The Oireachtas festival comes to Letterkenny from 1-4 November, and RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta will be there broadcasting live from the heart of the festival over four days.
Barrscéalta, presented by Áine Ní Churráin, will be broadcast live from the RnaG roadcaster, An Ródaí, at the Mount Errigal on Thursday and Friday at 11am. Organisers, visitors and local community will talk to Áine about this big Irish language and culture weekend.
PPI award-winning programme Rónán Beo@3 will be broadcast live from the Ródaí on Thursday at 3pm, but will be live from the foyer of the Mount Errigal on Friday for the annual gala Oireachtas show featuring live music, dance, fun and lots of prizes.
The sean-nós singing competitions are a central part of the Oireachtas festival, and RnaG will be broadcasting the three main competitions live.
On Thursday Dónall Mac Ruairí and Frances Nic Géadaigh will present the under 35 sean-nós competition from 7pm, featuring some of the big sean-nós stars of tomorrow.
On Friday Áine Ní Churráin will present the main women’s and men’s sean-nós competition, Corn na mBan agus na bhFear, at 7pm. On Saturday, Corn Uí Riada, the most prestigious sean-nós competition of the year, will be broadcast live from the Aura Centre, presented by Máirtín Tom Sheáinín.
Finally, on Sunday, listeners can tune in for the mass live from St Eunan’s Cathedral at 10am. Then, at 11.50am Máirtín Tom Sheáinín will bring RnaG’s live broadcasting to a close with request and music show Togha agus Rogha live from An Ródaí as revellers pack up and head home, and look forward to next year’s gathering of the Gaeil.
Rónán Beo @3 on Friday will be webcast live, and you can watch it at www.rte.ie/radio/oireachtas . Rónán and the programme crew will also be keeping a sharp eye on their sean-nós novices, who have been put through their paces on the show over the last number of weeks in preparation for the Oireachtas competitions.
Ann Nic Giolla Bhríde, Barney Ó Muirí, Catherine Ann Ní Dhuibhir, Pól Ó Gallchóir and Máiréad Bean Uí Anluain have all been learning the art of sean-nós, and getting advice from expert singer (and chef) Brian Danny Minnie, as they prepare for the competitions at the Oireachtas.
This will be the third year that Rónán Beo @3 has entered sean-nós novices, na maighdeain sean-nóis, in the competitions, and they have a very impressive record of success to date!
Keep an eye on www.rte.ie/radio/oireachtas for information on the broadcasting, and RnaG will also be uploading photos there throughout the festival, and videos courtesy of Otv who will be capturing behind the scenes action at the Oireachtas.
Oireachtas na Samhna live from Letterkenny on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta Thursday-Sunday 1-4 November.
