A paradox about Connemara is that a land so bleak and impoverished conceals a rich and vibrant culture which has survived, against all the odds, into the dying years of the 20th century.
It is a paradox which easily escapes the casual visitor: most of the region's musicians, singers, storytellers, poets, writers, boat builders, stonemasons, thatchers and other artists are unknown outside the area. This is partly because of the language barrier, but also because such a wealth of cultural expression in a remote rural area is now comparatively rare.
A book published by Clo IarChonnachta last week tries to bridge that gap by offering pen portraits and photographs of several dozen Connemara personalities. Conamara: An Tir Aineoil/The Unknown Country contains a graceful, intimate and illuminating text in Irish by the journalist and teacher, Liam Mac Con Iomaire, with an abridged translation in English.
The dual language text is accompanied by a fine collection of photographs by film-maker, Bob Quinn, which "put faces on the people" (as they say in Irish) and bring the book to life.
They include a portrait of Dara Beag O Fatharta,
from Inis Meain, a singer, dancer, poet and stonemason. Born on the island in 1920, he has lived there all his life apart from six months he spent working with Bord na Mona in 1949.
He has left his mark in verse and in stone on Inis Meain: in a collection of his poems entitled Cloch an Fhaoileain and in the dozen or so houses of cut limestone he has built on the island. A fine example of his craft can be seen in the gable end of the island hall.
Some of the writers and singers featured in the book are relatively well-known outside Connemara. These include the playwright and actor, Johnny Choil Mhaidhc O Coisdealbha, who is a member of Aosdana; and the songwriter, Tomas Mac Eoin, who toured extensively with The Waterboys in the early 1990s.
Others are valued contributors at sean-nos competitions and other events: they include Treasa Ni Mhiollain from Inis Mor, who twice won the prestigious Corn Ui Riada at the Oireachtas festival.
The writer, Larry O Finneadha, the seventh son of the late Padraig Larry O Finneadha, gathered an extensive collection of old prayers and charms in Irish, which have been published under the title, O Bhaile go Baile. Traditional dancer, Coilin Joyce, who is in his 70s, has in recent years twice won the "damhsa ar an sean nos" competition sponsored by Plearaca Chonamara and the Carraroe publican, Aodan O Se.
A feature of this old style traditional dancing is that the dancers allow their hands to float naturally at their sides, instead of holding them stiffly to their sides in the manner popularised by the Gaelic League in the early years of the century and followed by generations of Irish dancing teachers ever since.
There is also a fine portrait of John William Seoighe, the celebrated oarsman and helmsman, who was born on the island of Inse Ghainimh in 1919. At the age of 14 he ran turf to Aran and Clare in Blath na hOige, a gleoiteog owned jointly by his father and his uncle.
One of the strengths of the book is the informal, almost whimsical insights offered at random into the lives of the people featured in it.
The note about Barbara "Baba" Baille from Doire Fhatharta informs the reader that she met her husband-to-be, Johnny Baille from Doirin Glas, while travelling to Carraroe on the Galway bus. She was on her way to school and he was on his way to England to work on "the beet". He paid her schoolchild fare of one penny.
Several years later, on the second day of the Galway Races in 1962, they were married in Carraroe church.