Tribute to Éamon de Buitléar

Éamon de Buitléar

It is with a heavy heart that we learned of the passing of the great Éamon de Buitléar. To generations of Irish people Éamon has been lifelong presence and figure of inspiration through his love of the Irish landscape and wildlife, Irish music, language and culture and by being one of the pioneering broadcasters of his generation.

 Éamon has been a long-time friend of NUI Galway and its James Hardiman Library. At a ceremony on campus last November, Éamon deposited his unique and vast archive to NUI Galway which will be catalogued, digitised and made available for researchers by the James Hardiman Library and Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge. This collection is a treasure for the nation and one which documents the incredible life, work and legacy of Éamon de Buitléar.

President of NUI Galway, Dr. Jim Browne made the following statement:

 "On behalf of NUI Galway and the university community, I extend sincere condolences to the family and friends of Éamon de Buitléar.

Éamon de Buitléar was an outstanding figure of modern Ireland.  An exceptional film-maker, a committed environmentalist, a public intellectual, author, musician and member of Seanad Éireann - he was a man of many parts and a man whose contribution to Irish society has enriched the lives of many generations.

We in NUI Galway are deeply honored by our association with Éamon de Buitléar.  His decision to donate his rich multi-media, bi-lingual archive to the University will mean that his lifetime’s work of creativity and advocacy will be held in trust here for the nation and for generations of scholars.  We are proud to have been entrusted with that task."

At the launch ceremony for the de Buitlèar Archive last November those present had the privilege of not just hearing Éamon speak but also witness him playing wonderful music on the mouth organ. Also on that evening the following video was screened and is a touching tribute to the great work and legacy of Éamon de Buitléar as well as to his endearing spirit.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam. Ní bheidh a leithéidí ann arís

 

 

 

Éamon de Buitléar - Arts Tonight interview on RTÈ Radio 1

The Arts Tonight program on RTÈ Radio 1 featured a special interview with the wonderful Éamon de Buitléar last night. Hosted by Vincent Woods,  the program uncovers the life, many achievements and archive of Èamon which he has deposited here at the James Hardiman Library at NUI Galway. The archive will comprise one of the largest digital archives of the Library's extensive holdings and will be a vital resource for all researchers of Irish nature, wildlife, music, culture and language.

Here is information on the program and click on the link below to listen back to Vincent Woods in conversation with Èamon de Buitlèar.

Èamon de Buitlèar and Vincent Woods

"Nature has become invisible. People don't see it any more, or hear it. You need to see it, you need to feel it. As human beings, we need it, specially nowadays." The words of filmmaker, broadcaster, writer and conservationist Éamon de Buitléar. On tonight's programme, we visit him at his home in Delgany, Co. Wicklow and step into his remarkable archive of over 2000 audio and film tapes. He has recently donated this archive to NUI Galway and it will soon be delivered there and digitised: not only his hundreds of wildlife films for television such as the series Amuigh Faoin Spéir for which he is probably best known, but also painstakingly catalogued wildlife sounds dating back to the 1950s, early radio recordings from the traditional music revival featuring Séamus Ennis, Sean Ó Riada and others, and his radio and television series for children, Lúidín Mac Lú about a leprechaun and his mouse."

http://www.rte.ie/radio1/artstonight/

To learn more about the Cartlann Éamoin de Buitléar/Éamon de Buitléar Archive, click here

Èamon de Buitlèar at the James Hardiman Library, NUI Galway