Monday, December 31, 2012

Dán Nollag – Christmas Poem


Ó tharla go bhfuileamar anois idir an dá Nollag, ní miste go soláthrófaí inniu ábhar atá tráthúil go maith. Is iomadh amhrán, dán, agus agallamh beirte a chum an file Maitiú Ó Maoláin (1912-1969) – tugtar Meait Pheaits Rua nó Meait Neainín air freisin – as Eoghanacht, Árainn. Ina measc, tá an dán beag seo, ag guí beannachtaí na féile ar an éisteoir.

For this holiday season, we turn to the work of Maitiú Ó Maoláin (1912-1969) of Eoghanacht, Árainn, who composed many songs, poems, and dialogues. Among them is this short seasonal poem.

Dán Nollag
Tí Mheait Neainín ar an Leic Mhór, Eoghanacht, Árainn c.1950í.
Féach an dá fhuinneog thuas staighre ag breathnú soir.
Pic. Bailiúchán Béaloideas Árann.

I stábla i mBeithil
Mainséar sínte
Bhí leanbh aoibhinn
Cuachta in eadaí bána
Gan teas gan dídean
Ó fhuacht na hoíche ann
Ach anáil caora,
Asal ‘s dámh

Rí na Ríthe
‘Bhí sa mainséar sínte
Muire na hóighe
B’í a mháthair
Beannacht na díse
Ar do theach agus daoine
Nollaig aoibhinn agat
Séan ‘s áthas.

Amen.


Christmas Poem

In a stable in Bethlehem
Lying in a manger
There was a beautiful babe
Bound in white clothes
There without heat without shelter
From the cold of the night
Except for the breathe of a sheep,
An ass and an ox.

It was the King of Kings
That lay in the manger
The Virgin Mary
She was his mother
The blessings of the pair
On your house and people
A delightful Christmas to you
Happiness and joy.

Amen.

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Dara Beag Ó Fátharta (7 Iúil 1920–30 Deireadh Fómhair 2012)


“Nuair a thiteann laoch, ardaíonn sé deannach na mblianta cróga;
Nuair a thiteann laoch, lasann sé lóchrann inár gcroíthe.”

Sin mar a d’fhág an scríbhneoir Dara Ó Conaola slán ag a uncail, file aitheanta Inis Meáin Dara Beag Ó Fátharta nó Dara Beag Dara Pheigín Mhicil Mhichíl Mháire mar a d’aithin sé féin, ar ócáid a shochraide siúd ar an 3 Samhain seo caite. Rith an dá líne thuas le Dara sna laethannta idir bás agus adhlacadh Dhara Bhig agus, díreach i ndiaidh dó ceann de dhánta an fhile a léamh ón altóir, thograigh sé a loinneog a roinnt leis an slua a bhí cruinnithe. Má nochtaigh an loinneog a thuairim phearsanta ar bhás a fhear gaoil, nochtaigh a rogha dáin – An AerstráiceAer Árann mar a thugann roinnt oileánach air – an imní is mó atá ar phobal Árann inniu: is í sin go gcaillfear an tseirbhís aeir go trí oileáin Árann go luath mar gheall ar chiorruithe atá á bheartú ag an rialtas. Tá mé cinnte de, dá n-eireódh leis an bhfile a bheith beo ar a shochaid fhéin, gurb ionann an rogha a bheadh déanta aigesean. Duanmholadh ní ba fheiliúnaí ní fhéadfaí a shamhlú, duanmholadh a lean comhairle an fhir fhéin: “Caithfidh an file breathnú roimhe mar go mairfidh an chaint.”

Dúinne a chuireann spéis sna hamhráin agus sa bhfilíocht phobail, nochtann an eachtra seo nithe eile go géar agus go grinn: is iad sin feidhm na filíochta pobail, feidhm na n-amhrán, feidhm na hamhránaíochta, agus feidhm an fhile, agus cé chomh beo is atá na feidhmeanna sin go fóill in Árainn agus in Éirinn. Ina dhán, rinne Dara Beag comóradh ar theacht Aer Árann agus mheabhraigh don bpobal na hathruithe a bhí rompu de bharr tuirlingt na n-eitleán. Ansin, ar a shochraid, bhronn mac deirfiúra leis deis air chun cur lena dhán trí fainic a chur orainne a d’éist faoi scuabadh na n-eitleán céanna. An lá úd i séipéal Inis Meáin, mhair caint an fhile, agus spreag sí an comhluadar a chaith an lá inné i mbun feachtasaíochta ag tarraingt ar rialtas na tíre i mBaile Átha Cliath lena n-imní faoin tseirbhís aeir a léiriú agus leis an cás a phlé le polaiteoirí.

