The Islander
Complete and Unabridged
Published on 19. April 2013
Book
Paperback/Softback
336 pages
978-0-7171-5794-5 (ISBN)
Description
This superb account of life on the Great Blasket Island off the west coast of Kerry, written as the nineteenth century draws to its close and the dawn of a new era trespasses on the lives of its small community, is both a shocking and captivating read.
Here is the first complete translation of Tomas O'Crohan's autobiography An tOileanach, first published in 1929. This edition is based on Professor Sean O Coileain's definitive 2002 Irish language edition. It contains many passages omitted from the previous English language translation by Robin Flower from the 1930s, some of which were thought too earthy for the times.
Tomas O'Crohan, a fisherman who, at around the age of forty, has taught himself to read and write in his own native tongue, depicts in unaffected, vivid language a very unforgiving landscape of human experience. The Islander reflects life as it was on the Blaskets, raw, real and extremely challenging.
Here is the first complete translation of Tomas O'Crohan's autobiography An tOileanach, first published in 1929. This edition is based on Professor Sean O Coileain's definitive 2002 Irish language edition. It contains many passages omitted from the previous English language translation by Robin Flower from the 1930s, some of which were thought too earthy for the times.
Tomas O'Crohan, a fisherman who, at around the age of forty, has taught himself to read and write in his own native tongue, depicts in unaffected, vivid language a very unforgiving landscape of human experience. The Islander reflects life as it was on the Blaskets, raw, real and extremely challenging.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Dublin
Ireland
Publishing group
Gill
Dimensions
Height: 216 mm
Width: 134 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
Weight
401 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-7171-5794-5 (9780717157945)
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Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Garry Bannister works as an Irish language teacher and has lectured at St Patrick's College, Drumcondra. He developed a great love for Irish from his teacher, the late Harry Lush. He studied Irish and Russian at Trinity College Dublin, after which he went to Moscow State University where he received an MA in Russian language and literature. He has a large number of publications in modern Irish including The English-Irish Learner's Dictionary and Teasaras na Gaeilge. Bannister's main interest is early twentieth century modern Irish literature and he has collaborated over the past twenty years with Dr David Sowby on various translation projects.
David Sowby is a retired medical doctor whose passionate interest in the Irish language has been a lifetime study. He was born in the United Kingdom but educated in Dublin, and had the privilege of learning Irish from the inspirational Harry Lush. After living abroad for over forty years he returned to live in Dublin, where he resumed his study of Irish, translating Cuirt an Mhean Oiche and subsequently An tOileanach.
David Sowby is a retired medical doctor whose passionate interest in the Irish language has been a lifetime study. He was born in the United Kingdom but educated in Dublin, and had the privilege of learning Irish from the inspirational Harry Lush. After living abroad for over forty years he returned to live in Dublin, where he resumed his study of Irish, translating Cuirt an Mhean Oiche and subsequently An tOileanach.