Best of Erris on show at Éigse festival

Friday night, September 27, saw Gaoth Dobhair's Altan kick off Éigse na hEachléime in St Brendan’s Hall in the Erris village of Eachléim. 

A full house saw the internationally renowned band give a performance where both the band and the audience bonded and blended together.

That a small rural community in the Northwest Mayo Gaeltacht attracted a band of Altan's stature to the area speaks volumes for the organising committee. It was Altan's first visit so far west in their 40 years on the road. We were assured it won’t be their last.

Saturday's Éigse programme was opened by the Cathaoirleach of Mayo County Council, Cllr Sean Carey, in the Solas Heritage Complex with its Scéalta an Atlantaigh who welcomed the assembled audience to Eachléim and Erris. 

Ailbhe van der Heide, Cnuasach Bhéaloideas Éireann, then took us on the journey of our lore and béaloideas that started in the late 1920s and has continued to this day, now formalised with University College Dublin. Ailbhe, with slides and context, filled in the journey those past pioneers did in preserving our culture, language and lore. The combination of volunteer gatherers, teachers and schoolchildren left a legacy from those times that today is possibly one of the strongest strands that connect us to whom we are as a people, Irish with a distinctive culture and language.

After Ailbhe spoke, local author and historian Thomas Bán Ó Raghallaigh gave a most interesting lecture about Tairngreachtaí Bhríain Rua. Brian was a seventeenth-century prophet or forecaster from the Erris area. The Nostradamus of the Barony, many of Brian’s prophecies were couched as slight riddles but deadly accurate. 

Thomas Bán has the capacity to hold an audience's attention, mixing fact and history with dollops of humour and wit. A cross between a stand-up comic and a professor. He also possesses the ability to include the audience via questions but also the ability not to get sidetracked by them.

The conversations and comhrá continued over lunch, tea and coffee. Whilst one group chatted away as Gaeilge, another group of visitors to the Solas Centre - six bikers with their Harley-Davidsons parked side by side - dined away, all in harmony. 

The afternoon session kicked off with a forum of people in a circle, led by Dr Laoise Ní Dhúda, Oifigeadh Plesnála Teanga Iorras, along with Maríon Ní Eibhrín and Éineacháin Ní Gallachóir, leading and involving the local community in their native tongue and words that no longer have the same currency but are in danger of being lost from the area.

After that the local national schoolchildren sang sean nós songs, played instruments for the assembly who were blown away by the standard of the children, a credit to the teachers and community. 

Fergus Mac Suibhne showed a film of our four local lighthouses and their importance and place in our community. The group then broke into a set dancing troupe with Carmel Nic Aindriú and amrániocht lé Síle Uí Mhongáin and Bríd Ghiollabhaird that focused on songs native to the Iniskeas and surrounding villages of Eachléim. The Ó Mongáins are - and have been - stalwart musical contributors to the schools in Erris.

That night saw a seisúin ceoil traidisiúnta ī dTeach John Joe, the local hostelry. 

Sunday had yoga as Gaeilge, a tour of Blacksod lighthouse rounded off by a trip to the Holy Well of St Deirbhle. All in all a wonderful weekend. 

Now that’s the front of house stuff for your consumption. This occurred because people behind the scenes put flesh on the bones of the Éigse na hÉachléime 2025. I attended in the capacity of a local supporter but my eye showed me that this would not have happened without the support of people and institutions.

The Éigse was Maríon Ní Éibhrín’s brainchild and she set her sights on bringing the idea to fruition in late September. To achieve this, Maríon linked up with Sean Ó Gallachóir who has seen the evolution of Comharchumann Forbartha Ionad Deirbhile (CFID) and Solas, two successful community projects that has enhanced the greater Eachléim area and surrounds, including Blacksod Lighthouse and Blue Flag beaches, interacting with the local Gaelscoileanna and surfing schools amongst other amenities in the area.

Sean and the CFID with team leader Tina, technical expert Fergus and the first class Solas team and facilities underpinned a successful weekend. Ò Gallachóir sourcing the various agencies like Údaras Na Gaeltachta, Gaeilge Iorras and Mayo County Council ensured financial support for the Éigse, an essential ingredient to bring it to life. The local community - without it the occasion would have not been a success - intermingled with visitors from outside the area, ensuring a most successful weekend.

Weekends such as the Éigse can be taken for granted. They shouldn’t be. Individual dreams are needed for such things to happen. For those dreams to come alive they need others to buy into that vision. Maríon Ni Eibhrín agus Sean Ó Gallachóir agus a foireann ensured the first Éigse na hEachléime came to fruition. Mixing the eclectic rainbow of Altan's Irish music with the local seisiún ceol traidisiúnta Craobh Iorrais í dteach täirne John Joe, bookended a magical week. Maith sibh uilig muinteorí na hEachléime.

Focal Scor: Radio na Gaeltachta and TG4 are the lifeblood for the Irish language. The Gaeltachts of Kerry, Galway and Donegal are lucky to have studios located within their Gaeltachts. Mayo and Rathcairn na Midh don’t have such faculties. Whilst the excellent Micheal Ó Tuathaill and RnaG team certainly promote the area, Erris with Eachleim and its infrastructure already in place, its technical support expertise and local Irish contributors are ready, indeed need a RnaG studio and team locally. It deserves every chance to breath and grow.