Is ar achréidh na Gaillimhe a rugadh agus a tógadh mé ach is i Nás na Ríogh a chaith mé an chuid is mó de mo shaol oibre mar mhúinteoir meánscoile ag múineadh na n-ábhar Gaeilge agus Tír Eolas.Ba Gaeltacht bheag an teach sin againne sa mbaile mar gur tógadh le Gaeilge muid. B’as an Aird Thiar Carna m’athair- Seán ac’ Dhonncha,fear a bhain amach aitheantas go náisiúnta mar fhonnadóir sean-nóis ag am a raibh ceird an tsean nóis ar an dé deiridh.

Is beag suime a chuir mé go pearsanta sna hamhráin sean-nóis go dtí Earrach na bliana 2019 nuair a chuir beirt fhear ceist fhánach orm thall i Lanzarote na gréine,an cheist dhíreach chéanna mar a tharlaíonn sé.An cheist a cuireadh agus a d’athraigh mo shaol ná ‘An bhfuil mórán d’amhráin d’athair ‘at?’.Chas roth beag i mo chloigeann ar chloisteáil dom an cheist chéana faoi dhó agus thosaigh mé ag foghlaim na n-amhrán,amhráin m’athair.

Níl amhráin ar an sean-nós éasca.Tá saibhreas fileata sna hamhráin agus is dúshlán é na liricí,an fonn agus an ornáidíocht a fhigh le chéile ach thug mé faoi go macánta agus go diongbháilte agus diaidh ar ndiaidh d’fhoghlaim mé iad.

B’é bóthar na Fleidhe Cheoil an ceann a thóg mé agus ag an tús ba bheag taithí a bhí agam ar fhonnadóireacht go poiblí.Choinnigh mé orm, tháinig an taithí agus an féinmhuinín agus faoi dheireadh sa mbliain 2024 thug mé liom an svae ag comórtas sean-nóis na bhFear ag Fleadh Cheoil an hÉireann i Loch Garman. Choinnigh mé greim ar mo choróin an bhliain dar gcionn agus faoi láthair is ag cur le mo stór amhráin atáim agus ag réiteach do shéasúr na bliana seo.

Bhí sé de nós ag aintín liom Mairéad Nic Dhonncha a bheith ag cumadh véarsaí i nGaeilge agus i mBéarla agus chuile sheans gur uaithi sin a fuair mé an suim agus an fonn cumadóireachta céanna. D’éirigh liom Craobh na hÉireann a thabhairt liom sa mbliain 2023 sa Mhuileann gCearr.Bainim an-sásamh as a bheith ag cumadh na n-amhrán i nGaeilge agus freisin i mBéarla.Bím a’ spraoi le focail, le rím na bhfocal agus le brí leathan na bhfocal.Tá cúpla sampla anseo agam de mo chuid amhráin nuachumtha agus nílim réidh ná baol air mar  go bhfuil roinnt déanta agam agus níos mó le déanamh.

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I was born in East Galway but I spent most of my working life teaching Irish and Geography in Naas, Co. Kildare.  Growing up, our house was like a mini-Gaeltacht and we all spoke Irish.  My father, Seán ‘ac Dhonncha, was from Aird Thiar, Carna.  He achieved national fame as a sean-nós singer at a time when the art of sean-nós singing was in danger of dying out.

I had little interest in sean-nós singing until Spring 2019 when I was enjoying the sun in Lanzarote and two people asked me the same random question.  The question, which was to change my life, was ‘do you have many of your father’s songs?’.  Something clicked when I heard this question – twice – and I started learning my father’s songs.

Sean-nós songs aren’t easy.  There’s a wealth of poetry in them and it’s challenging to combine the words, the music and the ornamentation together, but I came at it honestly and with purpose and soon learnt them.

I took the route of the Fleadhanna Ceoil but at first I had little experience of singing in public. I kept at it and my confidence grew with experience, and in 2024 I took home the prize for male sean-nós singing at Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in Wexford.  I kept my crown the following year and I’m currently building up my store of songs and preparing to defend it again.

My aunt, Mairéad Nic Dhonncha, had a habit of composing verses in Irish and English and it’s likely that I got the interest in composing from her.  I won the competition for Newly-Composed song at Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in Mullingar in 2023.  I really enjoy composing in Irish, and in English, playing with words, with rhyme and with meaning.  A selection of my songs is here and there’s no fear of me stopping because I have plenty more to write.

Féilim Mac Donncha 25-2-2026