Honorary Citation by Dr Pádraig Mac Cárthaigh for Séan Ó Sé
A uachtaráin na hollscoile, a leas-shainsailéir Ollscoil na hÉireann, a dhaoine uaisle agus a chairde uilig, is mór an phrimhléid domsa Seán Ó Sé a chur in aithne daoibh le haghaidh bronnadh céime oinigh agus fáilte a fhearadh roimh a chlann agus a gharpháistí atá inár dteannta chun ceiliúradh le Seán ar an ócáid suntasach so.
President of UCC, Vice-Chancellor of the NUI, distinguished guests and friends, it is my great privilege to present Seán Ó Sé for conferral of an honorary degree and to welcome his children Áine, Con and Íde, daughter-in-law Caitríona and grandchildren Méabh, Ciara and Seán Ó Sé, all of whom are here to celebrate with Seán on this most auspicious occasion.
Seasann Seán Ó Sé mar cheann de na guthanna is sainiúla agus is mó tionchair i stair an cheoil agus na hamhánaíochta traidisiúnta. ‘Sé tomhas amháin ar a thábhacht i saol cultúrtha na hÉireann ná, go dtagann níos mó ná 5,000 mír thar n-ais ó chuardach cartlainne nuachtán ag lorg 'Seán Ó Sé' in éineacht le téarmaí ar nós 'amhránaí' nó 'Ceoltóirí Chualann'.
As Béal Átha Leice i gcroílár Iarthar Chorcaí ó dhúchas dó, an t-é ab óige i gclann naonúir, agus Gaolainn ón gcliabhán aige, bhí sé in aois sé bliana sara chuala sé oiread is focal amháin Béarla agus é ag dul ar scoil don chéad uair.
Tar éis a mheánscolaíochta i gColáiste Íosagáin, Baile Bhuirne, agus scrúdú iontrála scoláireachta ana dheacair sáraithe aige, fuair Seán oiliúint mhúinteoireachta i gColáiste Phádraig, Droim Conrach, agus thosnaigh sé ar a ghairm mar mhúinteoir bunscoile, i mBealach Conglais. Co. Cill Mhantáin ar dtúis, i nDroichead na Banndan ar feadh cúig bliana ina dhiaidh sin, agus sa deireadh chaith Seán “na blianta ab aoibhne de mo ghairm mhúinteoreachta” mar a dúirt sé in agallamh le déanaí, mar phríomh-oide i Scoil Mhuire, Cnoc na hAoine i gCathair Chorcaí.
Ach is lasmuigh den seomra scoile a fuair Seán clú agus cáil mar ealaíontóir suntasach. Rug sé chuig an stáitse náisiúnta stíl amhránaíochta a bhí préamhaithe go doimhin sa traidisiún sean-nóis agus fós oscailte do shruthanna an athnuachana a chuir cruth ar athbheochan an cheoil Ghaeligh i lár na fichiú haoise.
Tá ról lárnach san athbheochan san, agus i gcultúr na hÉireann i gcoitinne, bainte amach ag Seán Ó Sé mar phríomh-amhránaí Cheoltóirí Chualann fé stiúir an chumadóra fhísiúil, Seán O Riada, agus i ndiaidh bhás roimh am an Riadaigh, mar chomhoibritheoir ceoil lena mhac Peadar Ó Riada, dlúthchara le Seán, agus ceoltóirí mór le rá eile le breis is trí scór bliain anuas.
Seán Ó Sé stands as one of the most distinctive and influential voices in the history of Irish traditional music and song. One measure of his significance in Irish cultural life is that a search of newspaper archives using 'Seán Ó Sé' with qualifying terms 'singer' or 'Ceoltóirí Chualann' returns in excess of 5,000 items.
Originally from Ballylickey in the heart of West Cork, the youngest in a family of nine with Irish as his first language, he was six years of age before he heard as much as a single word of English when he went to school for the first time.
