Ó Conaire an reabhlóidí

by JohnCunningham Wed Dec 10, 2003 01:12

Ó Conaire the Radical

On Friday, 12 December, a group of people linked to Galway’s Left will launch an initiative to reclaim Padraic Ó Conaire from what they term the “grip of the establishment”. Coiste Uí Chonaire will be holding a bi-lingual celebration of Padraic Ó Conaire’s life in Áras na nGael, Dominick St at 8 pm next Friday, 12th December.

The event will include a performance by Diarmuid de Faoite of part of his one-man Ó Conaire show. Rita Ann Higgins, like Ó Conaire another radical Galway writer, will read from both Padraic’s as well as her own work. There will also be two talks on the night, one as Gaeilge by Aindrias Ó Cathasaigh, the biographer of Mairtin Ó Cadhain, and one in English by the labour historian Dr. John Cunningham.

 

According to Seosamh Ó Cuaig of Coiste Uí Chonaire, the radical Ó Conaire would be turning in his proverbial grave at the sight of establishment figures such as Minister Ó Cuiv or representatives of  Galway Corporation holding commemorative ceremonies to mark the 75th anniversary of his death.

 

“Padraic Ó Conaire was opposed to militarism, he was an internationalist. And if he were alive today he would be protesting against Shannon airport and Irish airspace being used by the US war machine to wage war in Iraq. Padraic Ó Conaire was also a political activist, a pamphleteer, who would have been to the forefront in opposing the attempts by Galway Corporation to suffocate free speech in Galway.”

 

It is the aim of Coiste Uí Chonaire to make more widely available the radical writings of Ó Conaire on all kinds of issues. Few realise how radical an activist he was. He helped set-up the Transport Union in Galway, he supported the Russian Revolution and was involved at different times in both the Labour and Communist parties.

 

Seosamh Ó Cuaig says the new committee intends to challenge the myths surrounding the Galway writer: “He was known as “sean” (old) Padraic Ó Conaire, but he was never old. The story of him and a little black donkey is mainly fiction. That he was a hopeless drinker is also greatly exaggerated – as he was one of the pioneers of modern Irish literature, who left a significant body of work despite his early death.”

by An Gobadán Wed Dec 10, 2003 03:58

Nach ionadh é go bhfuil sibh ábalta a rá cén tuairim a bheadh ag an fear seo sa lá inniu? B'fheidir go raibh sé báúil do Reabhlóid na Rúise san am sin ach cá bhfios daoibh nach mbeadh meas madaidh aige ar na cochumannaigh tar éis an scrios agus ár a rinne Stalin ar na daoine bochta thall?

Tá sibh ag maslu an fear maith seo má gcuireann sibh focail ina bhéal agus é gan acmhainn cainte. ba cheart daoibh a chuid scríbhinn a cheiliúradh ach na bí ag ra do dhaoine cen sórt tuairimí a bheadh aige ar chúrsaí an lae innu, mar nil a fhios agaibh.

by john throne - laborsmilitantvoice.com Fri Dec 19, 2003 07:05 loughfinn at aol dot com

Thank you Comrades in Galway for keeping the real tradition of Padraic O'Conaire alive. When i go back on a holiday to Galway I always sit a little while with him and with Liam Mellowes and think about their lives and I am strengthened and enriched. John Throne.

by DENIS Fri Apr 23, 2004 18:24 FINDME at MERSEYMAIL dot COM

Article seo,chuir sé athás orm. Rugdh mé i m
Bhaile Áth Cliath ach tugadh me i mBermingham Sasana thus me briste gaeilge .maith sibh. Slán
Donnchadh

by O Maoileoin Mon Apr 26, 2004 05:38

Is aisteach an rud O Cuaig a bheith ag caint ar fhear a bhi ag iarradh cothrom na Feinne do gach duine. Is cuimneach liom O Cuaig ag sciorbh piosa i paipeir "AMARACH" os cionn scor blianta o chionn ag ra go mhaith leis cunai i "CUBA" mar a mbiodh se in ann maireachtail in EIREANN, sea "CUBA" ait a bhfuil cothrom na Feinne ag chuile dhuine.