Teasáras on Tour
Turas Garry Bannister chun na Gaillimhe
Author Garry Bannister signing copies of his Teasáras Gaeilge Béarla at Kenny's Bookshop in Galway
Le déanaí sheol New Island Books an t-údar, Garry Bannister go hIarthar na tíre chun cóipeanna dá leabhar nua an Teasáras Gaeilge - Béarla a shíniú i bpríomh-shiopaí leabhar na Gaillimhe. Ar theacht dó go Gaillimh b’in an chéad rud a rinne Garry ná bualadh lena sheanchompánach óil, Pádraic Ó Conaire. Bhí Pádraic ar iarraidh ón Chearnóg Mhór le linn blianta athchóiriú na Cearnóige ach tá áthas orainn uile go bhfuil an scríbhneoir suntasach seo ó thus na haoise seo caite ar ais ina shuí go compordach ina áit cheart arís - i measc a mhuintire Gaillmhí féin.
Chuir Tom Kenny agus Rónán Farrell fáilte is fiche roimh Garry agus a bhean chéile, Bassia, a bhí ag tógáil grianghraf den turas iomlán. Tá Kenny’s Bookshop ar na siopaí leabhar is iomráití ar domhan. Aon duine a rachadh chun na Gaillimhe ní féidir gan Kenny’s Bookshop bheith ar a liosta iontas a bheadh le feiceáil acu ann. Tá taisce dhochreidte de gach uile leabhar ar fáil ag Kenny’s i bPáirc Gnó an Leasa Bháin.
Tá an siopa fós i lámha mhuintir Kenny agus is léir do chustaiméir ar bith go bhfuil grá na chéad bhunaitheoirí, Des agus Maureen Kenny, don fhocal scríofa agus don ealaín i gcoitinne bronnta acu ar a sliocht féin agus ar shliocht a sleachta.
Chuir Rónán Farrell é féin in aithne do Garry. Is leanúnaí Zen é Rónán a bhfuil an tSínis go flúirseach ar eolas aige ó chaith sé tamall measartha fada sa tSín. Theastaigh ó Rónán a chóip féin den leabhar Conair Siar bheith sínithe ag Garry
Ansin bhuail Garry agus Bassia amach go dtí an Ghaeltacht agus go dtí an siopa leabhar sa Spidéal, Cló Iar-Chonnacht. Bhí sé fuar fliuch lasmuigh, ag clagarnach bháistí a bhí, ach bhí sé go cluthar ciúin cairdiúil laistigh den siopa féin. Le linn síniú na leabhar, bhuail bean mhisniúl ghealgháireach isteach, Treasa Bhreathnach ó Raidió na Gaeltachta. Rinne sise agallamh gairid le Garry faoin Teasáras. Cor cinniúnach ba ea an Teasáras, dar léi, go mba chóir a lua agus a cheiliúradh.
In the much loved Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop in Galway
An lá dár gcionn bhí an aimsir níos tirime agus bhí cuairteanna le tabhairt ag Garry ar dhá shiopa eile: Dubray Books agus Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop.
Bhí foireann Dubray cuiditheach agus cairdiúil mar is gnáth dóibh. Bhí fonn láidir orthu fosta aon rud arbh fhéidir leo a dhéanamh chun poiblíocht agus scéal faoin Teasáras a scaipeadh.
Ba léir gur duine a bhfuil an-ghrá aige do ghnó na leabhar atá ina úinéir ar an siopa Charlie Byrne’s. Bhí gach uile short de leabhar ar fáil sa siopa sin ó ábhair thraidisiúnta agus neamhchoitianta go leabhair lán le scéalta suimiúla andúchasacha. Sa siopa leabhar Charlie Byrne’s bhí suim mhór acu sa Teasáras freisin agus má b’fhíor do dhuine de na freastalaithe sa siopa, Méabh, bhí an-tóir cheana féin ar an leabhar tagartha úd.
Tá Méabh i gceannas ar roinn na leabhar do dhaoine óga i siopa Charlie Byrne agus ba mhór an chúis spéise di nuair a chuala sí faoin tsraith nua ó New Island Books, Open Door, mar dar léi bíonn an-tóir i gcónaí ag lucht foghlama na Gaeilge ar litríocht álainn a bheadh comhaimseartha agus soléite.
Garry Bannister Travels West
New Island Books recently sent their author, Garry Bannister, to the West of Ireland to sign copies of his latest book the ‘Irish- English Thesaurus’ which is now available in all the major bookshops in Galway. On his arrival, Garry first and foremost met up with his old drinking buddy, Pádraic Ó Conaire. Pádraic had been missing from Eyre Square during renovations to the area, but to everyone’s great joy Pádraic is now once again amidst his very own Galway people, back where he belongs.
The first stop on the itinerary was Kenny’s Bookshop where Tom Kenny and Rónán Farrell were there waiting to warmly greet Garry and his wife Bassia who had been requested to photograph the whole trip.
Kenny’s Bookshop is, of course, world famous and anyone visiting Galway simply must pay a visit to this treasure trove of beautiful books and artwork. No visit to Galway would ever be complete without seeing this historic literary landmark in the Liosban Retail Park.
The shop is still directly under the ownership of the Kenny family. The original founders, Des and Maureen Kenny established the shop in the middle of the last century. Their great love and enthusiasm for books, art, learning and literature in the English and Irish has been boldly transmitted to their children and their children’s children.
Rónán Farrell who works at Kenny’s Bookshop wanted his own copy of Garry’s bilingual collection of Zen Koans, A Path Home – Conair Siar to be signed by the author. Garry was delighted to meet a fellow-Zen traveller. Rónán, a practitioner of Zen Buddhism, had spent spent many years in China where he studied Zen and also learnt not only to speak Chinese fluently but also to read, write and translate from the many treasures of Chinese literature.
Garry Bannister with Treasa Bhreathnach from Raidió na Gaeltachta at An Siopa Leabhar, Cló Iar-Chonnacht in Spidéal.
With rain pouring down, it was time to head out to the Gaeltacht and to the siopa leabhar, Cló Iar-Chonnacht in Spidéal. Even if it was cold and raining at the edge of the Atlantic, inside the shop there was great warmth and a friendly welcome.
While signing books, a bright and cheerful Treasa Bhreathnach from Raidió na Gaeltachta arrived to interview Garry. Treasa felt that the publication of the first comprehensive Irish – English Thesaurus was a landmark that truly needed to be acknowledged and celebrated.
The following day was much brighter weatherwise and there were two more bookshops to visit: Dubray Books agus Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop.
The staff at Dubray books were, as always, extremely friendly and very keen to promote the new Thesaurus in any way they possibly could.
Like Kenny’s, Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop is obviously owned by someone with a tremendous love for the book trade. While there, Garry spoke with one of the many friendly shop assistants, Maeve, who is in charge of the Children’s Section and who was delighted to report that there was huge demand for the new the Thesaurus.
Maeve was also extremely pleased to learn about New Island’s new easy reading series of English – Irish parallel texts, Open Door that featured some of Ireland’s favourite novelists such as Roddy Doyle, Ciara Geraghty, Mary Stanley and Peter Sheridan. Maeve felt from her own experience that Irish language learners in general were always looking for good entertaining literature that was both contemporary and easy to read.
Once again, New Island is clearly in the vanguard of providing powerful and stimulating books for young and old who want to enrich and improve their Irish language reading skills.