''A Hidden Ulster: people, songs and traditions of Oriel'' is a 2003

non-fiction Nonfiction, or non-fiction, is any document or media content that attempts, in good faith, to provide information (and sometimes opinions) grounded only in facts and real life, rather than in imagination. Nonfiction is often associated with be ...

book that is a referencing of

Irish traditional music Irish traditional music (also known as Irish trad, Irish folk music, and other variants) is a genre of folk music that developed in Ireland. In ''A History of Irish Music'' (1905), W. H. Grattan Flood wrote that, in Gaelic Ireland, there w ...

in the Oriel area by Irish singer

Pádraigín Ní Uallacháin Pádraigín Máire Ní Uallacháin () is an Irish singer-songwriter, academic, and former newsreader

. The book was published by

Four Courts Press Four Courts Press is an independent Irish academic publishing house, with its office at Malpas Street, Dublin 8, Ireland. Founded in 1970 by Michael Adams, who died in February 2009, its early publications were primarily theological, notably t ...

in both hardback and paperback formats. The book garnered significant acclaim.

Background

Pádraigín Ní Uallacháin, an Irish singer, song collector and academic comes from the area which was historically the

Kingdom of Oriel Kingdom commonly refers to: * A monarchy ruled by a king or queen * Kingdom (biology), a category in biological taxonomy Kingdom may also refer to: Arts and media Television * ''Kingdom'' (British TV series), a 2007 British television drama s ...

in Ireland. She began writing the book in the years following her sister's death in May 1999.

Title

The book's title, ''A Hidden Ulster'' alludes to the lack of public knowledge among singers and song historians on the songs of Oriel. Many songs now sung in Ulster are claimed to be from

County Donegal County Donegal ( ; ga, Contae Dhún na nGall) is a county of Ireland in the province of Ulster and in the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the town of Donegal in the south of the county. It has also been known as County Tyrconne ...

, though many of the songs originate from Oriel. The title is also ties with Ní Uallacháin's father, Pádraig's complaint in 1939 to the Department of Education in

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

, with whom he was employed at the time. The Department released a list of 80 songs to appear in Ireland's national curriculum, none of which were from

Ulster Ulster (; ga, Ulaidh or ''Cúige Uladh'' ; sco, label= Ulster Scots, Ulstèr or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional Irish provinces. It is made up of nine counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United King ...

, the northern quarter of the island of Ireland. In his complaint, Pádraig wrote:
'' en, One would think to look at this same miserable list that a note of music was never sung north of the Boyne!'', sign=Pádraig Ó hUallacháin, 1939, source=Letter to Department of Education DublinNí Uallacháin, Pádraigín: A Hidden Ulster, p.374-5

Content

''A Hidden Ulster'' contains expansive notes, lyrics and translations for 54 songs found in the Oriel area, including notation, published for the first time. The book has biographies of local singers, song collectors and songwriters from various periods, catalogues of songs collected in the area and previously-unpublished glass-stained photographs from the

Ulster Folk and Transport Museum The Ulster Folk Museum and the Ulster Transport Museum are situated in Cultra, Northern Ireland, about east of the city of Belfast. The Folk Museum endeavours to illustrate the way of life and traditions of the people in Northern Ireland, past ...

. A large section of the book is dedicated to the traditions, local customs, festivals and professions of Oriel over a number of centuries.

Reception

''A Hidden Ulster'' was met with widespread acclaim. Patricia Craig of the

Times Literary Supplement ''The Times Literary Supplement'' (''TLS'') is a weekly literary review published in London by News UK, a subsidiary of News Corp. History The ''TLS'' first appeared in 1902 as a supplement to ''The Times'' but became a separate publication ...

wrote of the book, "''Pádraigín Ní Uallacháin, herself an exquisite sean-nós singer has written a timely, absorbing and scholarly account …a triumph of cultural reclamation.''"A Hidden Ulster
at TLSarchive.com Poet and academic Prof.

Michael Longley Michael Longley, (born 27 July 1939, Belfast, Northern Ireland), is an Anglo-Irish poet. Life and career One of twin boys, Michael Longley was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, to English parents, Longley was educated at the Royal Belfast A ...

said, "''A momentous publication … a treasure trove of words, a cultural and social history … a work of phenomenal concentration, great tenderness and bighearted loyalty. Proud and heartbroaken, it is an heroic attempt to remember.''" The book was a ''Times'' Book of the Year, critic Paul Muldoon commenting, "''Anyone with interest in Irish song must mow look to A Hidden Ulster for the definitive account of that tradition.''" A Hidden Ulster - Paul Muldoon
/ref> ''A Hidden Ulster'' was also received favourable by The Journal of Music,Journal of Music
/ref> ''

The Irish Times ''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is considered a newspaper ...

'' and ''May Field Review''. Pádraigín received ''Gradam Shean-Nós Cois Life'' for her contribution to the Irish song tradition and became the first traditional artist to be awarded a Major Arts Award from the

Arts Council of Northern Ireland The Arts Council of Northern Ireland (Irish: ''Comhairle Ealaíon Thuaisceart Éireann'', Ulster-Scots: ''Airts Cooncil o Norlin Airlan'') is the lead development agency for the arts in Northern Ireland. It was founded in 1964, as a successor to ...

References

External links

Pádraigín Ní Uallacháin
- official website
''A Hidden Ulster''
- online resource
''A Hidden Ulster''
at