Óráid ón Uachtarán Connolly, Taispeántas Bliantúil Ghrúpa Pobail uachtarARTS
Oughterard Courthouse, Co Galway, 12 June 2026
A Chairde Uaisle, tá fíor-áthas orm a bheith i bhur gcomhluadar tráthnóna chun taispeántas bliantúil Ghrúpa Pobail uachtarARTS a oscailt agus Clár Ealaíona Theach na Cúirte a sheoladh don samhradh. Ba mhaith liom buíochas a ghabháil le Renske Boef as ucht an chuiridh.
It is a pleasure to be here today in this historic building. Spanning three centuries and dating back to the 1840s, these walls have witnessed profound changes in Irish society, from famine to revolution to republic. Serving as a courthouse for approx. 168 years, I have no doubt that this room has seen its fair share of drama and art – albeit of a different kind than that on display today - and indeed the courthouse itself came to a dramatic, wet and cold end in 2008, when Judge Mary Fahy brought court business to an end after finding the operating conditions unacceptable due to water pooling inside the entrance and a lack of heat.
The transformation of the Courthouse into this wonderful community space dedicated to culture, heritage, arts and education, is a testament to the will, determination and vision of the local community, spearheaded by the Oughterard Courthouse Restoration and Heritage CLG. Financed with the help of LEADER funding, the renovation shows what can be achieved when the community leads. It is also important to recognise the continued support from and collaboration with Galway County Council.
Ar ndóigh, tá sé thar a bheith riachtanach go mbeadh tacaíocht agus spás taispeántais le fáil ag lucht na n-ealaíon chun tabhairt faoina saothar tábhachtach cruthaitheach agus is iontach an rud é go bhfuil sin curtha ar fáil agaibh anseo ní amháin do Uachtar Ard ach do mhuintir an cheantair mórthimpeall.
Today is a joyful event for the community - a double celebration, showcasing the work of the UachtarARTS Community Arts Group, as well as launching the Oughterard Courthouse Arts Programme’s series of Summer Exhibitions.
UachtarARTS Community Arts Group, since its establishment in 2013 to promote art in the local area and to support artists on their creative journey, has gone from strength to strength. Weekly meetings, here in the Courthouse, are an invaluable forum for the group’s now 60 members to meet, exchange ideas and share skills.
In parallel, Oughterard Courthouse Arts Programme has done immense work in facilitating exhibitions of local artists, and in attracting established and emerging artists from further afield, to exhibit in Oughterard. The fact that this year’s summer exhibition series has been extended by one week this year speaks to its success.
Is téama an-tábhachtach agus tráthúil atá i gceist le taispeántas na bliana seo. Ár dTeanga, Ár nDúchas. Tugann tuiscint ar ár dteanga léargas níos doimhne dúinn ar chúrsaí an tsaoil. Cuireann sé ar ár gcumas tábhacht a dteanga agus a gcultúr féin do dhaoine ó thíortha eile a aithint agus a fháiltiú le meas agus le dignit.
Is nasc í chuig ár gclann agus níos faide siar chuig sliocht ár sleachta. Is ceangal í leis an gceantar arbh as muid agus le stair ár dtíre.
Tá an Ghaeilge faoi bhláth faoi láthair ach bhí blianta fada nach raibh fáil ag muintir na tíre seo ar a dteanga dúchas féin. Teanga atá fréamhaithe sa dúlra, sa dúchas agus sa nádúr daonna.
Teanga a thugann tuiscint níos doimhne dúinn orainn féin, ar ár ndúlra, ar ár mbéaloideas agus ar ár logainmneacha. Ní gá ach smaoineamh ar chuid de na háiteanna mórthimpeall orainn anseo, logainmneacha áille le brí ar leith leo i nGaeilge ach gan aon chiall leis na leaganacha galldaithe.
Uachtar Ard a thugann le fios go bhfuil sé ar thalamh ard (upper height)/high place) ach gan aon chiall le Oughterard, Cloch na Rón, Seal’s Rock, ach galldaithe go Roundstone a thabharfadh le fios gur cloch chiorclach atá i gceist gan aon trácht ar na rónta bochta.
An Clochán a thugann le fios go raibh cosán nó struchtúr cloiche san áit ach galldaithe go Clifden focal nach gcuireann aon stair nó tuiscint áite in iúl.
Níl iontu sin ach cúpla sampla ach léiríonn siad chomh riachtanach is atá sé ár dteanga a chosaint chun saibhreas ár n-oidhreachta a chaomhnú do ghlúnta na todhchaí.
The theme, “Ár dTeanga, Ár nDúchas” is both topical and relevant. It is a source of joy to see the renewed interest in the Irish language, on every level, in Galway and throughout the country.
I believe that every language is a unique, magical world unto itself, a framework imprinted by and imbued with the history, culture and ecology of a place or a people. We learn our mother tongue from our primary caregiver – a powerful connection which shapes how we interact with the world around us. To choose to use, learn or return to a language is an act of courage which serves to connect us with those who came before us, and as a gift to those who will come after.
The richer our language, the richer our capacity to describe and understand our beautiful, precious world, and to develop it sustainably. As Michael Cronin, author of An Ghaeilge agus an Éiceolaíocht, points out in a further exploration of this theme, the contrary is also true. If our language is impoverished, we will “literally be speechless in the face of climate change.” And, if I may add, indeed in face of the enormous challenges we face, including the normalisation of war, all of which of course are inextricably linked.
Today’s exhibition, the first of the four in the series, is a wonderful and diverse exploration of this theme. Using a range of different media, 40 artists from the community have created something truly special.
Moreover, “Ár dTeanga, Ár nDúchas” will be interwoven throughout the programme of exhibitions over the next two months, which will include Fold by Aosdána member and centenarian Mo Irwin-West, her daughter Katharine, son Richard and granddaughter Manon. Túath from Natalie Wood Folan, Madeleine Shinnick and Donal Kelly, three emerging artists, will follow. Another Aosdána member, Brian Bourke and his wife Jay Murphy, will present Work from Two Studios to conclude the series. I wait with eager anticipation to see how each artist will interpret this very special theme, and indeed how they will choose to represent it in their artistic creations.
Is ag ealaíontóirí agus iad siúd atá ag saothrú go cruthaitheach atá de chumas éagóirí chomh maith le háilleacht an domhain a chur os ár gcomhair ar bhealaí a thugann orainn breathnú, a thugann orainn smaoineamh, a thugann orainn tuiscint, a thugann orainn gníomhú. Is boichte agus is laige a bheadh spiorad agus croí ár sochaí agus ár bpobail gan saothar ár gcuid ealaíontóirí.
Tréaslaím libhse ar fad atá rannpháirteach agus bainteach ar aon bhealach leis an taispeántas seo, a chairde, mar go bhfuil lóchrann spreagúil lasta agaibh anocht agus teanga, oidhreacht, cruthaitheacht, dúchas agus pobal á gcomóradh agaibh. Tá mé ag tnúth go mór leis na trí taispeántas eile a bheidh ar siúl le linn chlár an tsamhraidh agus a dtuiscint áirithe féin ar théama Ár dTeanga, Ár nDúchas, á chur in iúl agus i láthair ag ealaíontóirí na dtaispeántas sin.
Is togra thar a bheith tábhachtach atá idir láimhe anseo agaibh, a chairde, go mba fada buan sibh.
Mar fhocal scoir, níl le déanamh agam ach a rá go bhfuil clár ealaíne shamhraidh Teach na Cúirte agus taispeántas ealaíne ó bhaill de ghrúpa pobail Uachtar ARTS oscailte anois.