Before the singing, all manner of questions about "the ancestral faith" are fielded at a party to launch the Cumann Merriman Winter School. We hang in there.
Irene Ni Maille, who grew up in Rosmuck, in Connemara, Co Galway, promises she will discuss An Creideamh Mathartha (the maternal religion) with the assembled scholars in Dungarvan, Co Waterford, when she speaks on Saturday, February 3rd. She hopes for "the release of the feminine and towards that we are hoping for the release of the masculine". Don't we all.
The school's theme this year is "The Ancestral Faith - Death or Rebirth?". Luckily, school director, Liam O Dochartaigh, of the University of Limerick, explains that the Merriman lectures always have "a serious intent but they're not seriously delivered". Whew. Before guests can exercise themselves any further on matters of faith or gender, Maire Ni Neachtain, chair of Cumann Merriman, calls for a song. Padraig O Cearbhaill gives us a rendition of a great Waterford love song, Is i an fhaoileann an bhean brea, which brings new resonance to the subject of romantic love: "You are more important to me than my mother (Is ansa liom tu na mo mhathair)" is the final declamatory line. Even a visitor from New York, Daphne Merkin, is moved by the sentiment (after a hasty translation).
Con Howard, the duly-dubbed fons et origo of Cumann Merriman, sits listening regally to the singing. Does he sing himself at all, at all? "I assert the right of the non-singer to sing," challenges the man from Dysert in Co Clare. Dubliner Antaine O Farachain next sings a drinking song - Bean a' Leanna and the party, at Foras na Gaeilge in Merrion Square, is in full swing.
The commentator and writer, Sean Mac Reamoinn, who will officiate at the weekend winter school, is here to get into character as the school's reachtaire (director).
Others present include publisher and writer Diarmuid Breathnach, from Bray; broadcaster Ciaran Mac Mathuna, who recently turned 75 just like the RTE radio station, and Prof Jim Malone, the dean of Health Science at TCD, who is "a very tidy set dancer," according to Liam O Dochartaigh. "He's much sought after and that's only the men," jokes O Dochartaigh. Malone stands shyly by, smiling at the accolade. His favourite set is the Connemara Set but there's also, of course, the Buck Set, which requires eight men and no women.
