With Bród Chléire, the LGBTQ+ Irish language summer camp for adults, returning again this August in the stunning setting of Oileán Chléire (Cape Clear) in West Cork, you can read the following article (in Gaeilge or Béarla!) that looks back at the success of last year’s event. You can also watch this gorgeous video on YouTube from Bród Chléire 2024 with testimonials of those who took part. You can find more information about Bród Chléire here.

Gaeilge:
Dé hAoine an Lúnasa 16, 2024, bhí an ghrian ag spalpadh, agus dóchas san aer go bhfanfadh sé mar sin agus Cléire in Iarthar Chorcaí ag ullmhú don dara Féile Bhróid ar an oileán – Bród Chléire. Bhí bratacha Bróid ar foluain os cionn Thrá Chiaráin ag an bhfochla, ag an Siopa Beag, agus ceann mór taobh amuigh de thábhairne Cotter’s ar cheann de na hoileáin is iargúlta amach ó chósta na hÉireann.

An tráthnóna sin, chuaigh gach duine ar bord Carraig Aonair, bád de chuid Cape Clear Ferries, fá choinne crús lán spraoi thart ar Loch Trasna. Agus na deochanna á slogadh siar, gan trácht ar an jin, faoin gclapsholas, líon ceol Annie Lennox (‘Walking on Broken Glass’), Queen (‘Don’t Stop Me Now’) agus ABBA (‘Dancing Queen’) an t-aer agus choinnigh an chraic ag dul ar bharr na dtonnta!

Ar bhuaiceanna an lae bhí ardú na Brataí Bróid ag an ealaíontóir Ruairí Ó Donnabháin, arb é oifigeach pleanála teanga an oileáin agus có-eagraí Bhród Chléire é, agus ag an mbádóir Shane O’ Driscoll le haghaidh grianghraf grúpa ar an deic uachtair. Théis seoladh thart ar Inis Arcáin agus idir an Lao Meánach is an Lao Thoir, lean an rí-rá faoi lánseol agus Carraig Aonair á ceangal leis an gcé ar Chléire. Níor thuirling na cuairteoirí den bhád go raibh Loreen’s ‘Euphoria’ canta go spleodrach acu go léir.

Tar éis bia den scoth ó Mary’s Chipper agus ó bhialann Sheáin Rua ar Thrá Chiaráin, síos linn go Cotter’s, agus é dubh le daoine, i gcomhair oíche iontach de cheabairé.

Thug Ciara Ní É uaithi an dán ó bhéal ‘I’m Checking Out Your Girlfriend’, agus rinne Sam Ó Fearraigh aithris ar a dhán féin ‘Mise Aerach’. Ní raibh a shárú ar an leagan cumhachtach den dán ‘Caoine Cill Chais’ a thug Caoimhghín Ó hEoghusa uaidh.

Bhí ceol traidisiúnta le clois ar feadh na hoíche ó leithéidí Frederico (ón Iodáil) ar an bhfeadóg stáin, Brenda ar an bhfeadóg mhór agus Cathal ar an mbodhrán; chas Darragh port a’ bhéil; agus cheol Eoin Mc Evoy agus Steven (ó Bhostún) beirt amhrán ar an sean-nós.

Ní hamháin sin, bhí ceol na linne le cloisteáil fosta ó Dharragh a chas amach ‘Money, Money, Money’ le ABBA; chuir Julie sna deora sinn le leagan álainn de ‘Over the Rainbow’; agus fuaireamar binneas an cheoil ó Cháit agus Aoife le ‘Tonight You Belong to Me’.

Cuireadh clabhsúr ar an oíche nuair a tháinig foireann an tábhairne, Lauren, Jodie agus Roisín (a reáchtálann Cotter’s lena fear, Cian) amach as an gcistin agus brístíní geala corcra is bréagfhoilt bhándearga teolaí orthu chun gach duine a chur ag ceol ‘Small Town Boy’ le Bronski Beat.

I ndiaidh sos a bhí ag teastáil go mór, thit cur i láthair agus plé amach ar roinnt foilseachán an tráthnóna dár gcionn ag an GTeic, an mol digiteach ar Thrá Chiaráin, agus é lán go doras.

