Crainn na Gaeilge agus Leabhair Ársa Shligigh
(Trees of the Irish Language and Old Sligo Books) (English translation below)

Le roinnt blianta anuas is iontach ar fad an fhorbairt atá tagtha ar Institiúd Teicneolaíochta, Sligeach. Tá foirgnimh nua á spreagadh suas or fud an Champus. Tá aula maxima, ionad teicneolaíochta, láthair gnótha, bloc innealltóireachta agus oifigí riaracháin tógtha ann anois agus ar ndóigh tá tuilleadh Ie teacht. Tá an príomhgheata íontrala aistrithe go dtí Lána an Luaithrigh agus is anseo atá scéim ealaíonta, cruthaitheach ar a dtugtar "Crainn na Gaeilge" Ie feiceáil.

Duilleog as Leabhar Buí Leacáin (A page from the Yellow Book of Lecan)

Roimhe seo ní raibh san áit sin ach seansruthán Ián Ie driseacha agus bruscar. Canál a bhí ann tráth a rinne muintir Wynne as Teach Hazelwood chun Loch Gile a cheangail leis an bhfarraige gan dul trí abhainn na Garbhóige. Níor baineadh úsáid as riamh mar chanál agus bhí sé fágtha mar sruthán beag Ie cianta.

Sna blianta 1998-2000 cuireadh tús Ie feachtas oibre chun 8,000 crann agus sceach a chur ar dhá thaobh an tsrutha. Mar chuid den obair tógadh droichead thar an tsrutháin agus cuireadh cosáin agus suiocháin ann freisin. Tá 18 suiochán ar fad ann. Tá litir amháin d'aibitir na Gaeilge greannta ar gach ceann acu agus garrán den chrann a thosaíonn leis an litir sin cóngarach don suiochán.

Bhí sé de nós ag na Gaeil leis na céadta bliain usáid a bhaint as ainmneacha crann chun aibítir na Gaeilge a mhúineadh. Tá difriochtaí ins na liostaí crann a bhíodh in usáid ag muinteorí éagsúla ach sa scéim seo roghnaíodh an ceann a dúsáid an Canónach Aindriu ó Duinnshleibhe agus a d'fhoilsigh sé ina Theagasc Criostaí i 1742.

Is rí-oiriúnach ar fad an smaoineamh i an leabhar sin a úsáid. Sagart as Contae Shligigh é an tAthair ó Duinnshléibhe, a rugadh i mBaile an Mhóta i 1680. Tar éis bunoideachas a fáil i scoil scairte theastaigh uaidh bheith ina shagart. Bhí na Péin Dlíthe i mbarr a réime san am sin in Eirinn agus b' eigean dó éaló chun na Fraince. Chuaigh sé go Coláiste na nGael i bParas áit ar oirníodh ina shagart é. D'fhan sé ag múineadh sa gColáiste sin agus toghadh ina Stuirthoir ar an gColáiste é i 1720.

Ni dhearna sé dearmad riamh ar Eirinn ná ar theanga na hEireann. Chaith sé roinnt blianta ag obair ar leabhar luachmhar cáiliúil - sé sin Teagusc Criostuidhthe de réir ceasda agus freagartha. Tá sé sríofa i nGaeilge agus i mBéarla agus foilsíodh i bParas é i 1742. Ba é seo an chéad Teagasc Criostaí Ie Gaeilge a foilsíodh Ie níos mó na céad bliain. Is sa leabhar sin a fáitear an aibitir le crainn na Gaeilge atá anois ar an siúlóid os comhair an IT, Sligeach.

Ní miste a lua go bhfuil eagrán den Teagasc Criostaí seo i leabharlann an Choláiste. Is mór an moladh é don Iar-stiurthóir, an Dr Breandán Mac Conamhna agus don leabharlannaí, Seamus ó Fuaráin, gur cheannaigh said an leabhar seo agus leabhair cháiliúla eile nach iad a bhaineann Ie Contae Shligigh. Tá cóip de Leabhar Bhaile an Mhota - leabhar a cuireadh Ie chéile i 1383-87 - sa leabharlann. Is sa leabhar sin atá eochair na haibitre ogham Ie fáil - sean aibitir atá Ie feicáil greannta ar chlocha ó aimsir Naomh Padraig anonn.

Scoláirí móra as larthar Shligigh ab ea Clann Mhic Fhirbisigh agus ar ndóigh tá cóipeanna dá mhórscribhiní Leabhar Mór Leacáin agus Leabhar Buí Leacáin sa leabharlann. An scoláire is cáiliúla de mhuintir Mhic Fhirbisigh ab ea Dubhaltach (1595-1670) agus tá a mhórshaothar The Great Book of Irish Genealogies ar fáil anois sa leabharlann. Tá Annala Riochta Eireann ann chomh maith. Níor fhéad na Ceithre Máistrí na hAnnála sin a chur le chéile gan pátrúnacht ón Tiarna Fearghal ó Gadhra (1599-1660) as deisceart an Chondae.

