Toraí Beo - Tory Live
Toraí Beo
Tá Oileán Thoraí 9 míle amach ó chósta Iarthuaiscirt Dhún na nGall. Tá sé trí mhíle ar fhad agus míle amháin ar leithead agus tá pobal buan de thuairim is 130 duine ina gcónaí ar an oileán. Is oileán ársa é a bhfuil cónaí air leis na cianta, chomh fada siar le Fomhóraigh na bhfinscéalta. Go dtí an lá atá inniu ann, tá stór thar a bheith saibhir de chultúr agus d’oidhreacht ag pobal an oileáin seo. Go minic, nuair atáthar ag caint le duine de bhunadh an oileáin, ní bheifeá róchinnte cé acu atá an comhrá suite san am i láthair nó sa chianaois. Agus is rómhinic fosta a bhíonn ‘cuairteoirí’, lucht acadúil agus ‘álaithe’ de gach sórt ag tarraingt as flúirse an tsaibhris oidhreachta agus an traidisiún atá ag na hoileánaigh ach ar bheagán sochair do na hoileánaigh nó don oileán é féin. Is é seo an sainmheon a thiomáineann caidreamh na Ceardlainne lena phobal comharsanach.
Ní thugann ‘Toraí Beo’ ach léargas beag bídeach ar shaibhreas cultúrtha an oileáin. Tá lúcháir mhór orainn ‘Péintéirí Thoraí’ a chur in bhur láthair, idir ealaíontóirí aitheanta agus an ghlúin d’ealaíontóirí óga atá ag teacht chun tosaigh. Tá DVD fá dtaobh den togra ‘Sean-nós Nua’, a rinneadh le scoláirí mheánscoile an oileáin, le feiceáil thuas staighre. Ní bheadh an togra seo indéanta ar chor ar bith ach ab é an cuidiú luachmhar a fuarthas ón Nerve Centre i nDoire. Ba í an aidhm a bhí leis an togra seo ná bunadh óg an oileáin a dhéanamh eolach ar stíl shuntasach Sean-nóis an oileáin féin agus spreag sé sin an chéad ‘Féile Soilsí Thoraí’ sa bhliain 2007. Tá an Sean-nós beo bríomhar i dToraigh agus déantar é a cheiliúradh i mí na Bealtaine gach uile bhliain le linn Feis Sean-nóis Thoraí, ócáid thábhachtach iontach gurb fhiú freastal uirthi. Lena chois sin, tá taispeántas den saothar a bhí mar thoradh ar thogra ealáine pobail, ‘Selkie’, a stiúraigh an t-ealaíontóir Maria Hayes mar chuid de ‘Féile Soilsí Thoraí’ na bliana 2008.
Níos moille ná sin, sa bhliain 2008, bhí daoine óga as an oileán rannpháirteach i gcúrsa sa teicneolaíocht chruthaitheach, cúrsa a fuair tacaíocht ó M.F.G., An Roinn Gnóthaí Sóisalacha, Pobail & Teaghlaigh agus Coiste Gairmoideachais Dhún na nGall. Bhí sé mar chuspóir ag an obair seo an t-aos óg, a bhí ag teacht i méadaíocht ar an oileán, a chumasú sa dóigh go mbeadh siad in inmhe a dtionscail chultúrtha féin a bhunú. Mar thoradh ar an togra seo, a bhí arís faoi stiúir an Nerve Centre, Doire, cruthaíodh Suíomh Gréasáin don oileán, cuireadh tús le Cartlann an Oileáin agus bunaíodh ‘Ceardlann na Rogairí’, togra beag beochana. Tá cuid mhór oibre le déanamh go fóill sa réimse seo agus san am i láthair táthar ag lorg tuilleadh maoiniúcháin ar mhaithe le leanúint ar aghaidh le forbairt ar na tograí seo.
Ba mhaith le Ceardlann na gCroisbhealach a mbuíochas a chur in iúl do phobal an oileáin uilig as ucht cead a thabhairt dúinn cuidiú leo agus fosta ar shon a gcaoithiúlacht fhlaithiúil agus a dtacaíocht leanúnach. Fuair na gníomhaíochtaí go léir atá luaite thuas tacaíocht airgid ó Ealaín na Gaeltachta, An Chomhairle Ealaíon agus Comhairle Chontae Dhún na nGall.
Úna Campbell, Aibreán 2009
Toraí Beo
Tory Island is 9 miles off the North West coast of Donegal; it stretches 3 miles long and 1 mile wide and has a permanent population of approximately 130.
It is an ancient land populated as far back as the legends record to the ‘Fomorians’. This Island community to this day holds a rich, rich store of culture and heritage. Often, when talking to members of the Island community, one is not sure is the conversation located in the contemporary or the ancient. Too often ‘visitors’, academics and ‘ologists’ of every kind reach into the Islanders plentiful well of tradition and heritage but to little benefit to the Islanders or the Island itself. This has been the driving ethos behind all of the Ceardlann’s engagement with its neighbouring community.
‘Toraí Beo’ presents a mere snapshot of the Islands wealth of culture. We have pleasure in presenting the ‘Tory Painters’, both established and a younger emerging generation of artists. A DVD relating to the ‘Sean-nós Nua’ project conducted with the students from the Islands secondary school is screened upstairs. This project was only possible with the invaluable input by The Nerve Centre, Derry. This project aimed to initiate younger Islanders to engaged with the Islands own unique form of ‘Sean-nós’ and was the impetus behind the first ‘Féile Soilsí Thoraí’ in 2007. Sean-nós is kept alive and celebrated every May at the Tory Sean-nós Feis, an important and wonderful event, one well worth attending. Also exhibited is the work resulting from a community art projected ‘Selkie’ conducted by artist Maria Hayes as part of 2008 ‘Féile Soilsí Thoraí’
More recently, in 2008, younger members of the Island community participated in a creative technology course, supported by M.F.G., Dept of Social, Community & Family Affairs and Donegal V.E.C. The aim of this work was to empower young adults living on Tory to establish cultural industries of their own. The results of this project, conducted again by The Nerve Centre, Derry, have produced an Island Website, the beginnings of an Island Archive and the establishment of ‘Ceardlann na Rogairí’ a small animation project. Extensive work still needs to be ongoing in this area and further funding is currently being sort to continue the development of these projects.
Ceardlann na gCroisbhealach wishes to thank all the Island community permission to assist them and their ongoing generous accommodation and support. All the above activities have been financial support by Ealaín na Gaeltachta, The Arts Council of Ireland and Donegal County Council.