An Giall

Mar bhuaicphointe de cheiliúradh Ollscoil Mhá Nuad ar Sheachtain na Gaeilge 2026, cuirfear leagan úrnua den cheoldráma grinn cailiúil leis an scríbhneoir mór le rá Breandán Ó Beacháin An Giall ar stáitse san Aula Maxima ar ár gCampas Theas, áit ina bhfuil traidisiún de dhrámaí Gaeilge á léiriú ag pobal Gaeilge na hOllscoile a théann chomh fada siar le tús an fhichiú haois. Is léiriú dátheangach sothuigthe é seo bunaithe ar an leagan Gaeilge a léiríodh in Amharclann an Damer ar Fháiche Stiofáin den chéad uair sa bhliain 1958 agus ar an aistriúchán sínithe a rinne Ó Beacháin é féin dar teideal The Hostage le cur ar stáitse níos déanaí an bhliain sin sa Taobh Thiar i Londain. Tá Cartlann Chaoimhín Uí Mharcaigh, a léiríonn stair agus tábhacht Amharclann an Damer do dhrámaíocht na Gaeilge, sna Bailiúcháin Speisialta agus Cartlanna i Leabharlann Ollscoil Mhá Nuad, nasc fíor-spéisiúil a spreag roghnú an dráma áirithe seo i mbliana.

San earrach sa bhliain 1958, fuadaíonn Poblachtánaigh bhuanseasmhacha i ndeireadh na feide saighdiúir óg de chuid Arm na Breataine le leas a bhaint as mar ghiall agus tugann siad do theach lóistín ag titim as a chéile ach lán de bheocht agus de bheatha é. Tagann an crú ar an tairne le teacht an ghéill do na créatúir leochaileacha agus brionglóidithe rómánsúla atá ina gcónaí ann agus ní bheidh an saol mar an gcéanna go deo do dhuine ar bith faoi dhíon an tí sin. Tugtar léargas ar an saol in Éirinn don chéad ghlúin a rugadh i ndiaidh na saoirse ó dheas agus ar an gcaoi ina bhfuileadar taibhsithe ag cogadh na saoirse sa dráma mothúchánach, machnamhach ach fíor-ghreannmhar seo. Feicfear taispeántais cheoil agus dhamhsa agus cloisfear amhráin i nGaeilge agus i mBéarla á gcasadh beo ar stáitse le linn an dráma, lena n-áirítear "The Rocky Road to Dublin", "The Auld Triangle", "Blackbird", "Ar Éirinn Ní Neosfainn Cé Hí", "Seoithín Seothó" agus "Bean Pháidín". Ba mhór ag mic léinn Chuallacht Cholmcille agus pobal Gaeilge na hOllscoile trí chéile dá mbeadh sibh linn, is cuma má tá Gaeilge líofa, beagán Gaeilge nó Gaeilge ar bith ar bhur dtoil agaibh.

As the highlight of Maynooth University's celebration of Seachtain na Gaeilge 2026, a brand-new version of the famous musical comic drama by the renowned writer Brendan Behan An Giall will be staged in the Aula Maxima on our South Campus, a place in which Irish-language drama has been staged by the University's Irish-language community since the turn of the twentieth century. This accessible bilingual production is based upon both the Irish-language version that was first staged in the Damer Theatre on St Stephen's Green in 1958 and the extended translation that was written by Behan himself called The Hostage to be staged later that same year in London's West End. The Caoimhín Ó Marcaigh Archive which is housed in the Special Collections and Archives of Maynooth University Library reveals the history and importance of the Damer Theatre for Irish-language drama and this fascinating link motivated our choice to stage this particular classic play on campus this year.

In the spring of 1958, desperate Republican die-hards kidnap a young British Army solider to use him as a hostage and take him to a boarding house in inner-city Dublin that is crumbling but full of vibrant life nevertheless. Many matters come to a head for the vulnerable creatures and romantic dreamers of the boarding house once the hostage arrives and it soon becomes clear that life will never be the same again for anybody living under its roof. This emotional, thoughtful yet hilarious play offers an insight into life in Ireland for the first generation born post-independence and into the way in which they are haunted by the fight for independence decades earlier. It features dance routines alongside songs in Irish and in English which will be played live on stage, including "The Rocky Road to Dublin", "The Auld Triangle", "Blackbird", "Ar Éirinn Ní Neosfainn Cé Hí", "Seoithín Seothó" and "Bean Pháidín". The students of our Irish-language student society Cuallacht Cholmcille and the University's wider Irish-language community would be delighted for you to come and see An Giall, whether you have fluent Irish, reasonable Irish or indeed no Irish whatsoever.

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