Young people from Roscommon scooped top prizes at the recent Oireachtas Festival, which was held in Kilarney over the past few days.
Pictured above is Ryan Owens, from Strokestown, who won the first prize in the 12-15 Sean-Nós dancing competition. Pictured below is Rian Ó Biastaigh, from Kilroosky won the 15-18 Sean-Nós dancing competition.
Last Wednesday first and second year students from Abbey Community College Boyle, collectively known as “Ceoltóirí na Búille” received 2nd prize in Beo, the Irish Language Song Writing Competition. They are pictured below receiving their prize from Uachtarán an Oireachtais, Ray Mac Mánais.
The annual Oireachtas Festival is a mecca for lovers and performers of the traditional arts and this year’s competitions again received a huge number of entrants aged from 6 years to 68. The range of competitions included storytelling, sean-nós dancing and singing, and the famous Lúibíní competition in which two people perform a rhyming story through song.
A central theme in this years festival was the future of Irish language drama. This years programme featured an exciting and innovative line up of radio plays as well as a forum on the future of Irish language Drama.
“The creation and performance of Irish Language Drama is a very important aspect of Irish culture” says Liam Ó Maolaodha, Director of An tOireachtas. “In this Centenary year when we think of the effect that play writes such as Lady Gregory, Yeats and O Casey had on this country, it is vital that we keep this dramatic torch burning brightly, as a way of exploring, expressing and entertaining ourselves.”