The Legend of the Lough
Welcome to the otherworld, beware human, here is where the fairies and other underworldly creatures play…
Tá fáilte romhat isteach thar thairseach na sí a dhuine dhaonna bheo. Bí ar an airdeall anso mar a mbíonn an slua sí ag rince is ag ceol i dTír na nÓg.
preview album
Fíoruisce
The Legend of the Lough
Fíoruisce - The Legend of the Lough is a three-act Gaelic folk opera composed by Irish artist John Spillane. It is a macaronic or bilingual work. The work is an imagined re-Gaelicization of the Victorian Cork fairytale Fior-usga collected by Thomas Crofton Croker in the 1800’s and published in his book Fairy Legends and Traditions of the South of Ireland (1828). The story is a surreal tale culminating in a drowned kingdom, which as lore tells us, becomes The Lough in Cork city as we know it today. They say, you can see the tops of the underworld towers on a clear day and hear the music of their big party on Midsummer’s night.
Enter this world through Spillane’s hugely ambitious concept album which features the voices of some of the most talented folk and sean nós singers of the age including Ríoghnach Connolly, Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin, Niamh Farrell, Nell Ní Chróinín, John Spillane himself of course, and more.
Gaeilge
Ceoldráma trí ghníomh is ea Fíoruisce - The Legend of the Lough cumtha ag an gceoltóir Éireannach John Spillane. Saothar dá-theangach is ea é. Ath-Ghaelú síofrúil ar an síscéal Victeoiriach Corcaíoch a bhailigh Thomas Crofton Croker agus a foilsíodh sa leabhar Fairy Legends and Traditions of the South of Ireland 1828. Finscéal osréalach agus loch-mhaidhm ollmhór tragóideach ag an deireadh a bheireann an Loch so atá anois againn i gCorcaigh an lae inniu. Deirtear fós gur féidir spléachadh a fháil ar díon an chaisleáin báite faoi uisce an Locha.
Tar thar thairseach isteach sa spás draíochta so leis an gceirnín draíochta uaillmhianach coincheap so Spillane agus na sár-ghuthanna is binne in Éirinn sa Ghaelainn fite fuaite lena chéile anso aige. Ríoghnach Connolly, Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin, Niamh Farrell, John é fhéin agus eile.
The Story
The story is of a princess whose name is Fíoruisce, she is prophetic, a complicated character with one foot in the real world and one in the other world, the ancient underworld. She is light and dark. She foresees a great drowning and tries to warn her parents, the king and queen about this.
The king, Corc, is an arrogant man who surrounds himself with sycophants, he constantly needs reassurance but only from his gang of yes men. The main event of the story is when King Corc closes access to the well for the people under his reign, therefore cutting them off from water. The queen Eadaoin is the voice of reason, she tells the king that this is a bad idea.
They are visited by a prince Cian Ó Céin but he is a trickster and is in fact the Irish sea god Manannán in disguise, he plays music for the party and they all go into a frenzied trance. Meanwhile he captures Fíoruisce and takes her to his world, the otherworld. Then he drowns the kingdom.
The lesson here is an allegory that crops up in Irish mythology all the time. The idea is that Kings and Queens in ancient Ireland had a duty to their people, if they defied their people and turned their back on them, they would be punished.
Fíoruisce - The Legend of the Lough has it all, shapeshifting tricksters, princes and princess, kings and queens, two jesters and a whole lot of drama all put to the background of interweaving melodies sung and played by the best singers and musicians of folk music today. This, with the signature John Spillane artistry.
Enter the world at your peril, human!
Gaeilge
An Scéal
Fáidh mná feasa is ea Fíoruisce ár mbanphrionsa álainn. Maireann sí sa spás idir eatarthu, idir an saol so agus an saol eile. Buaileann daol caointe í is feiceann sí tuile uisce á mbá sa ghleann agus í ag iarraidh foláireamh a mbáitheadh a chur ar a hathair an rí agus ar a máthair an bhanríon.
Fear bóibéiseach is ea Corc an rí agus is sásta go maith a bhíonn sé le moladh agus le plámas a chuid laochra. Sé an gníomh barbartha a dheineann sé ná tobar álainn fíoruisce a dhúnadh agus a t-uisce a choimead ón gcosmhuintir. Cuireann an bhanríon stuama Éadaoin comhairle air ina choinne seo.
Tagann an prionsa Cian Ó Céin ar chuairt orthu. Is é Manannán Mac Lir é i riocht cleasaí a chuireann faoi dhraíocht iad agus mearbhall orthu lena cheol sí agus meallann sé Fíoruisce go dtí Tír na nÓg. Bánn sé ríocht Choirc agus cumann Manannán Loch Chorcaí.
Téama forleathan é seo i miotas na hÉireann agus timpeall an domhain ar fad. Nuair ná bíonn an flaith fíor agus flaithiúil bíonn tubaist i ndán dó agus buailtear go cruaidh in uair na cinniúna é.
Tá gach saghas siamsaíochta le fáil anso i Fíorisce - The Legend of the Lough idir ríthe agus banríonacha bána, crosáin agus banphrionsa mánla, cleasaí agus sár-ghuthanna ag gáire is ag olagón, fite fuaite trína chéile sa cheol sí seo le plúr na n-amhránaithe breátha is nuaí is is fearr in Éirinn na linne seo.
Is ar do phriacal fhéin a chuirimid fáilte anso romhat, a dhuine dhaonna chóir.
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℗ and ⓒ John Spillane 2022. All Rights Reserved. Any unauthorised copying, hiring, lending, public performance and broadcasting is prohibited.
Inspired Records 005
All songs composed by John Spillane IMRO MCPS
Gach Ceart ar Cosnamh. Tá cosc ar aon chóipeáil, fruiliú, iasachtú, taibhiú poiblí agus craoladh neamhúdaraithe.
Ceol cumtha ag John Spillane IMRO MCPS
All illustrations, album cover layout and website design by Megan Clancy Creative
Contact: info@johnspillane.ie
Press Contact: louise@kearneymelia.com