Téada, Rópaí & Slabhraí |Strings, Ropes & Chains

Tógann an léiriú seo foirm na cruite Gaelaí féin, agus ansin stróictear as a chéile í trí mheán damhsa comhaimseartha. Beimid ag úsáid na téada chun iompú isteach ina rópa chun an cláirseoir a chrochadh; iompaíonn na rópaí isteach ina slabhraí chun na mná a cheangailt, sular dibríodh go Barbados mar sclábhaithe iad. Bainfidh na damhsoirí úsáid as rópaí chun an scéal a insint, agus an mí-ádh agus brón a aistriú go dóchas ag baint leas as amhránaíocht. Céard a thárlódh dá n-athrófaí na slabhraí go nascanna? Céard faoi dá ndéanfaí droichead as na rópaí? Céard faoi dá mbeadh na téada in ann ceol a chasadh arís mar chomhartha dóchais? Samhlaigh conas a bheadh sé murach gur chroch Cromwell an cláirseoir Feirtéir? An mbeadh muid ag labhairt Gaeilge ar fud na hÉireann ? Agus gan doirteadh fola, an mbeadh ceol na cruite cloistithe ag Cromwell? Cén saghas tír a bheadh againn anois?

Cromwell smashed the harps and executed the Irish harpers by edict of a ruling power. What if this story could be reversed? This piece takes the actual form of the Irish harp, then deconstructs it using dance. The strings of the harp become the rope to hang the harper; ropes become chains to bind the women slaves. Harper and poet Piaras Ferriter was hanged while the women were exiled as slaves and shipped to Barbados. Dancers use the ropes to create out of bondage a thing of beauty in story and song in Irish. What if the chains become links? What if the rope becomes a bridge? What if the strings sing a new tune of hope? Let’s imagine what would happen if Cromwell had spared Ferriter… Would we speak Irish all over the island?