The Gaelic cultures of Scotland and Ireland are joined in celebration as ‘An Leabhar Mor: The Great Book of Gaelic’ opens in eight gallery spaces between the far north of the Outer Hebrides and the deep southwest of Ireland from 10 July until 7 August.

The book weaves together the skills of more than 200 poets, visual artists and calligraphers to celebrate a reunion of the Gaelic cultures of Scotland and Ireland.  Each of the artists were commissioned to respond to the poetry and worked with a small team of calligraphers to integrate key lines of poetry with their imagery.  The resulting book is an extraordinary celebration in words and pictures of Gaelic culture from the earliest times to the present day.  Each of the 100 poems is translated.

The eight participating galleries are:

An Lanntair, Stornoway, Isle of Lewis; Taigh Chearsabhagh, Lochmaddy, North Uist; An Tuireann, Portree, Isle of Skye; Ionad Chaluim Chille Ìle, Bowmore, Islay; The Manor House, Rathlin Island, Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland; An Gaileari Falcarragh, Co. Donegal; Aras Eanna, Inis Oirr, The Aran Isles, Co. Galway; and The Blasket Island Centre, Co. Kerry.

All 100 artworks will be dispersed across the eight locations on the basis of the local relevance of the poetry or the artist.  The book, a project by the Gaelic Arts Agency, can be viewed at www.leabharmor.net