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Biography
Celia de Fréine is a poet, playwright and screenwriter who writes in Irish and English.
She was born in Newtownards, County Down and moved to Dublin as a child. Retaining strong links with Northern Ireland, she spent most of her summers with her extended family in Donaghadee.
She now divides her time between Dublin and Connemara.
Poetry
Celia has published four collections of poetry: imram : odyssey (Arlen House 2010); Scarecrows at Newtownards (Scotus Press, 2005); Fiacha Fola (Cló Iar-Chonnachta 2004); Faoi Chabáistí is Ríonacha (Cló Iar-Chonnachta 2001). A fifth collection, Aibítir Aoise : Alphabet of an Age, is due from Arlen House in April 2011.
Her poetry has been widely anthologised and translated and has won many awards, including the Patrick Kavanagh Award, the British Comparative Literature Association Translation Award and the Gradam Litríochta Chló Iar-Chonnachta.
Drama
Celia's plays have been widely produced and won many awards. Four of her plays have been awarded Duais an Oireachtais for best full-length play: Anraith Neantóige; Cóirín na dTonn; Tearmann; and Meanmarc. The first three of these plays were published in a collection, entitled Mná Dána, by Arlen House in 2009.
Also in 2009 the Abbey Theatre commissioned her short play Casadh. In 2004 Anraith Neantóige was produced by Aisling Ghéar. Another play Nára Turas é in Aistear was produced in 2000 by Amharclann de hÍde. In 2007 the Dublin Shakespeare Society produced a revised version of Celia's 1982 translation and dramatisation of Brian Merriman's The Midnight Court as part of their centenary celebrations.
Film and Television
Celia has also worked in film and television. She was a scriptwriter for the TG4 series Ros na Rún between 1997 and 1999. The first script which she wrote was shortlisted for the Celtic Film and Television Festival in 1998. Celia worked with filmmaker Biju Viswanath to develop a series of short films based on her poems. Her screenplay for the film Marathon was given the award for best screenplay at the New York International Film Festival in 2009. The short film Rian : Trace which she conceived and wrote was given the award for best international narrative short at the same festival in 2010.
Opera
Celia wrote the libretto for the opera, The Earl of Kildare (music composed by Fergus Johnston). In 2009 Living Opera, in association with Opera Ireland, presented a showcase performance of the opera at the Mermaid Arts Centre in Bray.
Awards
1994 Patrick Kavanagh Award
1996 Comórtas Filíochta Dhún Laoghaire (Dán Gaeilge)
1997 Sparánacht sa Litríocht (An Chomhairle Ealaíon)
1999 British Comparative Literature Association
(Translation
Award)
1999 Duais Aitheantais Ghradam Litríochta
Chló Iar-Chonnachta
2000 Sparánacht sa Litríocht (An Chomhairle Ealaíon)
2003 Smurfit/Lá International Poetry Award
Samhain Festival
(Dán Gaeilge)
2003 Duais an Oireachtais (Award for play Anraith Neantóige)
2004 Gradam Litríochta Chló Iar-Chonnachta for Fiacha Fola
2005 Duais an Oireachtais (Award for play Cóirín na dTonn)
2006 Duais an Oireachtais(Award for play Tearmann)
2006 Duais Fhoras na Gaeilge Lios Tuathail for Tearmann
2009 Best Screenplay Award for Marathon at the New York
International Film Festival
2010 Duais an Oireachtais (Award for play Meanmarc)
2010 Best International Narrative Short for Rian : Trace at the
New York International Film Festival
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