Eoghan Béal - Darach Ó Scolaí

Is sa nua-insint seo, bunaithe ar an seanscéal Caithréim Cheallaigh, a insítear scéal an rí ar Chonnachta a d’ordaigh, ar leaba a bháis dó, gan é a chur sa reilig. “Cuirtear anseo mé ar thaobh an rátha,” ar sé, “i mo sheasamh sa gcré, m’aghaidh leis an tuaisceart, agus mo gha dearg i mo dheasláimh.

Is ann atá cur síos ar mhallacht Chiaráin Chluain Mhic Nóis; ar an drochmharú a tugadh ar Cheallach, Easpag Chill Ala; ar chéasadh agus ar mharú na gCeithre Mhaol; agus ar an mbáire fola ar bhainis Mhuirígh mhic Eoghain; chomh maith le bás agus adhlacadh Eoghain Béal féin.

Is ann atá cur síos ar an mbáire fola ar bhainis Mhuirígh mhic Eoghain; chomh maith le bás agus adhlacadh Eoghain Béal féin.

Is ar leagan den scéal ón 16ú haois a bhunaigh Darach Ó Scolaí an leagan nua seo, agus is é an t-ealaíontóir Alé Mercado a chruthaigh na pictiúir iontacha atá ina gcuid lárnach den saothar seo.

Eoghan Béal, King of Connaught, is mortally wounded fighting the Ulstermen at the Battle of Sligo. On his deathbed, he orders his subjects not to lay him to rest in a graveyard but to bury him upright in his fortress, facing his enemies, his red spear in his right hand.

His excessive pride results in the murder of his first son by four treacherous monks, the murder of his second son at his wedding, and the extinction of his own lineage.

Eoghan Béal, a modern version of the old Irish saga, Caithréim Cheallaigh (The Triumph of Ceallach), retold by Darach Ó Scolaí as a picture book, beautifully illustrated by Alé Mercado.

This is the latest picture book in Leabhar Breac’s wonderful collection of modern retellings for adult readers of the great stories from old Irish literature (Deirdre, Bláthnaid, Sadhbh and Liadain).