Leabhair mhóra eile atá sa Choláiste nó cóip de Leabhar na hUidhre, Leabhar Cheannanais, Leabhar Laighin agus Leabhar Lios Mhóir. Cuireann an bailiúchán luachmhar seo, mar aon Ie Crainn na Gaeilge Ie hardcháil an Choláiste mar ionad léinn agus taighde a bhfhuil a phréamhacha bunaithe i bhfad siar i saíocht agus i ndúchas na Gaeilge.

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Pictured below is a plan of the tree layout at Sligo Institute of Technology in two parts.
(A=Elm; B=Beech; C=Hazel; D=Oak; E=Aspen, White Poplar; F=Alder; G=Ivy; H=Whitethorn; I=Yew; L=Rowan; M=Vine; N=Ash; O=Broom, Whin; P=Dwarf Elder; R=Elder; S=Willow; T=Holly, Furze; U=Heather.)
Continue now to plan and English translation below:

Crainn na Gaeilge   (Trees of the Irish Language)

In recent years there have been spectacular developments at the Institute of Technology, Sligo.  New buildings have sprung up throughout the Campus.  Recent buildings include an Aula Maxima, a Technology Centre, an Engineering Block, a Business Innovation Centre, a Multi-purpose Sports Hall and an Administrative Centre.    The main entrance to the College has moved to Ash Lane and it here that a unique artistic project, known as Crainn na Gaeilge is to be found.

Previously there was an old stream there full of briars and rubbish.  It was designed as a canal by the Wynne family of Hazelwood in the 18th century in order to provide access to the sea from Lough Gill, bypassing the Garavogue river.  It was never used as a canal and was left as abandoned stream over the centuries.  During the years 1998-2000 a scheme was put in place by the IT Sligo to plant about 8000 trees close by the stream.  As part of the project a bridge was put over the stream and footpaths with seating were built on each side.  There are eighteen seats in all and a cluster of trees is planted beside each seat.  The first letter of the tree name in Irish  is engraved on the corrresponding seat using each of the eighteen  letters of the Irish alphabet.  It was customary for Irish people for centuries to use names of trees when teaching the alphabet to children.

Different tree alphabets were used in different parts of the country but at the IT Sligo the tree alphabet found in Dunleavy’s Catechism was chosen.  Fr. Dunleavy was a priest born in Ballymote in 1680.  He received his early education at a local hedge-school and later wished to become a priest.  In those days the Penal Laws were in full force so Dunleavy  had to flee Ireland.  He studied at the Irish College in Paris where he was ordained in 1707.  He stayed on as a teacher at the College and in 1720 he was appointed Rector.

However he never forgot Ireland or the Gaelic tongue of his youth.  He spent many years compiling a Catechism of Christian Doctrine, written in Irish and English, and published in Paris in 1742.  It was the first bilingual catechism ever to be published.  It is in this book that the Tree Alphabet used at the IT Sligo is to be found.  A first edition copy of this important work , as well as other famous Irish books is to be found in the College Library.

Special credit is due to Dr. Brendan MacConamhna, College Director at the time, and also to the College Librarian,  Seamus  O Fuarain, for acquiring this rare book as well as other famous books with Sligo connections for the Library.  A facimile copy of the Book of Ballymote, compiled in 1383-87 is also in a place of honour in the Library.  It is in this book that scholars first found the key to the Ogham alphabet – an alphabet dating back to the time of St.Patrick at least.  The great Chroniclers of West Sligo – Clann Mhic Fhirbisigh- are not forgotten in the collection.  The Great Book of Lecan and The Yellow Book of Lecan as well as the seminal work of Dubhaltach Mac Fhirbisigh (1595-1670) The Great Book of Irish Genealogies are on the shelves.  We also find, The Bardic Poems of Tadhg Dall O hUingin, a poet of South Sligo as well as the Annals of the Four Masters.  The latter was compiled in Donegal but Micheal O Cleirigh and his fellow scribes could not have done their work without the patronage of Sligo Chieftain, Ferghal O Gara.

Other important works of Gaelic Ireland in the IT Sligo Library are copies of “Leabhar na hUidhre” (The Book of the Dun Cow), The Book of Kells, The Book of Leinster, The Book of Lismore and many others. This is a very worthwhile collection which together with the “Crainn na Gaeilge” project, adds to the renown of Sligo IT as a centre of learning and research taking its inspiration from the wisdom of the past.

(The above article contributed by Mr. Larry Mullin, Sligo)

The Irish Tree Alphabet (information compiled by Eric Rosenbloom)

Notes.

There are 13 consonants and 5 vowels. Each consonant represents 28 days of the calendar, starting after the winter solstice. The Celtic feast days Oimelc, Beltane, Lunasa, and Samhain would occur, respectively, in the middle of Luis, the middle of Sail, the start of Muin, and the start of Peit.

The first variations listed above for name and tree are from Patrick Dinneen's An Irish-English Dictionary. The source for the calendar order is Robert Graves's The White Goddess. The normal order of the letters in the alphabet follows the Latin.

(Note correspondences to Hebrew: alef/ailm, beth/beit, he/eadha, yod/ioda, mem/muin, nun/nuin, 'ayin/onn, pe/peit, resh/ruis.)