Ciarán Ó Con Cheanainn
Encyclopedia
Ciarán Ó Con Cheanainn Irish
scholar, teacher
and youngest winner of the Corn Uí Riada
.
Ó Con Cheanainn was born in Galway, and was a descendant of the Kings of Uí Díarmata
. He was the youngest winner of the prestigious sean nós
Corn Uí Riada
singing competition at Oireachtas na Gaeilge
, an annually held arts festival of Irish culture.
He studied at NUI Galway, graduating in 2002 with first class honours in Irish and geography
. In 2003 he was awarded an MA
at UCD
having completed his thesis
, "Gnéithe de Sheachadadh na nAmhrán Traidisiúnta sa Ghaeilge." The following year he completed his thesis "Clár Amhrán Chois Fharraige", securing an M Litt in Modern Irish.
The National University of Ireland
in 2004 awarded him a travelling studentship in Celtic Studies
, and he spent two years at Edinburgh University’s school of Scottish studies. A regular competitor at Oireachtas na Gaeilge and Fleadh Ceoil na hÉireann, he won many prizes. He represented Ireland at the International Pan-Celtic Festival in 1999 and 2000, taking first prize on both occasions.
He was a member of the committee of An Cumann le Béaloideas Éireann, and served on the board of Comhar
for six years. His published work includes entries for The Encyclopaedia of Music in Ireland and Leabhar Mór na hAmhrán (both forthcoming), and articles and reviews for the Journal of Music in Ireland. He made a number of recordings of his singing, and had recently participated in the Cumann Merriman winter school.
Ciarán had recently been appointed to a lectureship in Modern Irish at UCD, and was looking forward to the completion of his doctoral thesis and the publication of two substantial books on the singing tradition of his native Conamara. Ciarán died suddenly on 4 February 2009 at 27 years of age.
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
scholar, teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
and youngest winner of the Corn Uí Riada
Corn Uí Riada
Corn Uí Riada is the premier sean nós singing competition at Oireachtas na Gaeilge, an annually held arts festival of Irish culture, It is named in honour of the composer and founder of the legendary male choir Cór Chúil Aodha, Seán Ó Riada...
.
Ó Con Cheanainn was born in Galway, and was a descendant of the Kings of Uí Díarmata
Uí Díarmata
Uí Díarmata was a local kingdom located in what is now north County Galway.-Origins:The ruling dynasty took its name from King Diarmait Finn of Connacht , and the territory in turn was named after them. It seems to have been created by the Uí Briúin in the ninth century during a wave of expansion...
. He was the youngest winner of the prestigious sean nós
Sean Nós
Sean Nós refers to "old style" Irish song and dance, which are discussed under:* Sean-nós song, Irish traditional song.* Sean-nós dance, Irish traditional dance.* Sean-nós dance in America, Irish traditional singing and dancing in the "old style" in America...
Corn Uí Riada
Corn Uí Riada
Corn Uí Riada is the premier sean nós singing competition at Oireachtas na Gaeilge, an annually held arts festival of Irish culture, It is named in honour of the composer and founder of the legendary male choir Cór Chúil Aodha, Seán Ó Riada...
singing competition at Oireachtas na Gaeilge
Oireachtas na Gaeilge
Oireachtas na Gaeilge is an annually held arts festival of Irish culture, which has run since the 1890s. Based on the Welsh Eisteddfod, Oireachtas na Gaeilge runs for one week, featuring performances, demonstrations and competitions...
, an annually held arts festival of Irish culture.
He studied at NUI Galway, graduating in 2002 with first class honours in Irish and geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
. In 2003 he was awarded an MA
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
at UCD
University College Dublin
University College Dublin ) - formally known as University College Dublin - National University of Ireland, Dublin is the Republic of Ireland's largest, and Ireland's second largest, university, with over 1,300 faculty and 17,000 students...
having completed his thesis
Thesis
A dissertation or thesis is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings...
, "Gnéithe de Sheachadadh na nAmhrán Traidisiúnta sa Ghaeilge." The following year he completed his thesis "Clár Amhrán Chois Fharraige", securing an M Litt in Modern Irish.
The National University of Ireland
National University of Ireland
The National University of Ireland , , is a federal university system of constituent universities, previously called constituent colleges, and recognised colleges set up under the Irish Universities Act, 1908, and significantly amended by the Universities Act, 1997.The constituent universities are...
in 2004 awarded him a travelling studentship in Celtic Studies
Celtic Studies
Celtic studies is the academic discipline occupied with the study of any sort of cultural output relating to a Celtic people. This ranges from linguistics, literature and art history archaeology and history, the focus lying on the study of the various Celtic languages, living and extinct...
, and he spent two years at Edinburgh University’s school of Scottish studies. A regular competitor at Oireachtas na Gaeilge and Fleadh Ceoil na hÉireann, he won many prizes. He represented Ireland at the International Pan-Celtic Festival in 1999 and 2000, taking first prize on both occasions.
He was a member of the committee of An Cumann le Béaloideas Éireann, and served on the board of Comhar
Comhar
Comhar is a prominent literary journal in the Irish language, published by the company Comhar Teoranta. It was founded in 1942, and has published work by some of the most notable writers in Irish, including Máirtín Ó Cadhain, Seán Ó Ríordáin, Máirtín Ó Direáin, Máire Mhac an tSaoi and Brendan Behan...
for six years. His published work includes entries for The Encyclopaedia of Music in Ireland and Leabhar Mór na hAmhrán (both forthcoming), and articles and reviews for the Journal of Music in Ireland. He made a number of recordings of his singing, and had recently participated in the Cumann Merriman winter school.
Ciarán had recently been appointed to a lectureship in Modern Irish at UCD, and was looking forward to the completion of his doctoral thesis and the publication of two substantial books on the singing tradition of his native Conamara. Ciarán died suddenly on 4 February 2009 at 27 years of age.
External links
- http://igaeilge.wordpress.com/2009/02/05/bas-ro-og-chiarain-ui-chon-cheanainn/
- http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/obituaries/2009/0228/1224241983518.html
- http://journalofmusic.com/article/810
- http://announcements.independent.ie/deaths/o-con-cheanainn-266298/
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Hi9CbYNCV8
- http://journalofmusic.com/contributor/169