Bhí slua maith i láthair in athuair ag ócáid de chuid “Oriel Connects Us – Oirialla a thugann sinn le chéile” a reáchtáladh aréir in Óstán Grand Central, Ó Méith, nuair a rinne múinteoir ó Chontae an Dúin agus saineolaí ar logainmneacha áitiúla, Ciarán Mac Murchaidh, cur síos ar mheath na Gaeilge i nDeisceart Ard Mhacha agus i dTuaisceart Lú sa 19ú agus sa 20ú haois. Ina chuid taighde mionsonraithe atá tipiciúil dá chur chuige, bhain Ciarán leas as príomhthuairisceáin dhaonáirimh 1901 agus 1911 agus mhínigh sé modheolaíocht s’aige chun cainteoirí “dúchais” a roghnú. Tugadh deis don lucht tinrimh breathnú ar thagairtí chomhaimseartha agus ar thuairiscí nuachtáin, ar fhianaise neamhfhoirmiúil láidir, ar ghraif, agus ar chleachtadh mapála nuálach a léirigh meath dhaonra na Gaeilge dhúchais de réir aoisghrúpaí i mbailte fearainn Uí Méith agus i Lios Liath go háirithe.
There was another good attendance at an “Oriel Connects Us – Oirialla a thugann sinn le chéile” event last night in the Grand Central Hotel Omeath when County Down teacher and authority on local placenames, Ciarán Mac Murchaidh, charted the decline of native Irish in South Armagh and North Louth in the 19th and 20th centuries. Ciarán’s typically meticulous research availed of the key census returns of 1901 and 1911 and he explained his methodology in determining “native” speakers. Attendees were treated to contemporary observations and newspaper reports, convincing anecdotal evidence, graphs, and a novel mapping exercise that revealed the decline in the native Irish speaking population across age groups in the townlands of Omeath and in Lislea in particular.
The next “Oriel Connects Us – Oirialla a thugann sinn le chéile” events are: Oriel Traditional Orchestra and Niamh Noade, with Audrey Trainor, Sunday 19th October, Dolmen Centre @ 4pm; “The Root of All Evil”: The Irish Boundary Commission, talk by Cormac Moore, Wednesday 5th October, Grand Central Hotel @7.30pm
