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Leanaí Séanta

Published by LeabhairCOMHAR, 2023.

This collection comprises of plays about aspects of women’s lives in Ireland over the last 60 years – Slán, a long play and two shorter plays Rogha Róisín and Cathú. In each of these plays, we encounter women who don’t give up despite the challenges they are faced with. Although real events inspired de Fréine to put pen to paper, she wove believable stories out of these events and created unforgettable characters in order to give life to the stories.The characters in each of the plays in this remarkable collection live in an undeniably recognisable world.

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Luíse

Arna léiriú ag Umbrella Theatre Company.

This play tells the story of Luíse Ghabhánach Ní Dhufaigh.

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Chúirt An Mheán Oíche

Published by LeabhairCOMHAR, 2017.

“Thriailfeadh leagan drámata de Chúirt An Mheán Oíche údar maith agus i gcaitheamh na mblianta tá iarrachtaí déanta i mBéarla agus i nGaeilge ar a leithéid a chur ar an stáitse agus ar an teilifís… Nuair a chuir Celia de Fréine leagan drámata i mBéarla den dán ar fáil cheap sí seift chun an deacracht seo a shárú… Tá an leagan amach seo curtha ar bhuntéacs Gaeilge Mherriman anois ag Celia agus is é atá sa bhfoilseachán seo. Fairis sin, tá nótaí mínithe tuisceanacha curtha leis anseo ag Fidelma Ní Ghallchobhair a chabhróidh go háirithe le haisteoirí agus léiritheoirí nach mbeadh taithíoch ar dhul i ngleic le téacs fileata Gaeilge ón ochtú haois déag. Tá comaoin nach beag curtha ag Celia de Fréine agus ag Fidelma Ní Ghallchobhair ar chultúr liteartha na Gaeilge san aois seo agus buanú breise déanta ar an éacht fileata a dhein Brian Merriman dhá chéad is daichead nach mór ó shin.”

       Liam P. Ó Murchú, An Brollach



Safe

Performed by Umbrella Theatre Company, Mill Theatre, Dundrum, 17-21 November 2015.

Sixteen year old Mary-Ann has been missing since 1963. Nobody cares until Stef, a freelance reporter, comes across her case in 2013. Delving into the past, she uncovers a story of abduction, abuse and denial which holds the pillars of society to account.

Written in homage to Mairéad Ní Ghráda's An Triail, fifty years after its premiere, Safe asks whether, in spite of the dramatic developments that have occurred during this time, attitudes to many of the issues confronting Irish women have in fact changed.



Blúiríní: sraith drámaí mar áis ‘drámaíocht san oideachas’ do mhic léinn agus d’fhoghlaimeoirí Gaeilge, le Celia de Fréine agus Fidelma Ní Ghallchobair.

Sé dhráma ghearra atá sa leabhar, trí cinn an duine leis an mbeirt údar. Scríobhadh iad do mhic léinn mheánscoile, go háirithe iad siúd san Idirbhliain, ach d’fheilfidís don fhoghlaimeoir fásta chomh maith céanna. Gabhann sraith cleachtaí agus gluais le gach dráma. Áis ghníomhach agus idirghníomhach is ea na drámaí seo inar féidir leis an rang go léir páirt a ghlacadh – is drámaí iad le léamh sa rang, agus ansin le rólimirt ag na mic léinn duine ar dhuine nó ina ngrúpaí. Tabharfaidh na cleachtaí i ndeireadh gach dráma deis do na mic léinn taithí a fháil i réimsí éagsúla taighde agus cumarsáide, agus cuideoidh na gluaiseanna leo cur lena bhfocalstór agus idirdhealú idir leaganacha éagsúla. Ní gá réamheolas ná taithí ar aisteoireacht ná ar mhothúcháin a léiriú; ní theastaíonn ach dearcadh an charachtair a ghlacadh go simplí sa ról. Bunachar atá sna drámaí seo a chuirfidh na mic léinn ag smaoineamh, ag obair, ag fiosrú agus, thar aon ní eile, ag caint.



Desire : Meanmarc

Brian Merriman wrote The Midnight Court in or around 1780. This play imagines the time in his life immediately before he laid pen to paper. In it we meet characters from his local neighbourhood, and it is given to understand that it is the neighbourhood, its people and their deeds, that inspire the poet to undertake this unique work. Meanmarc was written in 2009. It was revised and translated into English in 2012 as Part I of the Lorg Merriman project. It won Duais an Oireachtais do Dhráma Ilghníomh 2010.

