An Tromdhámh

An Tromdhámh: 100 pp; Hardback;  978 1 911363 21 7

Winner of Oireachtas ‘Book of the Year’ Award

A retelling of the 14th century satirical tale Tromdhámh Guaire. Feargal Ó Béarra’s new modern edition recounts the prolongued visit of the ‘burdensome band of bards’ to King Guaire, and its comic consequences — not to mention the ‘finding’ of the then long-lost tale ‘Táin Bó Cuailnge’. A story to savour and to delight in.

A book to be relished by those who have no great love for our rhymers, past or present!

A Meisterwerk Given New Life

“Cé gur ríléir an dílseacht don traidisiún agus an grinneas friotail sa gcóiriú teanga, tá glór cruthaitheach údair le haithint freisin, agus is maith ann dó. Tá muid faoi chomaoin Fheargail Uí Bhearra as meisterwerk sa Nua-Ghaeilge Mhoch a shlánú do ghlúin úr léitheoirí.” —Dónall Ó Braonáin, Comhar

“An téacs atá soláthraithe ag Feargal dúinn anso tá sé gan cháim …. Táim ag caint ar an tslí inar chuaigh sé i mbun oibre agus an láimhseáil cháiréiseach a dhein sé ar an mbuntéacs sa tslí is gur éirigh leis Tromdhámh Ghuaire a thabhairt slán chughainn féna chulaith Nua-Ghaeilge agus gach ab fhéidir de shaibhreas foclóra agus teangan a thabhairt leis san am gcéanna.” —Breandán Ó Cróinín, Feasta

“Feargal Ó Béarra … gelingt es kongenial, die Vorlage ins moderne Irische zu übertragen. Das Ergebnis liegt in einem ansprechenden Band vor, der im Verlag Leabhar Breac erschienen ist. (Is ealaíonta mar a éiríonn le Feargal Ó Béarra … an bunleagan a aistriú go Nua-Ghaeilge. Tá a thoradh sin le fáil sa leabhar tarraingteach a chuir Leabhar Breac amach.) —Irene Balles, Abeitlung Keltologie

One of the great strengths and attractions of this series is that the authors remain as faithful as possible to the old linguistic and literary characteristics of the original text or texts, but that linguistic richness makes for slow, if rewarding, progress for the average reader of today. A little patience and understanding, however, repays the extra effort. An Tromdhámh doesn’t have the same action and excitement of some of the other retellings in this series, like Táin Bó Cuailnge, Conaire Mór and Tuatha Dé Danann, but its inclusion alerts us to the variety of genres and narratives available in our most ancient tales. — Cathal Póirtéir, Books Ireland

Read an excerpt from An Tromdhámh

Listen to an excerpt from Mé Suibhne read by the author: