Treasa Ní Cheannabháin
Encyclopedia
Treasa Ní Cheannabháin is a notable Irish singer in the sean-nós tradition. She was born in Cill Chiaráin in Carna, Conamara, an Irish-speaking
area, and three of her daughters are also well known as singers. She is married to Saber Elsafty, a doctor of Egyptian
origin, and is also known for her activism on behalf of Palestinian
civil rights
.
Both her immediate and extended family are musical. Her mother was a second cousin of the distinguished sean-nós singer Seosamh Ó hÉanaí, and another notable singer, Peadar Ó Ceannabháin, is a cousin. Treasa won Corn na mBan (the Women's Cup for singing) at the Oireachtas
in 1995 and was runner-up in Corn Uí Riada, another prestigious competition.
In 1996 Treasa and daughter Róisín Elsafty released an album on the French label Musique du Monde label entitled L'art du sean-nós.
with her daughter Naisrín Elsafty
and a niece in order to distribute €7,700 collected by the Galway-Palestinian Children's Fund. They were arrested and briefly detained, and Treasa's husband had his passport confiscated to prevent him helping Treasa to leave.
The collection of the money had been aided by the release of a CD in Irish and Arabic, entitled An Phailistín, to which well-known Irish musicians Sharon Shannon
and Donal Lunny
contributed.
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
area, and three of her daughters are also well known as singers. She is married to Saber Elsafty, a doctor of Egyptian
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
origin, and is also known for her activism on behalf of Palestinian
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
.
Both her immediate and extended family are musical. Her mother was a second cousin of the distinguished sean-nós singer Seosamh Ó hÉanaí, and another notable singer, Peadar Ó Ceannabháin, is a cousin. Treasa won Corn na mBan (the Women's Cup for singing) at the Oireachtas
Oireachtas
The Oireachtas , sometimes referred to as Oireachtas Éireann, is the "national parliament" or legislature of Ireland. The Oireachtas consists of:*The President of Ireland*The two Houses of the Oireachtas :**Dáil Éireann...
in 1995 and was runner-up in Corn Uí Riada, another prestigious competition.
In 1996 Treasa and daughter Róisín Elsafty released an album on the French label Musique du Monde label entitled L'art du sean-nós.
Activism
In 2008 she slipped across the Egyptian border into GazaGaza
Gaza , also referred to as Gaza City, is a Palestinian city in the Gaza Strip, with a population of about 450,000, making it the largest city in the Palestinian territories.Inhabited since at least the 15th century BC,...
with her daughter Naisrín Elsafty
Naisrín Elsafty
Naisrín Elsafty is of Irish-Egyptian descent and is a distinguished exponent of sean-nós singing, an unaccompanied and heavily ornamented style characteristic of the Irish-speaking area where she grew up.-Cultural background:...
and a niece in order to distribute €7,700 collected by the Galway-Palestinian Children's Fund. They were arrested and briefly detained, and Treasa's husband had his passport confiscated to prevent him helping Treasa to leave.
The collection of the money had been aided by the release of a CD in Irish and Arabic, entitled An Phailistín, to which well-known Irish musicians Sharon Shannon
Sharon Shannon
Sharon Shannon is an Irish musician. She is best known for her work with the accordion and for her fiddle technique. She also plays the tin whistle and melodeon. Her 1991 album Sharon Shannon is the best selling album of traditional Irish music ever released there...
and Donal Lunny
Dónal Lunny
Dónal Lunny is an Irish folk musician. Lunny has been at the forefront of the evolution of traditional Irish music for more than thirty-five years and has participated within the renaissance of traditional Irish music in that time period...
contributed.
External links
- http://www.galwayindependent.com/b%E9al-a-phobail/b%E9al-a-phobail/c%FArsa-sean%11n%F3is,-le-treasa-n%ED-cheannabh%E1in/
- http://www.galwaynews.ie/2756-barnas-treasa-ni-cheannabhain-set-free-egypt
- http://www.galwayindependent.com/profiles/profiles/sin%e9ad-n%ed-neachtain-%11-editor,-%27galway-now%27/
- http://www.galwayindependent.com/profiles/profiles/treasa-ni-cheannabhain-%11-founder-of-the-galway-palestine-solidarity-children%27s-charity/