Buile Shuibhne: Sweeney's Madness: Cork World Book Fest 2025

Experience – for the first time in Cork – the multi-media staging of multi-media staging of Sweeney’s Madness featuring modern Irish and Scottish Gaelic versions by poet Rody Gorman; with live music by composer Seán MacErlaine and singer Diane Ni Channáin; and screen projections by artist Margaret Lonergan.

Rody Gorman’s multilingual version of Buile Shuibhne (in Irish, English, Scottish and Manx Gaelic) is acclaimed by Robert Mcfarlane as ‘an utterly extraordinary work’.

Gorman’s Sweeney: An Intertonguing is a multilingual journey like none other – with poems in modern Irish and Scottish Gaelic, as well as English prose versions that burst with startling composite words charged with the homonyms and synonyms of the original Irish. It is an ocean of gorgeous lyric poems, delicate songs and tidal litanies in modern Irish, Scottish Gaelic and English.

Rody Gorman was born in Dublin in 1960 and lives in the Isle of Skye. He works as a writer, an editor, a translator and a lecturer. He has published collections of poetry in English, Irish and Scottish Gaelic, as detailed below. He has published collections of poetry in English, Irish and Scottish Gaelic, as detailed below. His most recent publications are Sa Chnoc (CLÀR Publishers), which was awarded the Derick Thompson Poetry Prize 2024, and Sweeney: An Intertonguing (Francis Boutle Publishers), which was shortlisted for the same award.

Published collections:

• Fax and Other Poems, Polygon 1996, 0 7486 6216 2
• Cùis-Ghaoil, Diehard 1999, 0 946230 560
• Bealach Garbh, Coiscéim1999
• On the Underground, Polygon 2000, 0 7486 6274 X
• Naomhóga na Laoi, Coiscéim 2003
• Tóithín ag Tláithínteacht, Lapwing 2004, 1 898472 82 3
• An Duilleog agus An Crotal, Coiscéim 2004
• Flora from Lusitania, Lapwing 2005, 1 905425 30 9
• Zonda Khamsin Sharaav Camanchaca?, Leabhraichean Beaga 2006, 0 946427 402
• Chernilo, Coiscéim 2006
• Eadar Fiaradh is Balbh na h-Oidhche, Diehard 2007, ISSN 1460 681X (W3)
• Céilí san Oíche, Coiscéim 2009
• Beartan Briste/burstbroken judgementshroudloomdeeds, Cape Breton University Press 2011, 078-1-897009-61-1
• Ceangailte, Coiscéim 2011
• Trìtheamhan, Diehard 2017, 978-1-911357-58-2
• Cuala, Dothra, Coiscéim 2021
• Lorg Eile/Final Call, Francis Boutle 2022, 978-1-7398955-3-2
• Sa Chnoc, Clàr 2023, 978-1-8382337-5-4
• Sweeney: An Intertonguing, Francis Boutle 2024, 978-1-7398955-3-2
• Guth le Sruth/Wanderweg, Francis Boutle, forthcoming
• Taisteal Abhaile, Éabhlóid, forthcoming

Work Experience:

• Editing: Acair; An Guth; Birlinn; Gaelic Books Council; HI-Arts; New Writing Scotland; Northwords Now; Polygon; Textualities
• Tutoring: Cove Park; Highland Council; Moniack Mhor Writing Centre; PROGR (Switzerland); Royal Conservatoire of Scotland; Sabhal Mòr Ostaig; University College Cork; University of Manitoba; West Highland College UHI; Western Isles Council
• Mentoring: Gaelic Books Council; Sabhal Mòr Ostaig; Scottish Book Trust; University College Cork; University of Manitoba
• Adjudicating: An Chomhairle Ealaíon; Baker Prize; Comórtas Uí Néill; Creative Scotland/Scottish Arts Council; Edwin Morgan Poetry Award; Féile Filíochta; Strokestown International Poetry Prize; Wigtown Poetry Prize
• Collaborations: Emily Doolittle, Allan Henderson, Seán Mac Erlaine, Christine Primrose, Donald Shaw Rick Taylor (music), Craig Mackay, Derek Robertson (visual arts)
• Awards/bursaries: An Chomhairle Ealaíon (2012, 2017, 2020, 2023); Arts Council of Northern Ireland (2014); Creative Scotland/ Scottish Arts Council (1995, 1998, 2003, 2007, 2013, 2016, 2024); Gaelic Books Council (2011, 2016, 2019); Patrick and Katherine Kavanagh Fellowship (2014); Royal Literary Fund (2012, 2016) and Society of Authors (2002)
• Prizes: Duais de hÍde; Duais Ruaraidh MhicThòmais; Féile Filíochta; Strokestown Poetry Competition; Wigtown Poetry Competition; William Ross Gaelic Writing Prize
• Residencies: Art Point Gumno (North Macedonia, 2007); Heinrich Boll Cottage (Ireland, 2001); KIBLA (Slovenia, 2019); PROGR (Switzerland, 2009); Sabhal Mòr Ostaig (Scotland, 1998, 2009); Tyrone Guthrie Centre (Ireland, 2001); University College Cork (2002) and the University of Manitoba (2008)
• Exchanges: Crossing Border (The Hague, 2007); Cuairt nam Bàrd (1996, 2006, 2012); Druskininkai Poetic Fall (Lithuania, 2006); Guth le Guth (Cove Park, 2008); Poet to Poet (Israel, 2007); Throwing Voices (Edinburgh, 2019); Voyages and Versions (Literature Across Frontiers, 2002)”

Seán Mac Erlaine is a composer, musician and mastering engineer. Recognised as one of Ireland’s most forward-thinking creative musicians, he has worked with many leading lights of music today. Seán’s work intersects folk, free improvisation, jazz, experimental and traditional music. Seán tours and works internationally with a hugely diverse range of musicians and artists reflecting his own versatility and interest in cross-platform work. He has performed with leading musical figures including Jan Bang, Barry Adamson, David Toop, Ernst Reijseger, Jennifer Walshe, The Smith Quartet, Jeff Ballard, Hayden Chisholm, Eivind Aarset, Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh, Valgeir Sigurðsson, Iarla O’Lionaird, Maeve Gilchrist, Erik Friedlander, Damo Suzuki and many more.

Diane Ní Chanainn belongs to a family in which music and song have always been central. It was there on the hearth in both her parents’ families. Diane learned song and instrumental music from an early age, learning the fiddle from the great Francie Mooney, an instrument she still plays. Like her mother, Diane’s daughter Kelly also loves to sing the old Gaelic songs. Diane won first prize in traditional women’s singing at the annual Irish language arts festival, an tOireachtas, in 2015. For some years now, she has been studying the songs of her own area and is very interested in them. Some songs are very popular and sare among the most often performed by local singers. Other songs are, however, more rarely heard. These are often local songs or unusual local versions of songs known elsewhere.

Tógadh Diane Ní Chanainn i dteaghlach a raibh an ceol lárnach ann riamh. Bhí ceol ar an teallach agus ag a muintir ar fad ar a ndá thaobh. Chuir sí suim i ngach cineál ceoil idir cheol uirlíse agus amhránaíocht. D’fhoghlaim sí an fhideal ó Phroinsias Ó Maonaigh agus bíonn sí ag gabháil di i gcónaí. Is ceoltóir breá í a níon Kelly fosta agus tá suim aicise sa tseancheol Gaeilge chomh maith lena máthair. Thug Diane léi príomdhuais an Oireachtais i gcomórtas sinearach na mban don amhránaíocht ar an sean-nós sa bhliain 2015.

Margaret Lonergan is an interdisciplinary graphic artist and visual communication designer. She has been working with IMRAM Féile Litríochta Gaeilge since 2010, creating visual imagery and design for Irish-language music and literature performances, collaborating with writers, poets, translators, musicians, composers, singers, and film-makers to create multimedia, multilingual projects. Recent projects that Margaret has worked on with IMRAM include, ‘Sreang Dhofheicthe: Tionscadal Taylor Swift’ at Pavilion Theatre, Dun Laoghaire (2024), ‘Siúracha Na Gealaí Caillte: Tionscadal Diane Di Prima’ at Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin (2024), and ‘Buile Shuibhne’ at Cumann Cultúrtha Mhic Reachtain, Belfast (2024) and Cork World Book Fest, Cork (2025).