Lá Fhéile Mhic Dara

Is é Dé hAoine 16 Iúil Féile Mhic Dara, agus craolfar Iris Aniar beo ó chéibh an Mhása i gCarna an mhaidin sin, áit a mbeidh daoine ag fanacht le dul isteach ar Oileán Mhic Dara.

Ba sa Seachtú hAois a thóg Naomh Mac Dara teampall ar an oileán amach ón Más, agus is nós le bádóirí an cheantair na seoltaí a ísliú trí huaire agus iad ag dul thar an oileán in ómós don naomh. Gach bliain tugann úinéirí báid agus iascairí an cheantair na céadta duine isteach ar an oileán ar Lá Mhic Dara, áit a léifear an t-aifreann ag meánlae. Ansin, san iarnóin bíonn rásaí currachaí agus báid seoil ann, chomh maith le neart ceoil. Beidh SBB thíos ag céibh an Mhása Dé hAoine agus é ag caint le lucht báid, leo siúd atá ag dul isteach ar an oileán, agus le ceoltóirí agus amhránaithe, faoin bhféile bhliantúil seo.

On Friday Raidió na Gaeltachta will broadcast Iris Aniar from Céibh an Mhása in Carna where the annual celebrations for the feast day of St Mac Dara will be beginning.

St. Mac Dara built a church on Cruach na Cara - an island off the coast of Carna - in the Seventh Century and fishermen and boatmen alike traditionally dip their sails three times when passing the island, a custom that has been in existence since the Seventeenth Century. Each year on his feast day hundreds make the pilgrimage to the island where mass is celebrated at midday and this is followed in the afternoon by music at Céibh an Mhása pier, as well as currach races and the All-Ireland Galway hooker Championship Regatta. From early Friday morning, people will be arriving at the pier and local boatmen will transport them from there out to the island free of charge. Iris Aniar will be broadcast live from there, where Seán Bán Breathnach will be speaking to local boatmen, people travelling out to the island, musicians and singers about this unique Connemara festival.