Amhrán na Leabhar is a lament for lost books, for manuscripts that were among the last living connections to the literary and historical soul of Ireland, a nation shaped by time and hardship.
The poem was written by Tomás Rua Ó Súilleabháin, a teacher of a secret hedge school who taught in hiding to keep Ireland’s language, history, and songs alive. When he moved to Portmagee for a new teaching position, he sent his most precious books there by ship. The ship sank in a sudden storm, taking with it his life’s work and the fragile heritage of a people. Amhrán na Leabhar was born from this loss.

In this performance, the Irish lament meets the ancient voice of the Greek lyre—two traditions shaped by endurance and time. It features Órna Loughnane on Celtic fiddle and vocals, Theodore Koumartzis on the Lyre of Orpheus, and Eleni Sinjari on the Lyre of Thamyris, both instruments handcrafted in Greece by the Koumartzis family.