Dara Ó Conaola (born 1945 in

Inishmaan Inishmaan ( ; ga, Inis Meáin , the official name, formerly spelled , meaning "middle island") is the middle of the three main Aran Islands in Galway Bay, off the west coast of Ireland. It is part of County Galway in the province of Connacht ...

) is an

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

writer who writes in

. His first book of short stories, ''Mo Chathair Ghriobháin'', was published in 1981. A later short book of eight short stories, translated to

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

Gabriel Rosenstock Gabriel Rosenstock (born 29 September 1949) is an Irish writer who works chiefly in the Irish language. A member of Aosdána, he is poet, playwright, haikuist, tankaist, essayist, and author/translator of over 180 books, mostly in Irish. Born in ...

, was published as ''Night Ructions'' in 1990. The book was launched at the 1990 '' Sunday Times'' Festival of Literature,

Hay-on-Wye Hay-on-Wye ( cy, Y Gelli Gandryll), simply known locally as "Hay" ( cy, Y Gelli), is a market town and community in Powys, Wales; it was historically in the county of Brecknockshire. With over twenty bookshops, it is often described as "the to ...

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...

Early life and work

Born on

to a fisherman and housewife, Ó Conaola trained in the 1960s as a craftsman and woodwork teacher, his subsequent travels including

Galway Galway ( ; ga, Gaillimh, ) is a city in the West of Ireland, in the province of Connacht, which is the county town of County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lough Corrib and Galway Bay, and is the sixth most populous city on ...

and

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...

, where he met his wife, Pacella, from a family of artists including Albert Power and

May Power May Power (11 September 1903 – 1993) was an Irish sculptor. Early life and family May Power was born in Dublin on 11 September 1903. Her parents were the sculptor Albert Power, and Agnes (née Kelly). She had 6 brothers and 3 sisters. H ...

. She having trained at

The Grafton Academy The Grafton Academy of Fashion Design is a third level college based in Dublin, Ireland. It offers an undergraduate 3-year full-time Diploma course in Fashion Design as well as short courses in Fashion Design, dressmaking, pattern drafting, garme ...

of Fashion Design in Dublin, they settled on

Inisheer Inisheer ( ga, Inis Oírr , or ) is the smallest and most easterly of the three Aran Islands in Galway Bay, Ireland. With 281 residents as of the 2016 census, it is second-most populous of the Arans. Caomhán of Inis Oírr is the island's ...

and raised their four children. The eldest, their only daughter, is the singer

Lasairfhíona Lasairfhíona Ní Chonaola () (born c. 1977) is an Irish singer-songwriter. She is deeply rooted in the sean-nós singing style of her home on Inis Oírr, one of the Aran Islands. Biography Lasairfhíona Ní Chonaola was born on Inisheer, Aran ...

. On Inisheer, having taken over his deceased uncle's house and land, they ran it as a craftshop producing, amongst other things, traditional red Aran skirts and shawls.

Writing

In 1992, Ó Conaola's novella ''Misiún ar Muir''/''Sea Mission'' was first published in 1992 by Ceard Shiopa Inis Oírr Teo., Inishere, Aran Islands, Co. Galway. A second edition was published in 2000 written in Irish and translated to English by Gabriel Rosenstock. It had been staged at An Taibhdhearc as part of the

Galway Arts Festival The Galway International Arts Festival (GIAF), founded in 1978, is a cultural organization that produces an annual arts festival in Galway, Ireland. It also produces new work that tours nationally and internationally, in addition to presenting ...

in 1992 and at the Expo ‘92 in

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

. His work has been translated into

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

, French, Croatian, and

Romanian Romanian may refer to: *anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania **Romanians, an ethnic group **Romanian language, a Romance language *** Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language ** Romanian cuisine, tradition ...

, while the short story, ''Amuigh Liom Féin'', is on the

Irish Leaving Certificate The Leaving Certificate Examination ('' ga, Scrúdú na hArdteistiméireachta''), commonly referred to as the Leaving Cert or (informally) the Leaving ('' ga, Ardteist , links=no''), is the final exam of the Irish secondary school system and t ...

curriculum. He participated in the

Cúirt International Festival of Literature The Cúirt International Festival of Literature (pronounced ) is an annual literary festival held since 1985 in Galway in Ireland. The Irish language word ''cúirt'' means "court". The festival consists of a variety of events taking place over th ...

in 2002. Two songs by him are included on his daughter

's debut album.

Bibliography

* ''Cuairt ar Oileáin Árann''/''Guide to the Aran Islands'', published annually since 1978 by Ceardshiopa Inis Oírr Teo. * ''An Gaiscíoch Beag'',

An Gúm An Gúm (, "The Scheme") was an Irish state company tasked with the publication of Irish literature, especially educational materials. The agency is now part of Foras na Gaeilge.

, 1979 * ''Mo Chathair Ghríobháin'',

An Gúm An Gúm (, "The Scheme") was an Irish state company tasked with the publication of Irish literature, especially educational materials. The agency is now part of Foras na Gaeilge.

, 1981 * ''Cor in Aghaidh an Chaim, Ceardshiopa Inis Oírr Teo'', 1983. * ''Amuigh Liom Féin'', Ceardshiopa Inis Oírr Teo, 1988 * ''An Teachín Ceann Tuí''/''Thatched Homes of the Aran Islands'', Ceardshiopa Inis Oírr Teo, 1988 * ''Night Ructions'', Forrest Books, London & Cló Iar-Chonnachta, Co. na Gaillimhe, 1990. Second edition, 1999. * ''Misiún ar Muir''/''Sea Mission'', An Ceardshiopa Inis Oírr Teo, 1992. Second edition, 2000 ISBN 0-9538673-2-3. * ''Saol agus Saothar Albert Power'', Ceardshiopa Inis Oírr Teo, 1996

References

External links

Irish-language writers Living people 20th-century Irish people 21st-century Irish people People from County Galway 1945 births {{ireland-writer-stub

Early life and work

Writing

Bibliography

Further reading

References

External links