Tomhas na Teanga

Jan/Feb 2007

Le Séamas Ó Neachtain

Is é ábhar an cholúin seo ná cuimhní cinn. The subject of this column is reminiscences. Tá bliain úr ann (Athbhliain faoi mhaise daoibh!), agus is minic a dhéanaimid machnaimh ar na laethanta a chuaigh thart, an t-am seo bliana. It’s the new year (Happy New Year to youse!), and we often ponder the days gone by, this time of year. Is iomaí leabhar cáiliúil atá againn mar gheall ar dhaoine ag déanamh machnaimh ar na seanlaethanta mar seo. It’s many a famous book we have because of people contemplating the old days like this. An tOileánach le Tomás Ó Criomhthain, Fiche Blian ag Fás le Muiris Ó Súilleabháin, agus leabhair Pheig Sayers (A Scéal Féin, Machnamh Seanmhná), mar shampla. The Islander…20 Years A-Growing…and the books of Peig Sayers (Her Own Story, An Old Woman’s Reflecting/Contemplation). Tá siad seo i measc na leabhair is cáiliúla dá bhfuil ann as Gaeilge. These are among the most famous books of all in Irish. Gach duine de na scríbhneoirí seo, b’as na Blascaodaí iad. Every one of these writers was from the Blaskets. Mhair na sean-scéalta agus na sean-traidisiúnta ansin níos déanaí ná b’fhéidir áit ar bith eile in Éirinn, agus fuarthas mórán béaloidis ó mhuintir na n-oileán. The old stories and old traditions survived later than perhaps any other place in Ireland there, and a lot of oral tradition was gotten from the people of the Islands. Síleann daoine a bhí ar scoil in Éirinn go bhfuil aithne acu ar an leabhar Peig. People who went to school in Ireland think that they are familiar with the book Peig. Ach mo léan, níl. But to my sorrow, they aren’t. Ní fhaca siad ach eagrán scoile den leabhar úd, agus baineadh na scéalta is suimiúla den eagrán sin, faraor. They’ve only seen the school edition of that particular book, and the most interesting stories were taken out of that edition, alas. Bhí foréigin agus ólachán agus gadaíocht agus polaitíocht ann nár léigh siad riamh faoi. There was violence and drunkenness and thieving and politics in it which they never read about. Is dócha gur ceapadh nár oiriúnach do pháistí na scéalta sin. I suppose they weren’t thought appropriate for children, these stories. Ach is mór an trua go bhfuil droch-thuairim ag mórán daoine i leith Peig Sayers mar gheall ar an droch-eagrán sin a léigh siad ar scoil. But it is a great pity that many people have a bad opinion of Peg Sayers on account of the bad edition they read in school. Is fíor nach bhfuil ann ach scéalta faoin sean-aimsir, faoi dhaoine tuatha na n-oileán. It is true that there is nothing in it but stories about the old times, about the country people of the islands. Sílim go bhfuil níos mó suime ag daoine sa lá atá inniu ann ina leithéid ná a bhíodh ag daoine nuair a bhíodh cuimhne ar an móramh ar a leithéid d’Éirinn. I think that people have more interest these days in such things than people used to, when most people could remember that kind of Ireland.

Is amhlaidh nach bhfuil aithne cheart ag an móramh ar an leabhar cáiliúil Séadna, ach oiread. Likewise, most people don’t properly know the famous book Shayna either. Leabhar ficsean bunaithe ar scéal ón mbéaloideas is ea é. It is a fiction book based on a folk tale. Ach is scéal mar chuid de scéal eile é, scéal atá faoi na daoine óga atá á insint is á chloisteáil. But it is a story as part of another story, which is about the young people telling it and hearing it. San eagrán scoile, agus san eagrán nua le dlúthdhiosca, fágtar ar lár an chuid thábhachtach seo den scéal. In the school edition, and in the new edition with a CD, this important part of the story is left out. Níl ann ach an scéal ón mbéaloideas, agus cailltear an-chuid de thaitneamh an leabhair. Only the folk tale is there, and a great deal of the enjoyment to be gotten from the book is lost. Ní mór lán-eagrán de a fháil chun é a léamh i gceart, dar liom. The full edition must be gotten in order to read it properly, in my opinion.

Tá leabhair eile ann a fhéachann siar ar an am a chuaigh thart, fiú ceann a scríobhadh sa tír seo – Spotsholas na nDaoine, le Muiris Ó Bric, a d’fhás aníos sa Ghaeltacht i gCorca Dhuibhne. There are other books that looks back on the time gone by, even one which was written in this country – Spotlight of the People by Morris Bric, who grew up in the Gaeltacht in Kerry. Scríobhann seiseann scéalta faoina óige san irisleabhar Feasta go minic. He often writes stories about is youth in the magazine Feasta. Agus bíonn colún rialta, Stair Pobail, san irisleabhar Comhar le Brian Mac a' Bhaird, faoi laethanta a óige in Uladh. And there is a regular column, The People’s History, in the magazine Comhar by Brian…, about the days of his youth in Ulster. Bíonn na scéalta seo an-suimiúil i gcónaí. These stories are always very interesting. An bhfuil scéal ionatsa, a léitheoir? Do you have a story in you, reader?

Bíonn colún rialta eile ann faoin spórt, le Seán Ó Méalóid. There is another regular column in it by…Cuireann sé síos ar na himreoirí is na cluichí ba thábhachtaí fadó, agus ar chúrsaí reatha. He writes about the players and the games which were most important long ago, and about current events. Cé nach bhfuil mórán suime sa spóirt agam, is breá liom a cholún seo. Even though I don’t have much interest in sports, I love this column of his. An-scríbhneoir is ea é. He’s a great writer.

Scríobhann Meiriceánaigh eile do na hirisí seo, freisin. Other Americans write for these periodicals, too. Mise, ó am go chéile, agus Seán O’Connor, atá ina chónaí in Connecticut. Me, sometimes, and S…, who lives in CT. Fuair Seán duais ón Oireachtas as úrscéal a scríobh sé le déanaí, Iníon an Oileáin! Sean got a prize from the major literary festival in Ireland for a novel he wrote recently, Daughter of the Island! Níl sé i gcló fós. It is not in print yet.

Smaoinítear ar na daoine a d’imigh uainn an am seo bliana freisin. People think about those who have departed from us this time of year, too. Is maith sin. That’s a good thing. Beannacht Dé ar a n-anamacha go léir. God bless all their souls. Ach mar a shiúlaimid siar ar bhóthar beag na smaointe, ní mór dúinn aghaidh a thabhairt ar an todhchaí, freisin. But as we stroll down memory lane, we must also look towards the future. Tá bliain úr ann. It’s a new year. Cad a dhéanfaimid? What shall we do? An léifidh tú leabhar nó iris as Gaeilge, b’fhéidir? Will you read a book or a periodical in Irish, maybe?