Celebrating the legacy of Diarmuid Ó Suilleabháin

DIARMUID Ó Súilleabháin was an acclaimed sean nós singer and broadcast journalist with RTÉ Ráidió na Gaeltachta in Kerry.

His untimely death in a car accident on the narrow road between Fiontrá (Ventry) and his home in Peig Sayers’ former house in Dún Chaoin (Dunquin) in December, 1991, left the community there and in his home of Cúil Aodha bereft.

The following year, his family and neighbours organised a festival in Cúil Aodha to commemorate and celebrate the life of their brother and friend. 

A high point on the calendar

The success of Éigse Dhiarmuidín, as it’s called, that year has led to the event becoming a high point on the traditional music calendar, attracting visitors from all over Ireland and from around the world to the Cork Gaeltacht a few weeks before Christmas every year since.

The festival has been opened by, among others, Páidí Ó Sé and, this year, by his nephew, another illustrious Kerry footballer, Tomás Ó Sé.

In his address to last Friday’s opening event, the tenacious number five for Kerry and An Ghaeltacht paid high praise to Diarmuid Ó Suilleabháin, whom he remembered from his days as one of his uncle’s best friends.

“It was Diarmuid who wrote the speech Páidí would deliver when he went up to receive Sam Maguire after he captained Kerry to victory in 1985,” said Tomás.

He told the audience in Áras Éamon Mac Suibhne in Cúil Aodha that the broadcaster had given a note to Páidí in the middle of the field before the Gaeltacht man ascended the steps of the Hogan Stand to make his now famous speech entirely in Irish. “A mhuintir Chiarraí agus a cháirde go léir.”

As with any gathering to celebrate the life of a departed ‘laoch’ or hero, a major part of the celebration is the telling of tales about their life.

As well as celebrating the high point of his uncle’s connection with Diarmuid, Tomás also recalled the day that Diarmuid called to the pub to tell Páidí that he had got wind of the Kerry team that would be playing Cork in the 1988 Munster final and Páidí wasn’t on it. That team selection marked the end of Páidí Ó Sé’s inter-county playing career.

Mix of regular performers and new faces 

The high quality of the musicians and singers participating in the Éigse is one of its main attractions and this year saw a mix of regular performers as well as new stars in the traditional music firmament taking part.

Nell Ní Chróínín, who hails from Béal Átha’n Ghaorthaidh but whose mother, Síle, is from Cúil Aodha, is one of Ireland’s foremost traditional singers.

Nell, the first singer from Cork to win the Corn Uí Riada prize for sean nós singing, told the Saturday night concert that she had been woken by her child at 5am that morning — a time she would have normally been awake at when attending the Éigse in her younger days.

Also performing were Gaeltacht Mhúscraí’s new traditional orchestra, Ensemble Mhúscraí, which features many young musicians from around the area and which is directed by Clare concertina player, Paul Clesham.

Ensemble Mhúscraí made their Éigse debut with style, playing a selection of tunes and songs which signalled that traditional music and singing is thriving in the region.

The Ensemble is a project initated by Ionad Cultúrtha an Dochtúir Ó Loinsigh in Baile Mhúirne whose director is Liadh Ní Riada.

Diarmuid Ó Súilleabháin was one of the earliest members of Cór Chúil Aodha, along with his brothers, Eoiní and Dainí, who lives in Cork city, and their father Maidhcí, so the choir, led by Peadar Ó Riada, always bring the Saturday night gala concert to a close with a rousing rendition of Mo Ghile Mear, the Cúil Aodha anthem.

The music doesn’t stop, however, until early on Monday morning. And then the revellers begin to look forward to next year’s edition of the Éigse, a festival which celebrates the lasting legacy of Diarmuid Ó Suilleabháin.