Is léir, mar sin, nárbh aon chur i gcéill an méid a mhínigh Dara Beag do Sheán Ó Cualáin: “Inis Meáin m’áit agus mo pharlús.” Is léir go raibh, mar a tuigeadh do Bhreandán Feirtéar, “cúram a dhúchais air.” Chuidigh an réimse leathan buanna a bhí aige – a mheabhair, a ionraiceas, a uaisleacht, a dhea-chaint, a dheaslámhacht, agus a chuid filíochta – chuidigh siad leis a chúram a chur de; ach, b’í an fhílíocht ach go háirithe a bhronn air an t-ardán a bhí tuillte aige, ardán gur ghlac sé seilbh iomlán údarásach shnasta air.
“Ar airigh tú caint ar Aer Árann
Nó an féidir go bhfuil tú gan treoir?

Ar an turas breá lae aoibhinn álainn
Go hÁrainn na Naomh is na seod.
[...]
Nach ansiúd a bhéas an gliondar is croitheadh láimhe
Roimhe dhaoine a thiocfas anall.
Ach silfear na deora go fras ann
I ndiaidh imeacht gan filleadh go brách.”

*

“When a hero falls, he raises the dust of the brave years;
When a hero falls, he lights a blaze in our hearts.”

That is how the writer Dara Ó Conaola bid farewell to his uncle, the famed poet of Inis Meáin Dara Beag Ó Fátharta or Dara Beag Dara Pheigín Mhicil Mhichíl Mháire as he himself styled, on the occasion of his funeral on 3 November last. The lines came to Dara in the days between Dara Beag’s death and burial and, as he read one of the poet’s compositions from the altar, he chose to share his refrain with the congregation. If the refrain revealed his personal response to the death of his relative, his choice of song – The Airstrip or Aer Árann as it is known to some islanders – revealed the greatest cause of concern to the local community today: that is the imminent threat of losing the air service to the three Aran islands because of budget cuts that are currently being considered by the government. I am certain that, if the poet had lived to witness his own funeral, his choice would have been the same. It was the perfect eulogy, one that followed the man’s own advice: “The poet must look ahead because talk endures.”

For us who live with songs and with folk poetry, this episode brings some other aspects into sharp focus: the purpose of the people’s own poetry, the purpose of songs, of singing, and of the poet, and how vital these causes are still in Aran and in Ireland. In his poem, Dara Beag commemorated the creation of Aer Árann and drew the community’s attention to the changes brought by the arrival of the planes. There, at his funeral, his nephew gave him the opportunity to add to his poem by warning those of us who listened about the removal of those same planes. That day in the church in Inis Meáin, the poet’s talk endured, and it inspired the group who campaigned in Dublin yesterday to highlight their concern for their air service and to discuss it with politicians.

Dara Beag was clearly being truly honest with Seán Ó Cualáin when he said “Inis Meáin is my place and my parlour.” He was, as Breandán Feirtéar understood, “the custodian of his heritage.” His wide range of talents – his intelligence, honesty, dignity, eloquence, his skill with his hands, and his poetic ability – helped him to carry out his duty, but it was his poetry in particular that gave him the platform he richly deserved, a platform he duly commanded with absolute authority and artistry.

“Have you heard talk of Aer Árann
Or can it be that you have been misguided?

On the fine journey of a delightful, beautiful day
To Aran of the Saints and the jewels.
[...]
There will be joy there and the shaking of hands
Of people who will come across.
But tears will be shed there in cascades
In the wake of leaving without ever returning.”