Thart ar an mbliain 1780 scríobh Brian Merriman Cúirt an Mheán Oíche. Is éard atá sa dráma seo ná samhail den am sin ina shaol díreach sular leag sé peann ar pár. Castar muintir a cheantair dhúchais orainn ann agus tugtar le fios gurb é an ceantar, a dhaoine agus a ngníomhartha siúd a spreagann an file chun tabhairt faoin saothar uathúil seo. Scríobhadh Meanmarc i 2009. Athchóiriódh agus aistríodh go Béarla é i 2012 mar Chuid I den tionscadal Lorg Merriman. Bhuaigh Meanmarc an gradam do dhráma ilghníomh i gcomórtais liteartha an Oireachtais i 2010.

arlenhouse@gmail.com



Cúirt an Mheán Oíche : The Midnight Court

Published by Arlen House, 2012. Cúirt an Mheán Oíche : The Midnight Court, a poem of around 1,000 lines written by Brian Merriman in or around 1780, is unique in Irish literature. Drawing its inspiration from the Aisling, the Irish vision-poem, and from the European Courts of Love which date from the Middle Ages, it gives a bawdy account of society in late eighteenth century Ireland.

This script was first performed by the Dublin Shakespeare Society, as part of their centenary celebration, at Club 36, Dublin, in May, 2007. It forms Part II of the Lorg Merriman project.

arlenhouse@gmail.com



Plight: Cruachás

Published by Arlen House, 2012. Were The Midnight Court to be reconvened in this day and age, what problems would be up for discussion? What are the sexual mores that cry out for assessment by an otherworld force? This contemporary Aisling imagines an ancient but recentlydiscovered tribe, living on the margins of Irish society, who practise their own customs and in so doing ignore at times the rules of the country in which they are living. In trying to protect their younger generation from a society they deem out of control, parents encourage their offspring to marry within the tribe while still in their teens. The problems faced by such young people, were such a tribe to exist, are explored in this play. It forms Part III of the Lorg Merriman project.

Dá n-ationólfaí Cúirt an Mheán Oíche san am i láthair, céard iad na fadhbanna a bheadh le plé inti? Céard iad na nósanna gnéasacha gur chóir a mheas ag fórsa neamhshaolta? San aisling chomhaimseartha seo samhlaítear treibh ársa, a dtángthas orthu le deireanaí, a bhfuil cónaí orthu ar imeall na sochaí Éireannaí, a chleachtann a ndeasghnátha féin agus, dá réir sin, a dhéanann beagchúram de rialacha na tíre ina bhfuil cónaí orthu. Ag féachaint lena glúin óg a chosaint ó shochaí atá imithe ó smacht, dar leo, spreagann tuismitheoirí a sliocht chun pósadh laistigh den treibh agus iad fós sna déaga. Iniúchann an dráma seo na fadhbanna a mbeadh ar a leithéid d’óige aghaidh a thabhairt orthu, dá mba ann dá leithéid de threibh.

arlenhouse@gmail.com



Mná Dána

Published by Arlen House, 2009. This book contains three of Celia de Fréine's plays, Anraith Neantóige, Cóirín na dTonn and Tearmann.

arlenhouse@gmail.com

Tearmann
Winner of Duais an Oireachtais do Dhráma Ilghníomh 2006, and Duais Fhoras na Gaeilge Lios Tuathail 2006.

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Cóirín na dTonn
Winner of Duais an Oireachtais do Dhráma Ilghníomh 2004. Ardmholadh Gradam Litríochta Chló Iar-Chonnachta 2004.

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Anraith Neantóige
Winner of Duais an Oireachtais do Dhráma Ilghníomh 2003. Ardmholadh Gradam Litríochta Chló Iar-Chonnachta 2004.

In 2004 Anraith Neantóige was produced by Aisling Ghéar at Theatre Space @ the Mint, at the Dublin Theatre Festival Fringe and toured nationwide.

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Nára Turas é in Aistear

In 2000 Nára Turas é in Aistear was commissioned and produced by Amharclann de hÍde at The New Theatre, Dublin and at the Galway Town Hall Theatre.

Tá an dráma seo suite i bhFómhar na bliana 1979, am ar thug an Pápa Eoin Pól 11 cuairt ar an tír seo. Tá formhór na tíre – seachas lucht an dráma, a d'imir an Eaglais Chaitliceach éagóir orthu – gafa leis an gcuairt. Scrúdaíonn an dráma cén chaoi a mbraitheann daoine imeallacha faoin chuairt stairiúil seo.




Casadh

In 2009 the Abbey Theatre commissioned Celia de Fréine's short play Casadh which was given a rehearsed reading at the Peacock Theatre in Dublin and at An Chultúrlann in Belfast as part of the Gach Áit Eile series.

Suite san am i láthair ar ros fada in ionad uirbeach, casann fear agus bean ar a chéile. Is cuimhin leis an mbean a bheith ina cónaí cois farraige agus í an-óg. Agus an fear ag fás aníos ar oileán ar chósta iarthar na tíre, b'éigean do chailín óg agus a muintir a gceantar dúchais a thréigean mar gheall ar agóid áitiúil. Tá seisean á cuardach ó shin i leith. Ach an í an bhean seo an cailín céanna?