúrsaí stíle agus téamaí de - le feiceáil sna sleachta a léigh na scríbhneoirí óna saothar féin, agus thug siad léargas den scoth, dá bhrí sin, ar shaibhreas litríocht chomhaimseartha na Gaeilge. Ba léir ó na ceisteanna a chuir an lucht éisteachta ar na scríbhneoirí ag deireadh an imeachta seo go ndeachaigh an plé agus an léamh araon i gcion go mór ar a raibh i láthair.
Bhí an t-imeacht seo maoinithe ag Dámh na nEalaíon, na nDaonnachtaí agus na nEolaíochtaí Sóisialta trí Chiste Imeachtaí na Dáimhe, agus tá lucht eagraithe an imeachta an-bhuíoch den Dámh as an tacaíocht sin.
Is féidir tuilleadh eolais faoin imeacht seo a fháil ón Dr Peter Weakliam ag pweaklia@tcd.ie.
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[English]
On 30 March 2026, three Irish language writers – Laoighseach Ní Choistealbha, Eoin P. Ó Murchú and Éilis Neary - took part in a literary event on the Trinity College Dublin campus. During the event, Dr Peter Weakliam from the Department of Irish and Celtic Languages chaired a panel discussion with the three writers and the writers read excerpts from their work. The event was attended by both staff and students from Trinity, as well as Irish speakers from the local community.
The panel discussion covered a wide range of topics. The writers spoke about how they began their literary careers, and all three mentioned the support they have received from editors over the years and the importance of literary journals in the development of writers. Éilis Neary discussed the particular challenges of writing Irish-language books for children, and shared her views on autofiction as a genre. Eoin P. Ó Murchú questioned what he considers the overly academic nature of much contemporary Irish-language literature, and gave the audience an insight into various aspects of his own creative practice – including oral poetry, short stories and literary translation. Laoighseach Ní Choistealbha spoke about her understanding of her own poems as pieces of writing that contain personality and truth, though they are neither personal nor true, and defended the right of the reader to take their own meaning from any work of literature.
There was great diversity - in terms of genre, style and theme - in the excerpts that the writers read from their own work, and they therefore provided an excellent insight into the richness of contemporary Irish-language literature. It was clear from the questions that the audience asked the writers at the end of this event that both the discussion and the reading had a great impact on those present.
This event was funded by the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences through the Faculty Events Fund, and the event organisers are very grateful to the Faculty for this support.
For more information on this event please contact Dr Peter Weakliam at pweaklia@tcd.ie.