Songs of Iveragh - Amhráin Uíbh Ráthaigh Volume 1

In this first volume of ‘Songs of Iveragh’, selected from the Binneas archive you will get a glimpse of the rich legacy of song that abounds in this part of Kerry. The songs featured in this book belong to the ordinary members of the community – the farmers, fishermen, housewives, boat-builders, sportsmen and many more. The themes are wide ranging - a drag-hunt, a famous football match, Daniel O’Connell, The War of Independence or a tragic accident, etc. All the songs are deeply rooted in the social fabric of the areas in which they were composed. They provide us with a vignette on the material culture of the period at the time of their composition, but more importantly they reveal the attitudes and beliefs of the people at that time.

Sa chéad eagrán seo d’ Amhréin Uíbh Ráthaigh, cnuasach a thagann chughainn ó chartlann Binneas. tugtar chun solais oidhreacht amhránaíochta Chiarraí Theas. Tá dlúthbhaint ag na hamhráin atá sa leabhar gleoite seo le muintir Uíbh Ráthaigh. Baineann siad leis an ngnáthphobal - le feirmeoirí , le hiascairí, le gaibhne, le táilliúirí, saoir báid agus a thuilleadh nach iad. Is mó rud a bhíonn faoi chaibideal sna hamhráin seo, ó chlúichí peile go Cogadh na Saoirse, ó Dhónall Ó Conaill go raiseanna na mbád saighne. Táid go léir tagtha chughainn mar bhronntanais ónar sinsir agus is féidir linn iad a úsáid mar eochair chun stair agus scéal an phobail sin a nochtadh. An té a léifidh an leabhar seo gheobhaidh sé éachtaint cheolmhar ar cheantar álainn Uíbh Ráthaigh, ar a stair agus ar a phobal, ach thar aon ní eile, ar a oidhreacht shaibhir amhránaíochta.

“The history of the people is written in song”

“I bhfoirm an amhráin a rianaítear stair na muintire”