After his secondary education at Coláiste Íosagáin, Baile Bhúirne, made possible by success in a very competitive entrance scholarship exam, Seán undertook teacher-training at St. Patrick's, Drumcondra and began his career as a primary school teacher, first in Baltinglass, Co. Wicklow, then in Bandon for five years, and finally Seán spent "the happiest years of my teaching career" as he said in a recent interview, as principal of St. Mary's School, Knocknaheeny in Cork City
But it was outside the classroom that Seán gained fame and renown as an artist of major cultural significance. He brought to the national stage a singing style that was rooted deeply in the sean-nós tradition and yet open to the currents of renewal that shaped the revival of Irish music in the mid-twentieth century.
Seán Ó Sé has achieved a central role in the revival, and in Irish culture in general, as principal singer of Ceoltóirí Chualann under the direction of visionary composer Seán Ó Riada, and following Ó Riada's untimely death, as a musical collaborator with his son Peadar Ó Riada, a close friend of Seán, and other renowned musicians for more than six decades.
Seán’s performances, expressive but unforced, helped transform Irish traditional music from a domestic art into a concert tradition of international standing.
Over the decades, Seán has received many awards and honours. He was recipient of the TG4 Gradam Saoil (Lifetime Achievement Award) in 2021, Uachtarán an Oireachtais (President of the annual Oireachtas na Gaeilge festival of Irish literature, singing, music and dancing) in 2005, and celebrated by his home county, Cork and by the Irish traditional music community. His recordings with Gael Linn, including retrospective albums marking his fifty years in music, preserve an important archive of his work.
Beyond his music, Seán Ó Sé has been an educator, a cultural ambassador, and a beloved figure who has brought Irish song to audiences at home and abroad. Touring with Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann he has represented Ireland in places as far-flung as New Orleans, Cuba, Russia and China.
Most importantly of all, Seán is father to Áine, Con and Íde, granddad to Méabh, Seán and Ciara, and husband of 57 years to his beloved Eileen, whose passing just a few short months ago is a most grievous loss for which we all deeply sympathise with you today, Seán. Déanaimid comhbhrón ó chroí leatsa, a Sheáin, agus le hÁine, Con, Íde agus do gharpháistí.
In summary, the artistry of Seán Ó Sé's unique tenor voice in the pioneering musical ensemble Ceoltóirí Chualann directed by Seán Ó Riada made a key contribution to catapulting Irish traditional music onto the concert stage and into the international arena in the nineteen sixties, and thereby helped in significant measure to establish the basis for what has become the global phenomenon of the universal appeal of Irish traditional music and song which has gone from strength to strength in the intervening decades.
Mar achoimre, thug ealaíon ghuth teanóir uathúil Sheáin Uí Shé sa bhanna ceoil ceannródaíoch Ceoltóirí Chualann fé stiúir Sheáin Uí Riada spreagadh ríthábhachtach chun ceol traidisiúnta na hÉireann a chaitheamh ar an stáitse ceolchoirme agus isteach sa réimse idirnáisiúnta sna seascaidí, agus mar sin chuir sé go mór le bonn a leagan le haghaidh an méid atá anois ina iontas domhanda – tarraingt uilíoch an cheoil agus na hamhránaíochta Gaelaí atá dulta ó neart go neart le linn na scórtha blianta ó shin.
In recognition of his outstanding contribution to Irish music and culture, and of a lifetime devoted to the preservation and renewal of our shared musical heritage, it is my great privilege to present Seán Ó Sé for conferral with the degree of Doctor of Music, honoris causa, by University College Cork.
Praehonorabilis Vice-Cancellarie, totaque Universitas! Praesento vobis hunc meum filium, quam scio tam moribus quam doctrina habilem et idoneum esse qui admittatur, honoris causa, ad Gradus Doctoratus in Musica, idque tibi fide mea testor ac spondeo totique Academiae.