In recognition of the contribution of Clannad to both Irish music and song and the Irish language over five decades, Údarás na Gaeltachta has announced a new Sparánacht Chlannad (‘Clannad Bursary’) for Gaeltacht artists.

The bursary is worth €30,000 (€10,000 per year over three years) and will be awarded to one Gaeltacht artist to support them in developing new work in Irish.

Clannad was founded by Pádraig and Noel Ó Dúgáin with Pól, Ciarán and Máire Uí Bhraonáin in 1970 and the band has achieved worldwide renown in the years since, winning numerous awards including the Ivor Novello Award, a Grammy Award and a BAFTA. 

The bursary was announced at an event on Friday 10 November in Tábhairne Leo in Mín na Leice, Co. Donegal, the family home and bar of the Uí Bhraonáin family where the group first began performing. Clannad has since released sixteen studio albums, from Clannad in 1972 to Nadúr in 2013, and released the In a Lifetime Anthology in 2022. They have also released four live albums and achieved international acclaim with their 1982 Irish-language song ‘Theme From Harry’s Game’.

Commenting on the bursary, Tomás Ó Síocháin, Chief Executive of Údarás na Gaeltachta, said:

Clannad brought the music, the songs and the Irish language to a global audience and many people around the world have been inspired to learn Irish as a result of the group’s commitment to their language and culture. They also gave their own Gaeltacht community a further reason to take pride in their own language and heritage. We all share that pride. Údarás na Gaeltachta are delighted to have the opportunity to express our gratitude to them today, and to support another Gaeltacht artist with this new bursary.

The award is aimed at Gaeltacht artists practising through the medium of Irish in any art form. The bursary will support living costs as well as the costs associated with the development of a specific project. Sparánacht Chlannad will be administered by Ealaín na Gaeltachta and the deadline for applications is 31 January 2024.

For full details, visit https://ealain.ie/sparanacht-chlannad.

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