Labhair Eoin Mc Evoy ar an bpróiseas ar thug sé faoi agus an t-úrscéal grafach Heartstopper, arb é an chéad leabhar aerach i nGaeilge do dhaoine óga é, á aistriú aige. Ina dhiaidh sin, sheol có-eagraithe na féile, AerachAiteachGaelach, a n-iris Ghaeilge An Gairdín. Rinne filí agus mic léinn araon aithris ar dhánta ansin, chomh maith le ‘Bród’ le Julie Goo, dán arna choimisiúnú ag MEITHEAL Phlean Teanga Chléire anuraidh, an chéad bhliain den fhéile.

Tugadh cóipeanna de An Foclóir Aiteach, ar foclóir é le frásaí a chuireann síos ar an saol aerach as Gaeilge, dóibh siúd a bhí i láthair ag an GTeic. Ar deireadh, taispeánadh Normáilte, gearrscannán i nGaeilge a rinne Caoimhghín Ó hEoghusa a dhéanann scrúdú ar éirí agus ar thitim na gluaiseachta aeraí in Éirinn ar sé.

An tráthnóna sin, siar go Coláiste Pobail Chléire linn, in Crathach ar an mBóthar Theas, leis an dráma Grindr, Saghdar agus Cher (le fotheidil i mBéarla ) a fheiceáil ar scáileán. Le Ciara Ní É, Eoin Mc Evoy, agus Sam Ó Fearraigh sna príomhpháirteanna, insíonn sé trí scéal aeracha a thiteann i dtoll a chéile ar oíche amach i gclub aerach i mBaile Átha Cliath – dráma iontach a chuir an slua ar fad ina seasamh!

Chun críoch a chur le Bród Chléire, siar arís linn go Cotter’s, áit ar thit an Sing Along Social le The Craic Mechanics amach go hiomlán as Gaeilge don chéad uair riamh! Ní raibh deireadh leis na popamhráin spiagaí ó Aisling, agus choinnigh Irene gach duine i mbun damhsa vogue, siúl mustrach, agus beolbheachtú. Bhí idir Chaka Khan (‘I’m Every Woman’), Tina Turner (‘Simply the Best’), agus Celine Dion (‘It’s All Coming Back to Me Now’) ann, le hiarraidh thubaisteach ar Riverdance chun an rince a thabhairt chun deiridh.

Tháinig níos mó ceoil fós, ná déanaimis dearúd ar fhlúirse Chappell Roan (‘Hot To Go!’ a casadh faoi dhó – ar a laghad). Don dara bliain as a chéile, bhí an conga mar mhórshiúl neamhoifigiúil Bhród Chléire, ach an iarraidh seo thit sé amach i gclós Thábhairne Cotter agus ‘360’ le Charli xcx agus ‘Get Your Brits Out’ le Kneecap mar fhuaimrian.

Faraor, tháinig deireadh le Bród Chléire le neart cuairteoirí ag filleadh ar an mbád farantóireachta, Dún an Óir II, go Dún na Séad ag 12pm an Domhnach sin.

Comhghairdeas le Ruairí Ó Donnabháin, NJ Ní Mhéalóid ar as Cléire di, Eoin Mc Evoy agus leis an bhfoireann ar fad ag AerachAiteachGaelach, chomh maith le pobal an oileáin a d’oibrigh go dúthrachtach chun deireadh seachtaine croíúil ceiliúrtha speisialta lán de Bhród Aerach Gaelach a reáchtáil ar Chléire.

English:
On Friday, August 16, 2024, the sun shone, and hopes were high that it would stay that way as Cléire (Cape Clear) in West Cork geared up to host its second Pride festival, Bród Chléire. On one of Ireland’s most remote offshore islands, Pride flags were hoisted above Trá Chiaráin (North Harbour) at the grotto, an Siopa Beag, with a large one hung outside Cotter’s pub.

That evening, it was ‘all aboard’ Cape Clear Ferries’ Carraig Aonair for a boisterous cruise around Roaringwater Bay. As people drank in the evening sun and the gin, the music of Annie Lennox (‘Walking On Broken Glass’), Queen (‘Don’t Stop Me Now’), and ABBA (‘Dancing Queen’) kept the mood as high as the highest tide!

