Fermoy’s Youth Theatre was a riot of colourful costumes on Wednesday, 12 February for the annual Coirm Gael Linn festival. Despite the stormy weather, almost 400 exhuberant young actors, musicians, singers and dancers from schools in counties Cork including Presentation N.S., Doneraile, Gaelscoil Uí Drisceoil, Glanmire and Gaelscoil de hÍde, Fermoy among other, took to the boards in a great display of talent. The young performers staged variety shows incorporating music, singing, dancing, story-telling and acting, all ‘as Gaeilge’ with a theme of their own choice. The standard was very high again this year, thanks to the enthusiastic and hard-working teachers who produced the shows.

Coirm Gael Linn is not a competition, but each show is reviewed by a guest adjudicator and outstanding performances by individuals or ensembles are rewarded with special merit prizes or ‘gradaim’. Students from Gaelscoil de hÍde received two such awards, one for superb acting by the main characters and the second for the great teamwork displayed by the whole cast in their show ‘Ní mar a shíltear a bítear!’ (All is not as it seems!), which was directed by teacher Cian Mac Gearailt.

Presentation Convent, Doneraile also brought home several ‘gongs’ for their new take of an old story, ‘Oisín eile i dTír na nÓg’ (Another Oisín in the Land of Youth!) and for the energy displayed in the acting, dancing and music throughout. Teacher Bríd Nic Oireachtaigh was delighted with her pupils’ success.

Creating their own storm on stage also, were the young actors from Gaelscoil Uí Drisceoil, Glanmire, under the direction of Malachaí Mac Amhlaoibh, whose production of ‘An Garbhán’ (The Gruffalo) garnered them two awards, with a special mention for the young pupil who took the role of the mouse !

Event organiser, Seán Ó Ceallaigh of Gael Linn commented: “Gael Linn has a long tradition of using the arts as a medium for promoting the Irish language among young people. By having a positive and fun experience at Coirm, we hope that the children will be encouraged to use whatever knowledge they have of the language both inside and outside the classroom”.

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