Monday, October 29, 2012

Pat Pheaidí Ó hIarnáin (1903-1989) & George Pickow (1922-2010)

Don gcéad bhlag seo uaim, thograíos íomhá spéisiúil a d’aimsigh mé i Leabharlann Shéamais Uí Argadáin anseo in OÉ Gaillimh a roinnt libh. Is é an Meiriceánach George Pickow (1922-2010) a ghlac an grianghraf. Léiríonn sé fear as Cill Mhuirbhigh, Pat Pheaidí Ó hIarnáin (1903-1989), ag gabháil amhráin agus a chomharsa Neain Mhaidhc Mhóir Uí Iarnáin (thugtaí Granny Hernon uirthi freisin) ag suí sa chlúid. Shílfeadh duine gur ar a theallach féin atá Pat ag canadh, ach ní mar a shíltear a bítear. Is i dteachín an ‘Man of Aran’ ar an mbaile céanna a glacadh an grianghraf. Níorbh é seo an chéad uair ná an uair dheireanach gur bhain grianghrafadóirí leas as fhuinneog neamhghnách dín an tí úd, fuinneog a scaoil anuas solas geal an lae; b’fhéidir go roinnfead libh grianghrafanna Frances Flaherty (1932-3) agus Haywood Magee (1949) amach anseo.

Bhí George Pickow ar cuairt in Árainn lena bhean, an ceoltóir clúiteach Jean Ritchie as Viper, Kentucky. I 1952, bronnadh comhaltacht Fulbright ar Jean ionas go bhféadfadh sí préamhacha cheol Mheiriceá a fhiosrú ar an taobh seo den Aigéan Atlantach. Agus iad lonnaithe i Londain idir 1952 agus 1953, d’éirigh le Jean agus George cuairteanna a thabhairt ar Éireann agus Albain, agus thaifead siad go leor ceoil. Mo léan, níor thaifead siad in Árainn. Agus mé ar cuairt chucu i Nua Eabhrac i 2001, mhínigh Jean agus George dom gur chuir an easpa aibhléise a bhí in Árainn ag an am cosc ar aon iarracht uathu taifid a chruthú ansin. Mar sin, is luachmhar go deimhin iad na céadta grianghrafanna a ghlac George. Tá roinnt mhaith díobh le feiceáil anois ar shuíomh na leabharlainne: féach Cnuasach Ritchie-Pickow.

Bhí neart amhráin ag Pat Pheaidí, ina measc ‘An Mhíoltóg’ a chum fear eile as Cill Mhuirbhigh, Séamus Ó Caoluighe (c.1793-c.1896), faoi bhád de chuid Shéamuis Uí Fhlaithbhearta: “Thíos i bhPort Mhuirbhigh ‘s ea chuir mé mo bháidín ‘un seoil...”


 *

For this first blogpost, I’ve chosen to share with you an image I found in the James Hardiman Library here at NUI Galway, an image showing a man from Cill Mhuirbhigh, Pat Pheaidí Hernon (1903-1989), singing a song while his neighbour Neain Mhaidhc Mhóir Hernon sits in the fireplace of the ‘Man of Aran’ cottage. The choice of location was deliberate. The thatched cottage had a skylight that enabled early visiting photographers including Frances Flaherty and Haywood Magee to photograph indoor scenes. The New York photographer George Pickow (1922-2010) was then visiting Aran with his wife, the legendary folksinger Jean Ritchie, who had won a Fulbright fellowship to study the roots of American folk music on this side of the Atlantic. In 1952-3, from their base in London, they visited Ireland and Scotland and recorded a lot of music. Unfortunately, they did not record in Aran. When we shared a pot of tea in Long Island back in 2001, Jean and George explained to me that the lack of mainline electricity in Aran persuaded them not to bother with bringing their reel-to-reel tape recorder with them. The hundreds of photos that George took are, therefore, particularly valuable. Many of them can now be viewed on the library website: see the Ritchie-Pickow Collection, James Hardiman Library, NUI Galway.

Pat Pheaidí had many songs including ‘An Mhíoltóg’ (The Midge) about a boat belonging to Séamus Ó Flaithbhearta. The song was composed by Séamus Ó Caoluighe (c.1793-c.1896) from Cill Mhuirbhigh: “Down in Port Mhuirbhigh is where I launched my little boat...”