THE ROYAL IRISH ACADEMY IS IRELAND'S LEADING BODY OF EXPERTS IN THE SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES

The Royal Irish Academy/Acadamh Ríoga na hÉireann champions research. We identify and recognise Ireland’s world class researchers. We support scholarship and promote awareness of how science and the humanities enrich our lives and benefit society. We believe that good research needs to be promoted, sustained and communicated. The Academy is run by a Council of its members. Membership is by election and considered the highest academic honour in Ireland.

Read more about the RIA

Bailiúchán Thionscadal Gréasáin Cheirníní Doegen – Guthanna an Ama atá thart á gCaomhnú

05 March 2024

In celebration of Seachtain na Gaeilge we are pleased to highlight an important Irish language collection of audio recordings - the Doegen Records.

Mar cheiliúradh ar Sheachtain na Gaeilge, tá an-áthas ar Thaisclann Dhigiteach na hÉireann (DRI) bailiúchán uathúil Gaeilge a thabhairt chun suntais sa Taisclann – Tionscadal Gréasáin Cheirníní Doegen, a chuir Leabharlann Acadamh Ríoga na hÉireann i dtaisce in DRI le go ndéanfaí é a chaomhnú agus le go mbeadh fáil air go ceann i bhfad.

I mbailiúchán Thionscadal Gréasáin Cheirníní Doegen tá taifeadtaí fuaime ar chanúintí Gaeilge a rinneadh idir 1928 agus 1931 mar chuid de shuirbhé sistéamach ar chanúintí na Gaeilge. Fuair an bailiúchán a ainm ón bhfear a rinne na taifeadtaí thar ceann Rialtas na hÉireann, an Dr. Wilhelm Doegen (1877–1967), a bhí ina Stiúrthóir ar an Roinn Fuaime i Leabharlann Stáit na Prúise, Beirlín. I measc na dtaifeadtaí tá scéalta béaloidis, leaganacha de pharabal an Mhic Drabhlásaigh, amhráin (idir chanta agus labhartha), dioscúrsaí, paidreacha, agus míreanna foclóra ilghnéitheacha amhail aithris ar na huimhreacha ó 1 go 30 agus ar laethanta na seachtaine, iad go léir á rá ag cainteoirí dúchais Gaeilge ó 17 gcontae. Tá taifeadadh amháin i mBéarla sa bhailiúchán freisin – óráid le W.T. Cosgrave, a bhí ina Thaoiseach nuair a mhaoinigh Rialtas na hÉireann an scéim taifeadta. Tá tábhacht ar leith ag baint le Bailiúchán Doegen ó thaobh chanúineolaíocht na Gaeilge de toisc go bhfuil go leor de na canúintí áitiúla atá sna taifeadtaí marbh anois.

Cuireadh na buncheirníní i dtaisce i Leabharlann Acadamh Ríoga na hÉireann agus rinneadh iad a dhigitiú ina dhiaidh sin mar chuid de Thionscadal Gréasáin Cheirníní Doegen. Tá siad caomhnaithe ó shin i dTaisclann DRI agus ar fáil go leanúnach. Tá tras-scríbhinní ag gabháil leis na ceirníní sa bhailiúchán digiteach agus iad curtha i gcomhthéacs le tráchtaireacht ar mhaithe le taighdeoirí. Agus na cóipeanna digitithe de na buncheirníní ar fáil go hoscailte sa DRI, chinntigh Leabharlann Acadamh Ríoga na hÉireann gur féidir le teangeolaithe, béaloideasóirí, staraithe, oideachasóirí, agus aon duine ar spéis leis tuilleadh a fhoghlaim faoi oidhreacht agus faoi chultúr na hÉireann iad a aimsiú agus a athúsáid sa teanga dhúchais.

Tugann na ceirníní sa bhailiúchán luachmhar seo an t-éisteoir ar ais in am, rud a ligeann dó guthanna ón am atá thart a chloisteáil agus iad ag labhairt i gcanúintí a bheadh ​​caillte mura ndearnadh iad a thaifeadadh don chéad ghlúin eile. A bhuí le foilsiú na dtaifeadtaí seo i dTaisclann DRI, tá na ceirníní caomhnaithe anois le go mbeidh fáil orthu go ceann i bhfad, rud a chinnteoidh go mbeidh na glúnta atá le teacht in ann teacht orthu agus sult a bhaint astu.

Déan iniúchadh ar an mbailiúchán i dTaisclann DRI: https://doi.org/10.7486/DRI.s752m148j

Is taisclann dhigiteach iontaofa í Taisclann Dhigiteach na hÉireann, a sholáthraíonn caomhnú fadtéarmach agus rochtain ar shonraí daonnachtaí, oidhreachta cultúrtha agus eolaíochtaí sóisialta na hÉireann.

In celebration of Seachtain na Gaeilge, the Digital Repository of Ireland (DRI) is delighted to highlight a unique Irish language collection in the Repository – Tionscadal Gréasáin Cheirníní Doegen (the Doegen Records Web Project), which was deposited in DRI by the Royal Irish Academy (RIA) Library for long-term preservation and access.

The Doegen Records Web Project collection contains Irish dialect sound recordings created during 1928–31 as part of a systemic Irish dialect survey. The collection takes its name from the man who carried out the recordings on behalf of the Irish government, Dr Wilhelm Doegen (1877–1967), who was Director of the Sound Department at the Prussian State Library, Berlin. The recordings include folktales, versions of the parable of the Prodigal Son, songs (both sung and spoken), discourses, prayers, and miscellaneous items of vocabulary such as recitations of the numbers 1 to 30 or the days of the week, all recited by native Irish speakers from 17 counties. The collection also includes one English language recording – a speech by W.T. Cosgrave, who was head of the Irish government that funded the recording scheme. The Doegen collection’s importance to the field of Irish dialectology is significant as many of the local dialects in the recordings are now extinct.

The original records were deposited in the Royal Irish Academy Library and were later digitised as part of the Doegen Records Web Project. They have since been preserved in the DRI Repository for sustained access. The recordings in the digital collection are accompanied by transcripts and contextualised by commentary for the benefit of researchers. In making the digitised copies of the original recordings openly accessible in the DRI, the RIA Library has ensured that they can be discovered and reused by linguists, folklorists, historians, educators, and anybody interested in learning more about Ireland’s heritage and culture through its language.

The recordings in this valuable collection transport the listener back in time, allowing them to hear voices from the past speaking in dialects that would have been lost if they had not been recorded for posterity. Thanks to the publication of these recordings in the DRI Repository, the recordings are now preserved for long-term access and will continue to be discovered and enjoyed by future generations.

Explore the collection in the DRI Repository: https://doi.org/10.7486/DRI.s752m148j

The Digital Repository of Ireland is a certified trusted digital repository that provides long-term preservation and access to Ireland’s humanities, cultural heritage, and social sciences data.

 

Stay up to date with the Royal Irish Academy newsletter

Sign up now