Feasta is an Irish-language

Irish language

Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...

 magazine

Magazine

Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...

 that was established in 1948. Its purpose is the furtherance of the aims of the Gaelic League, an objective reflecting the cultural nationalism

Nationalism

Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...

 of the language movement, and the promotion of new writing. Feasta describes itself as a review of Irish thought, literature, politics, and science (Reiviú den Smaointeachas Éireannach - litríocht, polaitíocht, eolaíocht) and is supported by Foras na Gaeilge

Foras na Gaeilge

Foras na Gaeilge is the governing body of the Irish language, responsible for the promotion of the language throughout the island of Ireland. Its name can be translated into English as "The Irish Language Body", although the body has no official English-language name...

 and the Arts Council of Ireland

Arts Council of Ireland

The Arts Council of Ireland was founded in 1951 by the Government of Ireland to encourage interest in Irish art and channel to funding from the state to Irish artists and arts organisations...

.

History

Feastas foundation in the 1940's reflected the progress made in Irish-language journalism and writing generally since the Gaelic Revival

Gaelic Revival

The Gaelic revival was the late-nineteenth-century national revival of interest in the Irish language and Irish Gaelic culture...

. Together with other journals such as 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...

, it was an agent in adapting the language to the requirements of the modern world, and helped determine the course of Irish-language writing.

The magazine has had many editors, the latest (since 1996) being the poet

Poet

A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...

 and educationalist Pádraig Mac Fhearghusa.

Despite its links with the Gaelic League, Feasta functions as an independent magazine and notes that the views expressed therein are not necessarily those of the League itself.

Scope

Feasta publishes literary criticism

Literary criticism

Literary criticism is the study, evaluation, and interpretation of literature. Modern literary criticism is often informed by literary theory, which is the philosophical discussion of its methods and goals...

, review

Review

A review is an evaluation of a publication, a product or a service, such as a movie , video game, musical composition , book ; a piece of hardware like a car, home appliance, or computer; or an event or performance, such as a live music concert, a play, musical theater show or dance show...

s, and social and political commentary, with some regular columnists. Social and cultural events relating to the Irish language are also covered. Poetry

Poetry

Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...

 is published regularly and past contributors have included Máirtín Ó Direáin

Máirtín Ó Direáin

Máirtín Ó Direáin born in Sruthán on Inismór in the Aran Islands was an Irish language poet.The son of a small-farmer, Máirtín Ó Direáin spoke only Irish until his mid-teens. He worked as a civil servant from 1928 until 1975...

, Máire Mhac an tSaoi

Máire Mhac an tSaoi

-Background:Mhac an tSaoi was born as Máire MacEntee in Dublin in 1922. Her father, Seán MacEntee, a native of Belfast, was a founding member of Fianna Fáil, a long-serving TD and Tánaiste in the Dáil and a participant in the Easter Rising of 1916. Her mother, County Tipperary-born Margaret Browne...

, Seán Ó Ríordáin

Seán Ó Ríordáin

-Life:He was born in Baile Mhúirne, County Cork, the eldest of three children of Seán Ó Ríordáin of Baile Mhúirne and Mairéad Ní Loineacháin of Cúil Ealta....

, and Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill

Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill

Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill is an Irish poet.Born in Lancashire, England in 1952, of Irish parents, she moved to Ireland at the age of 5, and was brought up in the Dingle Gaeltacht and in Nenagh, County Tipperary. Her uncle is Monsignor Pádraig Ó Fiannachta of An Daingean, the leading authority alive on...

. The magazine also publishes short fiction, with particular emphasis on new writing. Despite its general emphasis on the linguistic and cultural situation in Ireland, Feasta publishes Irish-language material from overseas when available. The magazine also carries advertising by Irish-language publishers.

Further reading

• Caerwyn Williams, J.E. and Ní Mhuiríosa, Máirín (1979), Traidisiún Liteartha na nGael. An Clóchomhar Tta, Baile Átha Cliath.