Go, go, go for the Gaeilgeoirati

It was a night for the Gaeilgeoirati as shouts of "maith thú" and "comhghairdeas" filled the air during the presentation of Oireachtas…

It was a night for the Gaeilgeoirati as shouts of "maith thú" and "comhghairdeas" filled the air during the presentation of Oireachtas na Gaeilge's Literary Awards at the Guinness Storehouse, Dublin, on Tuesday night.

Oireachtas president and novelist, translator and critic, Breandán Ó Doibhlin, and Éamon Ó hÓgáin, formerly of the Royal Irish Academy, were to be seen deep in conversation. However, matters academic or literary were not the topic of debate for these two scholars - it was Gaelic football. Ó Doibhlin, a proud Tyrone man, was still basking in the glory of his county's first All-Ireland win and Ó hÓgáin, a Kerry native, was wondering when his own county would rise again.

The Irish Times' own Catherine Foley was in attendance - though this time as the subject of On The Town and not its author. She was celebrating winning joint first for her novella for adult learners, An Cailín Rua. Keeping her company were director/ producer Moira Sweeney and researcher Diarmaid Mac Mathúna of TG4's rural affairs programme, An Tuath Nua.

Moira had already filmed some sequences from Catherine's last book, which were broadcast last week. Would this new work lend itself to adaptation to the small screen? The ladies were saying nothing. The deal is obviously not yet done.

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Happily, The Irish Times connection doesn't end there. Catherine's co-winner was none other than Liam Mac Uistín with An Geall. He's an occasional contributor to this paper's Beocheist column and, more importantly, father of the newspaper's medical correspondent, Muiris Houston.

There were other familiar faces: actor Joe Steve Ó Neachtain picked up his award for best short story before heading back to Connemara to launch his new novel, Scread Mhaidne, and, of course, record a few more scenes for TG4's soap, Ros na Rún.

It's go, go, go for the Gaeilgeoirati.