WILFUL RENEWING: Tradition and Innovation in the Work of Aifric Mac Aodha and Seamus Barra O Suilleabhain

This chapter explores the work of two contemporary Irish-language poets, Aifric Mac Aodha (b. 1979) and Séamus Barra Ó Súilleabháin (b. 1992), as two exemplars of the current younger generation of Irish-language poets. At first glance, they appear to be poles apart, with Mac Aodha's poetry being distinguished by a degree of classical formality, while Ó Súilleabháin's seems riotously informal, encompassing both print and the spoken-word, extending even to musical collaborations. Yet, this chapter will demonstrate how both poets consciously regenerate the Gaelic tradition through language, subject and form. It will address issues of authority and anxiety around the language, as experienced by non-native speakers of Irish. Innovation in performance is a distinctive development in Irish-language poetry in the twenty-first century, a particular achievement in the work of Ó Súilleabháin. Theinová (2020) has explored the idea of ‘fractured temporality’ in relation to Mac Aodha's poetry and this concept will be applied in turn to Ó Súilleabháin's work. While they each have a contrasting approach to their craft, a key element of their individual poetic projects is the renewal of tradition.