Comórtas Chorn Uí Riada á phlé i nGleann Cholm Cille.
Named in honour of the composer Seán Ó Riada, Corn Uí Riada is regarded as the pinnacle of achievement in sean nós (traditional) singing.
It is the most prestigious prize in Oireachtas na Gaeilge, the annual Irish language arts festival, which is being held this year in Gleann Cholm Cille in the Donegal Gaeltacht. Only prior winners of either the men's or women’s singing contests in an tOireachtas may enter.
Nóra Ghriallais (Nóra Bean Mhic Dhonnacha) from Muiceanach Idir Dhá Sháile in Connemara is announced as the winner by host Seán Bán Breathnach, and performs 'A Sheáin a Mhic Mo Chomharsan’.
Judging singers at this level is a demanding task, even for those who are acknowledged experts.
Tomás Ó Neachtain from An Spideál in County Galway is a noted singer and two-time winner of Corn Uí Riada, in 1980 and 1981. For him, a good singer uses their mastery of the music to impart the story,
De réir mar tá mothú agus scéal an amhráin a’ dul chun cinn.
Another singer of renown is Áine Bean Uí Laoi (Áine Ní Ghallchóir) from Gaoth Dobhair, County Donegal. Having won Bonn Óir an Oireachtais in the singing category in 1959, she was awarded Corn an Chomhlacht Oideachais (the forerunner to Corn Uí Riada) the following year. Áine Bean Uí Laoi always takes note of the performer’s understanding of the song, and maintains that everything else follows on from this,
Bíonn mo chluas i gcónaí dírithe ar fhilíocht an amhráin.
While there are pros and cons of competitions such as this one, Breandán Ó Madagáin who is professor of Irish at University College Galway believes that singing competitions have a long history in Ireland.
Is rud lán-nádúrtha an iomaíocht in aon t-saghas ealaíon.
This episode of ‘Cúrsaí’ was broadcast on 6 November 1989. The reporter is Tadhg Mac Dhonnagáin.
