Feis Tigh Chonáin

Feis Tigh Chonáin: 96 pp; hardback; 978-1-909907-67-6

A retelling of a ‘Fionn’ tale written in the 15th Century.

A wedding feast, arson, and murder on the banks of Lough Derg

When Fionn mac Cumhaill and Diorraing go astray in the dark woods, they find themselves in the house of their enemy, thus beginning a night of storytelling that lasts to this very day, and a story culminating in a wedding feast, arson, and murder on the banks of Lough Derg.

Feis Tigh Chonáin Chinn tSléibhe was written sometime in the beginning of the 15th century, a story in the great tradition of Fiannaíocht similar to Tóraíocht Dhiarmada agus Ghráinne (the Pursuit of Diarmaid and Gráinne) and Agallamh na Seanórach (The Colloquy of the Ancients). For the last couple of hundred years this story has been taken down by scribes in manuscripts that were read by the fire in households of the Gael. This new retelling by Darach Ó Scolaí has been written for today’s readers.

Well-written, well-designed book brings the Fiann into the 21st Century

Is ceiliúradh ar an bhFiannaíocht agus ar litríocht na Gaeilge leagan Uí Scolaí de Feis Tigh Chonáin agus tá leitheoirí na Nua-Ghaeilge curtha faoi chomaoin mhór aige. Tréasliimis a leabhar breá fiannaíochta leis. Faoi mar a deir Conán fein, ‘Is binne ná ceol cruite a bheith ag éisteach le binnchomhrá do bhéil’. – Breandán Ó Cróinín, Comhar

“Darach Ó Scolaí retells Feis Tigh Chonáin, a long-forgotten series of stories from the Fenian cycle, in modern day Irish. If any book can bring the stories of the Fiann into the 21st century, this well-written, well-designed book can.” —booksunlimited.

Listen to Bríd Anna Ní Bhaoill as she recounts a version of a story from Feis Tigh Chonáin as told by the seanchaí Seán Néill Ó Baoill, ‘An Óige, an Saol Mór, agus an Bás’

Read an excerpt from the book