Coimisiún a bhí ann ó Ealaín na Gaeltachta, an comhlacht páirtnéireachta atá á reachtáil ag Údarás na Gaeltachta i gcomhar leis An Chomhairle Ealaíon. Bunaíodh an comhlacht leis na healaíona a chur chun cinn sa nGaeltacht.

Chuir Ealaín na Gaeltachta maoiniú airgid ar fáil le taighde a dhéanamh ar na rannta, le ceol nuachumtha a chumadh le cur leo, le cóiriú agus taifeadadh a dhéanamh ar na rannta agus leis an dlúthdhiosca a tháirgeadh. Thacaigh Bord na Leabhar Gaeilge le foilsiú an leabhair. An stiúideo beochana agus maisithe Cartoon Saloon, atá lonnaithe i gCathair Chill Chainnigh a rinne maisiú ar an leabha.

Tá saothar seisear ealaíontóir ar fad le feiceáil ann, ó thús deiridh. Cainteoirí dúchais Gaeilge ó cheantar Chonamara atá le cloisteáil ar an taifeadadh, iad ag rannaireacht, ag gabháil fhoinn agus ar thraic amháin, ag portaireacht. Ina measc tá an t-aisteoir aitheanta Tom Sailí Ó Flaithearta, fear a bhfuil aithne mhór in Éirinn air i bpáirt Chóilín sa sobaldráma Ros na Rún ar TG4. Glór eile a chloistear ann ná Caitlín Ní Chualáin, amhránaí agus craoltóir le Raidió na Gaeltachta. Craoltóir eile de chuid an stáisiúin sin, Meaití Jó Shéamais, a chloistear ag portaireacht agus ag píobaireacht ann.

Agus ar ndóigh tá na gasúir féin ann ˆ beagnach dhá scór acu san iomlán, ó dhá bhunscoil i gConamara ˆ Scoil an Chnoic, scoilín bheag bhídeach i gCeantar na nOileán (naonúr atá ar na rollaí i gcomhair scoilbhliain 2005–06!) agus Scoil Sailearna in Indreabhán, an bhunscoil is mó i nGaeltacht Chonamara.

Is é Tadhg Mac Dhonnagáin a chuir an togra Gugalaí Gug i dtoll a chéile. Is é a stíuraigh na rannairí sa stiúideo agus is é a scríobh an leabhar agus a rinne coimisiúnú ar an obair ealaíne. John Ryan a bhí mar léiritheoir, innealtóir, cóiritheoir agus cumadóir ar an taifeadad.

Seo an tríú togra do pháistí atá curtha i gcrích as láimh a chéile ag Tadhg agus John.

The project was commissioned by Ealaín na Gaeltachta, the partnership of An Chomhairle Ealaíon, the Irish Arts Council and the Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking region) Development Authority, Údarás na Gaeltachta.

Ealaín na Gaeltachta provided funding to support the gathering of the rhymes in the field, the composition of new music to accompany the spoken voices, the arrangement, recording and post-production of the CD. The research, writing, design, artwork and printing of the book was supported by Bord na Leabhar Gaeilge (The Irish [Gaelic] Book Board). Artwork was provided by award-winning illustration and animation studio Cartoon Saloon. Six artists in total contributed images to the book.

Performing on the CD are three generations of the Conamara community, ranging in age from four years to seventy something. The full range of the region‚s vocal talent is featured ˆ rhymers, singers, a lilter ˆ almost forty voices in all. Among those included is the actor Tom Sailí Ó Flaithearta, well-known for his portrayal of the elderly bachelor Cóilín in TG4‚s bi-weekly soap, Ros na Rún. Another grown-up voice featured is that of singer and Raidió na Gaeltachta broadcaster Caitlín Ní Chualáin. Her colleague at the radio station Meaití Jó Shéamais, an award winning sean-nós singer, can be heard lilting and playing the uilleann pipes.  

But the real stars of the production are the local children, drawn from two primary schools, in the Leitir Mealláin and Indreabhán areas, respectively. The first, Scoil an Chnoic, Leitir Mealláin, at the time of recording had nine pupils on the rolls. They‚re all to be heard performing together on one track, „A hAon is a hAon‰. The other school involved is Scoil Sailearna, Indreabhán - in contrast, the biggest primary school in Conamara.

The Gugalaí Gug project was instigated by Tadhg Mac Dhonnagáin. He researched and wrote the book, directed the vocal talent in studio and commissioned the artwork. The CD was produced by John Ryan, who also acted as sound engineer, arranger and composer.

Gugalaí Gug is the third children’s project Tadhg and John have realised together.