Conamara Chronicles

"The greatest triumph of this book's many triumphs is its warm appreciation for family and community that emerge in the lovingly translated texts. These stories foreground the history of Ireland as experienced, remembered, and relived by oral intellectual leaders of a marginalized, and often forgotten, maritime community. . . . Indeed, if silence is the angel with which literature wrestles, these translations give voice to the memory, stories, and legacy of oral intellectuals who feature here and tell the story of history from below. Essential reading for any traveler to Connemara and the West of Ireland."

~Brian Ó Conchubhair, University of Notre Dame

"Seán Mac Giollarnáth's landmark publication of 1941 demonstrates his work in collecting traditional material and transcribing vernacular culture. It is fitting to see the work in translation, and readers seeking to step into the wondrous world of Conamara tradition would do well to begin here.""

~Ríonach uí Ógáin, University College Dublin

"With the same profound and intimate sense of place and absolute command of their source's rich Conamara Irish they brought to their translation of Máirtín Ó Cadhain's Cré na Cille as Graveyard Clay, in Conamara Chronicles: Tales from Iorras Aithneach—their superb translation of traditional lore originally collected and published by Seán Mac Giollarnáth in 1941—Liam Mac Con Iomaire and Tim Robinson bring alive again the people, tales, and culture of another of Ireland's petites patries whose like is unlikely to ever be seen again."

~Philip O'Leary, Boston College

"A vivid and absorbing collection of tales that bring to life whole worlds of imagination and experience. Tim Robinson and Liam Mac Con Iomaire in their remarkable translation capture the poetic vibrancy and profound sensitivity to nature and place of a community of Conamara storytellers who see the local as the portal to the universal."

~Michael Cronin, Trinity College Dublin

"Conamara Chronicles is a remarkable tribute to Seán Mac Giollarnáth's important and enduring legacy as a folklore collector in Conamara. The tales presented here provide compelling insight into the oral culture and traditions of Iorras Aithneach over many generations and give readers a glimpse into the lives of an outstanding group of storytellers who ensured the tales, memories, and traditions passed down to them by their forebears were preserved for posterity. The meticulous translation and editorial work carried out by Tim Robinson and Liam Mac Con Iomaire in compiling this collection is a testament to their deep respect for Mac Giollarnáth and his collaborators. Go gcúití Dia a saothar leo."

~Ailbhe Nic Giolla Chomhaill, University of Limerick

"The biographies and photographs of contributors, historical maps, single-word translations of the original (as in Cruach na Caoile – Deer Island), and extensive footnotes all build a case for a rich and compelling collection."

~Sean Williams - The Evergreen State University, Journal of Folklore Research Reviews