大象传媒

Bha mi ann an 脠irinn o chionn beagan is m矛os. Fhuair mi cuireadh a dhol ann 鈥� airson seisean a ruith ann an G脿idhlig na h-Alba aig an fh猫ill mh貌ir Gh脿idhealaich aca ris an canar Oireachtas na Samhna. Bha e, mar a bhiodh d霉il, aig toiseach na Samhna. Is toigh leam 脠irinn gu m貌r agus cha b鈥� e ruith ach leum a bh鈥� ann dhomh nuair a fhuair mi an cuireadh.

Bha an t-Oireachtas ann an Cathair na Mart ann an Contae Mhaigh Eo air taobh an iar na d霉thcha. 鈥橲 e baile beag br猫agha a th鈥� ann, agus gu math goireasach airson a leithid de dh鈥檉h猫ill. Agus bha an t-Oireachtas gu math tlachdmhor. Tha e car coltach ris a鈥� Mh貌d againne ach chan eil e buileach cho foirmeil ris a鈥� Mh貌d agus, gu dearbh, cha mh貌r gun cluinnear facal Beurla ann bho thoiseach gu deireadh. Agus cha chluinnear Beurla uair sam bith air an 脿rd-霉rlar.

脌s d猫idh an Oireachtais chaidh mi fh矛n 鈥檚 a鈥� bhean agam air cuairt bheag airson beagan de Chontae Mhaigh Eo fhaicinn. Oir bha cuideigin ann an 脿rd-dhreuchd air an sg矛re sin a mholadh dhomh mar an t-脿ite as br猫agha ann an 脠irinn. C貌? Uill, c貌 ach M脿iri Robinson nuair a bha i na h-Uachtar谩in 鈥� na Ceann-suidhe 鈥� aig Poblachd na h-脠ireann. Rinn mi agallamh leatha 鈥� ann an G脿idhlig is Gaeilge 鈥� o chionn deich bliadhna nuair a bha i ann am Muile, a鈥� comharrachadh ceithir cheud deug bliadhna o chaochail Calum Cille. Nuair a bha mi a鈥� tomhas 脿irde a gutha aig an toiseach, dh鈥檉haighnich mi a鈥� cheist sin dhith 鈥� 鈥淒猫 an t-脿ite as br猫agha ann an 脠irinn?鈥� Agus fhreagair i gun d脿il, 鈥淐ontae Mhaigh Eo鈥�. Uill, chan ann a h-uile latha a gheibh thu moladh airson do l脿ithean-saora bho cheannard st脿ite!

Co-dhi霉, chaidh mi fh矛n 鈥檚 a鈥� bhean agam timcheall p脿irtean de Chontae Mhaigh Eo nach fhaca sinn roimhe. Am measg sin bha rathad air an taobh an iar dheth, gu deas air baile ris an canar, ann am Beurla, Louisburgh. Tha mi a鈥� tuigsinn gun deach ainmeachadh airson fear de na h-uaislean a bha an s脿s ann am batail ann an Canada anns an deach daingneach Fhrangach a ghabhail thairis. B鈥� e ainm na daingnich 鈥淟ouisburgh鈥�. Ann an Gaeilge, 鈥檚 e Cluain Cearb谩n a th鈥� air a鈥� bhaile. Ann an G脿idhlig na h-Alba, chanamaid fh猫in Cluain Chearban 鈥� no Cluain Bhuidheagan 鈥� buttercup meadow. Nach eil sin nas snoige na Louisburgh?!

Co-dhi霉, cha do stad sinn anns a鈥� bhaile. Lean sinn oirnn air an rathad gu deas. Tha an rathad a鈥� dol ri taobh beinn mh貌r ris an canar am Maol R茅idh agus ri taobh loch ris an canar an Dubh Loch. 鈥橲 e 脿ite garbh, br猫agha a th鈥� ann, car coltach ri p脿irtean de thaobh an iar na G脿idhealtachd Albannaich. D矛reach mus do r脿inig sinn an Dubh Loch chunnaic sinn carragh-cuimhne ri taobh an rathaid.

Stad sinn airson faicinn d猫 bh鈥� ann. Sgr矛obhte air an taobh dheth 鈥� ann am Beurla 鈥� bha seo: To commemorate the hungry poor who walked here in 1849 and walk the third world today. Bha an carragh a鈥� cuimhneachadh earrann bho eachdraidh dh貌rainneach na Gorta M貌ire. Air taobh eile dheth bha seo sgr矛obhte: 鈥淚n 1991 we walked AFRI's great famine walk at Doolough and soon afterwards we walked the road to freedom in South Africa鈥�: Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

Chuir mi romham tuilleadh fhaighinn a-mach mu na thachair an sin faisg air an Dubh Loch. Tha e gu math inntinneach 鈥� agus truagh. Innsidh mi dhuibh mu dheidhinn an ath-sheachdain.

Faclan na Litreach: Cathair na Mart: Westport; Contae Mhaigh Eo: County Mayo; Maol R茅idh: Mweelrea; An Dubh Loch: Doo Lough; carragh-cuimhne: memorial (statue/stone).

Abairtean na Litreach: fhuair mi cuireadh: I received an invitation; ris an canar: which is called; toiseach na Samhna: the start of Samhain (November); cha b鈥� e ruith ach leum a bh鈥� ann dhomh: I jumped at the chance; gu math goireasach airson a leithid de dh鈥檉h猫ill: with good facilities for that type of festival; tha e car coltach ris: it鈥檚 quite similar to; cha chluinnear Beurla uair sam bith air an 脿rd-霉rlar: English is never heard on the stage; nuair a bha i na Ceann-suidhe aig Poblachd na h-脠ireann: when she was the President of the Irish Republic; a鈥� comharrachadh ceithir cheud deug bliadhna o chaochail Calum Cille: commemorating 1400 years since St Columba died; nuair a bha mi a鈥� tomhas 脿irde a gutha: when I was assessing her voice level; fhreagair i gun d脿il: she replied without delay; chan ann a h-uile latha a gheibh thu moladh airson do l脿ithean-saora bho cheannard st脿ite: it鈥檚 not every day you get a recommendation for your holidays from a head of state; nach fhaca sinn roimhe: which we鈥檇 never seen; gun deach ainmeachadh airson fear de na h-uaislean: that it was named for one of the gentry; anns an deach daingneach Fhrangach a ghabhail thairis: in which a French fortress was captured; lean sin oirnn: we continued; earrann bho eachdraidh dh貌rainneach na Gorta M貌ire: a chapter from the anguished history of the Great Famine; chuir mi romham tuilleadh fhaighinn a-mach: I decided to find out more.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: cha mh貌r gun cluinnear facal Beurla: hardly a word of English is heard. Cluinnear is the future passive verbal form, used here in a present habitual sense 鈥� ie it鈥檚 an ongoing phenomenon. Remember that cha mh貌r gu followed by a verb means 鈥渉ardly, scarcely鈥�, whereas cha mh貌r nach means 鈥渁lmost鈥�. Cha mh貌r gun robh comas aige a thogail (he could hardly lift it), cha mh貌r gum b鈥� urrainn dhaibh a leughadh (they could hardly read it); cha mh貌r nach eil mi deiseil (I鈥檓 almost ready), cha mh貌r nach eil mi cinnteach (I鈥檓 pretty certain). A bheil thu deiseil? Cha mh貌r nach eil (Are you ready? Just about).

Gn脿thas-cainnt na Litreach: o chionn beagan is m矛os: a bit over a month ago. Bha iad ann beagan is bliadhna: they were there a little over a year.