May 2009 Third John McGahern International Seminar Announced

(Leagan Gaeilge) National University of Ireland, Galway (NUI Galway) and Leitrim County Council have announced that the third John McGahern International Seminar will take place from 23-25 July, 2009, to commemorate the work and literary achievements of one of Ireland's best known and internationally respected modern writers. Previous International Seminars were held in County Leitrim in 2007 and 2008 and were each attended by more than 100 participants from Ireland and overseas. This year's inaugural lecture will be given by Professor Kevin Whelan of Notre Dame University. Other speakers will include Professor Liliane Louvel of the University of Poitiers, France, Professor Denis Sampson, Canada, Professor Mike Cronin, Boston College and Irish writer Kevin Barry. As in previous years, the Seminar will include guided visits to John McGahern's home places in Aughawillan, Ballinamore and Mohill, Co. Leitrim and Cootehall, Co. Roscommon. As well as appealing to all lovers of McGahern's own work, the International Seminar will be of interest to literary researchers and to book clubs, to readers of contemporary fiction and modern writing, and to all national and international students of Irish literature and culture. This year's Seminar will also see the launch of the second volume of The John McGahern Yearbook. The Yearbook will include proceedings of the 2008 Seminar as well as a range of new articles by writers and critics. Launching the Seminar, President of NUI Galway, Professor James J. Browne, said: "Through the John McGahern International Seminar and Summer School we at NUI Galway are working to broaden access to literary scholarship and to share the riches of the McGahern archive with the widest possible audience. In holding this valuable archive in the West of Ireland, we feel that the University is holding in trust a treasure for the world of literary scholarship; for the Irish nation and most especially for this region which we have served for more than 160 years. I wish the 2009 McGahern International Summer School and Seminar every success and I welcome the continued partnership of Leitrim County Council in this culturally important endeavour". John McGahern's work is translated into several languages worldwide. His best- known books include The Dark, Amongst Women, That They May Face the Rising Sun and Memoir. During the 2008 Seminar, Gerardo Gambolini, Argentinian poet and translator, who plans to introduce McGahern's Collected Stories in Spanish to a wide Latin-American audience, said of the Leitrim writer: "I see John McGahern as a great writer, not as a great Irish writer. His voice is universal; his undeniably Irish tone and topics are made universal by his talent, not by geography. My dominant experience in translating him was the pleasure of reading day after day over a long time remarkable pictures of the greatness and the abjectness of human soul and flesh, pictures always traversed in the end by compassion, by a joyful or painful form of redemption". In addition to the public Seminar, NUI Galway has organised the second intensive Summer School on John McGahern's work and its contexts which will form part of the University's 26th International Summer School in Irish Studies. The Summer School is designed for advanced level students and researchers who are interested in the writings of John McGahern, his life and times in 20thCentury Ireland. The 2008 Summer School was attended by students from Ireland, Slovakia, the United States and England. Speaking at the launch, Leitrim Arts Officer, Caoimhín Corrigan said: "Leitrim County Council is delighted to see this project develop in its third year, establishing its own rhythm within Ireland s literary calendar. While retaining its central focus on the work of John McGahern, this year's engagement with themes of the heroic - from the local, to the universal - and taking account also the 125th anniversary of the GAA, is a strong expression of the confidence and breadth of vision that Leitrim County Council and NUI Galway share for this important event". The Summer School (25 July – 1 August, 2009) will take place at the County Library, Ballinamore, Co. Leitrim and it is directed by Dr John Kenny, John McGahern Lecturer in Creative Writing at NUI Galway. Lecturers at the Summer School will include Professor Denis Sampson, author of Outstaring Nature's Eye: The Fiction of John McGahern; Ms Belinda McKeon of Columbia University, New York; Dr Frank Shovlin of the Institute of Irish Studies, Liverpool; Dr James Whyte, author of History, Myth, and Ritual in the Fiction of John McGahern; and the writers Mike McCormack and Brian Leyden. For further details on The John McGahern International Seminar and Summer School contact 091-495442 or visit www.nuigalway.ie/iss

