Hi! Is mise Cailín but I've lost my name because I tried to register but put in the wrong email address. So now I'm Colleen or Cáilín (I know there should be no fada on the 'a').
Anyway, I was just wondering if anyone here is doind an Irish literature course? I'm studying Nua-Ghaeilge in Uni and we've just started a book called 'Dúil' by Liam Ó Flaithearta.
We've read three stories so far: Daoine Bochta, Bás na Bó and Dúil.
I haven't found the stories very interesting or inspiring or eventful. They're ok but not great. Our lecturer told us that the author was one of the best writers in the Irish language. I find this hard to stomach. Can anyone think why he was regarded so highly?
Personally, I loved Padraig Pearse's short stories that we studied last year, like Eoghanaín na nÉan (sorry for any spelling mistakes).
What's everyone's views?

Literature is of course a matter of taste, so I'll only give my own two cents.

Ó Flaithearta is rightly famous for his books in English, although he was a native speaker from the Aran Islands he usually wrote in English. Thse books have given him a well-earned reputation and your lecturer might have transfered those feelings to his writings in Irish. I've never before heard anyone mention him as one of the finest writers in Irish.

But the short stories in Dúil are well crafted short stories. They are less naive than the Pearse ones.

On the other hand, they are fairly remote from eastern urban dwellers. Tabhair deis dóibh, a Chailín!

Aonghus, I disagree that the stories are remote from pfrom eastern urban dwellers! The stories, in my mind, are very uilíoch anyway. I am from Kildare but my mum is from Leitrim and I spent a lot of time there when I was younger (every birthday, every second Christmas and numerous times throughout the year).
In fact, I found that spending a lot of time in Leitrim helped me in the Leaving Cert with "The Playboy of the Western World" by Synge, as I related to the language that was spoken. My grandparents and great aunt speak like that.
Personally, I just find that O flaithearta is just an average writer. Jonas, you may well be correct that he was known better for his writings in English.
Thanks everyone!
So, what Irish language books does everyone here like?
My favourites are Gearrscéalta Uí Phiarsaigh and An Taistealaí by Ré Ó Laighleis (I'm also lucky enough to have a signed copy of "Goimh agus Scéalta Eile" with a message to me from Ó Laighleis!)

What I meant is that they are remote from city dwellers experience. If you had country/farm experience as a child, then obviously his stories of a child on a farm on Árainn will be less remote for you than for me.

Is breá liom stuif uile Ré Ó Laighléis. Bainim taitneamh as saothar Maidhc Dainín Ó Sé freisin.

Ach is dóigh liom go bhfuil saothar níos fearr / níos soleite iriseoireachta ann seachas ficsin.

Ó hEithir, Ó Cadhain (tá a shaothar samhlaíoch síud ró dheacair dom le léamh - ní mian liom léamh le foclóir le mo thaobh), Ó Muirthile.

Is maith liom muintir Ghrianna freisin - cé go bhfuil stuif Seosaimh dúairc uaireanta, agus stuif "Máire" eadrom.

Agus tá saothar Phadraic Ó Conaire iontach - is aoibhinn liom Fearfeasa mac Feasa.

Well, our lecturer vowed that we would be doing a book by Ó Cadhain and she herself, admitted that his writings are very difficult but very worthwhile to read. Why do you think they're difficult (I know next-to-nothing about Ó Cadhain at the moment)? Is it just purely that the vocab is quite different?

Siad na leabharthaí is fearr liom:

"An tOileánach" (i gcanúint atá aistíoch agam, agus is aoibhinn liom a’ scéal. Tá ’n Ghaeilg iontach maith, Gaeilg chasta, aistíoch, deacair le tuigbheáil amannaí, chomh casta agus atá a stíl... is mar sin atá ’n Ghaeilg mhaith dhúchasach atá ag na seandaoiní anois, fíor-Ghaeilg atá ann).

"Laochas" le Séamas O Searcaigh

"Amach as Ucht na Sliabh" le páistí as Gaoth Dobhair - seanchas atá ann.

"Seanchas Annie Bhán", seanchas le seanchaí as Rann na Feirste. Gaeilg don chéad scoith fosta.

"Cora Cinniúna" leis an Ghriannach. Tá dúil mhór agam ins na gearrscéaltaí.

"Rotha Mór an tSaoil" le Micí Mac Gabhann.

D'usáid an Cadhnach focail go healaíonta. D'usáid sé focail óna chanúint, ón litriocht (i. Méan Ghaeilge, Sean Ghaeilge), agus ó Gaidhlig.

Is fiú a leabhar a léamh, ach is obair chrua atá ann. Agus léimse ar mhaithe le caitheamh aimsire - seachnaím obair!

Is maith liom an tOileánach fósta. Ar léigh tú Allagar na hInise, a Lughaidh? Cheannaíos Dinnseanchas an Bhlascaod leis an bhfear céanna.

Tá Laochas agam freisin - in mór an trua nach bhfuil níos mó des na sean-scéalta ar fáil sa Nua Ghaeilge.

Mar eolas daoibh a chairde:

Tá 'Dúil' Uí Fhlaithearta, 'Cois Caoláire' Uí Chadhain agus 'Bullaí Mhártain' mhuintir Chéilleachair ar fáil arís faoi athchló.