A highlight for all was when Ruairí Ó Donnabháin, artist, the island’s Irish language planning officer and Bród Chléire co-organiser, and crewmember Shane O’Driscoll hoisted the Pride flag during a group photo on the top deck. After sailing around Sherkin Island and between the Middle and East Calf Islands, the party was still in full swing when the crew tied the Carraig Aonair up at the pier back on Cléire. Visitors only disembarked after a roaring rendition of Loreen’s ‘Euphoria’.

After delicious food from Mary’s Chipper and Seán Rua’s restaurant in Trá Chiaráin, it was then up to a packed-out Cotter’s for a gorgeous evening of cabaret.

Ciara Ní É recited a spoken-word piece called ‘I’m Checking Out Your Girlfriend’, while Sam Ó Fearraigh presented a poem of his own called ‘Mise Aerach’. Caoimhghín Ó hEoghusa gave a powerful performance of the poem ‘Caoine Cill Chais‘.

Traditional Irish music was played all night, such as the trio of Frederico (from Italy) on tin whistle, Brenda on flute, and Cathal on bodhrán; Darragh gave a port a’bhéil, while Eoin Mc Evoy and Steven (from Boston) each sang in the stirring sean nós style.

Cotter’s heard modern music too, such as Darragh, who belted out ABBA’s ‘Money, Money, Money’; Julie had everyone in tears with a beautifully sung ‘Over the Rainbow’; while Cáit and Aoife sang the delightfully sweet ‘Tonight You Belong to Me‘.

The night concluded when bar staff Lauren, Jodie and Roisín (who runs Cotter’s with her partner Cian) came out from the kitchen in gloriously bright purple pants and hot pink wigs and got everyone singing along to ‘Small Town Boy’ by Bronski Beat.

After some much-needed rest, the following afternoon saw presentations and discussions on several publications at a packed GTeic, the digital hub in Trá Chiaráin.

Eoin Mc Evoy spoke about his process translating the graphic novel version of Heartstopper into Irish, making it the first queer book as Gaeilge for young people. Next up, co-festival organisers AerachAiteachGaelach launched their Irish language Zine An Gairdín. Recitals from poets and students alike followed, including a commission by MEITHEAL Phlean Teanga Chléire, the poem ‘Bród’ by Julie Goo from last year’s inaugural event.

Those in GTeic were presented with copies of An Foclóir Aiteach (The Queer Dictionary), which helps you describe your queer life as Gaeilge. To conclude, a screening was given of Normáilte, an Irish language short film from Caoimhghín Ó hEoghusa, who described it as examining the rising and falling of Ireland’s queer movement.

That evening, it was over to Coláiste Pobail Chléire, in Crathach on the South Road, for the screening of the play (with Béarla subtitles) of Grindr, Saghdar agus Cher. Starring Ciara Ní É, Eoin Mc Evoy, and Sam Ó Fearraigh, it tells of three queer stories that all converge on one night out in a Dublin queer club, receiving a standing ovation from all!

To round off Bród Chléire, it was back to Cotter’s as The Craic Mechanics’ Sing Along Social was held entirely as Gaeilge for the first time! Aisling churned out the cheesy pop tunes, while Irene got people voguing, strutting, and lip-syncing. From Chaka Khan (‘I’m Every Woman’), Tina Turner (‘Simply the Best’), to Celine Dion (‘It’s All Coming Back to Me Now’), it concluded with a bruising attempt at Riverdance.

More music followed, such as a glorious abundance of Chappell Roan (‘Hot To Go!’ was played at least twice). For the second year in a row, Bród Chléire’s unofficial Pride march was a conga, this time in the courtyard of Cotter’s to ‘360’ by Charli xcx and ‘Get Your Brits Out’ from Kneecap.

Bród Chléire sadly came to an end, with many visitors taking the 12pm ferry back out to Baltimore on the Dún an Óir II that Sunday.

Comhghairdeas to Ruairí Ó Donnabháin, NJ Ní Mhéalóid, who is from Cléire, Eoin Mc Evoy and all the team at AerachAiteachGaelach, as well as the island community, who worked tirelessly to create a truly uplifting, celebratory special weekend of queer Gaeilge Pride on Cléire.

Did you know we have a team of wonderful runners taking part in this year’s Dublin Marathon and raising funds for GCN? You can support our athletes at this link.