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Tríú Seimineár Idirnáisiúnta John McGahern Fógartha (View in English) Tá tríú Seimineár Idirnáisiúnta John McGahern, 23-25 Iúil 2009, fógartha ag Ollscoil na hÉireann, Gaillimh agus ag Comhairle Contae Liatroma, chun ceiliúradh a dhéanamh ar obair agus ar shaothar liteartha an údair cháiliúil seo atá ar dhuine de na scríbhneoirí comhaimseartha Éireannacha is mó a bhfuil meas idirnáisiúnta air. Bhí na Seimineáir Idirnáisiúnta roimhe seo in 2007 agus 2008 ar siúl i gCo. Liatroma agus d'fhreastail os cionn 100 duine orthu as Éirinn agus as níos faide i gcéin. Tabharfaidh an tOllamh Kevin Whelan as Ollscoil Notre Dame céad léacht na bliana seo. I measc na gcainteoirí eile beidh an tOllamh Liliane Louvel as Ollscoil Poitiers, sa Fhrainc, an tOllamh Denis Sampson, Ceanada, an tOllamh Mike Cronin, Boston College agus an scríbhneoir Éireannach Kevin Barry. Arís i mbliana, beidh turais threoraithe ar fáil chuig áit chónaithe John McGahern in Achadh an Mhuilin, Béal an Átha Móir agus Maothail, Co. Liatroma agus Uachtar Tíre, Co. Ros Comáin. Ar ndóigh, cuirfidh daoine a dtaitníonn saothar McGahern leo suim sa Seimineár Idirnáisiúnta seo, ach chomh maith leo sin, cuirfidh taighdeoirí litríochta agus clubanna leabhar an-suim ann chomh maith le daoine a léann ficsean comhaimseartha agus nuascríbhneoireacht agus mic léinn náisiúnta agus idirnáisiúnta a bhfuil suim acu i litríocht agus i gcultúr an hÉireann. Seolfar an dara himleabhar de The John McGahern Yearbook ag Seimineár na bliana seo. Beidh cur síos sa Yearbook ar imeachtaí Sheimineár 2008 chomh maith le hailt nua le scríbhneoirí agus léirmheastóirí. Ag seoladh an tSeimineáir, dúirt an Dr James J. Browne, Uachtarán OÉ Gaillimh: "In OÉ Gaillimh, is mian linn scoláireacht litríochta a mhéadú agus cartlann McGahern a roinnt leis an lucht léitheoireachta is fairsinge trí Sheimineár Idirnáisiúnta agus Scoil Samhraidh John McGahern. Agus an chartlann luachmhar seo á coimeád in Iarthar na hÉireann, tá an Ollscoil ag coimeád taisce don scoláireacht litríochta; don tír agus, go speisialta, don réigiún seo a bhfuil an Ollscoil seo ag freastal air le breis agus 160 bliain. Guím gach rath ar Scoil Samhraidh agus Seimineár Idirnáisiúnta McGahern 2009 agus fáiltím roimh chomhpháirtíocht Chomhairle Contae Liatroma sa tionscnamh tábhachtach cultúir seo". Tá saothar John McGahern aistrithe go teangacha éagsúla ar fud an domhain. Is iad na leabhair is cáiliúla a scríobh sé The Dark, Amongst Women, That They May Face the Rising Sun agus Memoir. I rith Sheimineár 2008, dúirt Gerardo Gambolini, file agus aistritheoir ón Airgintín, a bhfuil sé i gceist aige Collected Stories McGahern a aistriú go Spáinnis do lucht léitheoireachta Mheiriceá Laidinigh, agus é ag trácht ar an scríbhneoir as Liatroim, dúirt sé: "Feicim John McGahern mar shárscríbhneoir, ní mar shárscríbhneoir Éireannach. Is guth uilíoch atá aige; tá an bua aige tuin agus topaicí uilíocha a chruthú cé gur léir gur tuin agus topaicí Éireannacha iad gan dabht. I mo thaithí ag aistriú a shaothair bhí an t-ádh orm lá i ndiaidh lae a chaitheamh ar feadh achar fada ama ag léamh agus ag samhlú an méid a scríobh McGahern". Chomh maith leis an Seimineár poiblí, tá an dara Scoil Samhraidh ina ndéanfar dianstaidéar ar shaothar McGahern agus a chomhthéacsanna á heagrú in OÉ Gaillimh mar chuid de 26ú Scoil Samhraidh Idirnáisiúnta na hOllscoile sa Léann Éireannach. Is ann don Scoil Samhraidh do mhic léinn agus do thaighdeoirí ardleibhéil a bhfuil suim acu i saothar John McGahern, agus a shaol in Éirinn san 20ú hAois. D'fhreastail mic léinn as Éirinn, an tSlóvaic, Stáit Aontaithe Mheiriceá agus Sasana ar Scoil Samhraidh 2008. Ag labhairt ag an seoladh, dúirt Oifigeach Ealaíon Liatroma, Caoimhín Corrigan: "Tá an-áthas orainn i gComhairle Contae Liatroma go bhfuil an tionscadal seo á reáchtáil don tríú bliain as a chéile, agus é go mór chun tosaigh i bhféilire litríochta na hÉireann. Cé go bhfuil an bhéim is mó ar shaothar John McGahern, léiríonn téama gaisce na bliana seo – gaiscí áitiúla agus gaiscí uilíocha – agus CLG ag ceiliúradh 125 bliain, an mhuinín agus an fhís atá ag Comhairle Contae Liatroma agus ag OÉ Gaillimh don ócáid thábhachtach seo". Beidh an Scoil Samhraidh (25 Iúil – 1 Lúnasa 2009) ar siúl i Leabharlann an Chontae, Baile an Átha Móir, Co. Liatroma faoi stiúir an Dr John Kenny, Léachtóir John McGahern le Scríbhneoireacht Chruthaitheach in OÉ Gaillimh. I measc léachtóirí na Scoile beidh an tOllamh Denis Sampson, údar Outstaring Nature's Eye: The Fiction of John McGahern; Belinda McKeon as Columbia University, Nua-Eabhrac; an Dr Frank Shovlin as an Institute of Irish Studies, Learpholl; an Dr James Whyte, údar History, Myth, and Ritual in the Fiction of John McGahern; agus na scríbhneoirí Mike McCormack agus Brian Leyden. Tá eolas breise ar Sheimineár Idirináisiúnta agus Scoil Samhraidh John McGahern le fáil ach glaoch ar 091-495442 nó dul chuig www.nuigalway.ie/iss -Críoch-