Blogtrotter

An gairdín ansiud.

Is garraí beag in aice leis teach againn. Tá sé ag líonadh leis blathannaí buí bídeach. Dúisíonn siad go fíanta. Anois, tá an aimsir na h-iarrach. Chuir an baisteach nuair bhí an geimreadh. Mar sin, fásainn fionnán inniu. Tá sé an leath-cluain (pairc, geadán talún, leadhb thalún, áit oscailt!) suaimneach atá sínte le ár cluainse. Is focal difrúil as Gaeilge air spás idir dhá rud: bearna. Is ainm bhruchbhaile Chonamara Chois Fharraige na bhreac-Ghaeltacht siar na gCathair na nGaillimh freisin.

Feiceann mé féar glás. Faigheann tú brobh go ard ansin. Is seanfocal as Gaelige nuair ní chonaic tú daoine eile ar feadh go mór. Abair an fear: "imíonn tú an féar go fada ann, mo chara." Thug "Na francach bhaile na toirní" an teideal na ceirnín go luath di "Na féar fada ann."

Muise, cónaíonn crannaí éagsúla ansin. Ní fhoghlaim go leor fúthu. Níl mé ábalta insint ainmneachaí dílis díobh. Is cuimhne liom go bhfuil an crann is ard. Measaim go raibh an sean-leamhán. Smaoineamh mé go raibh go éirithe fadó. Sílím go raibh an teach ansuid go críochnaithe cúig bliana an uair úd sin. Níl sé an chéad teach eile nua. Ach, is tí againn is sean. Is idir é seasca bliana nó seachtó bliain a aoise.

Inné, chuala mé scéal go halainn. D'inis Léna chugam, bean an tí agam. Tá chomarsaí Pól agus Inge againn. Tá siad an té atá ar thaobh ár laimheanna deise. Is mian leo go laidir. Cheannaigh siad an áit oscailte. Anois, ní tosóidh duine ansin. Imreoidh éin agus cait go saor. Tá siad go sonas ar cheile.

The yard over there.

There's a little yard next to our house. It's filling with tiny yellow flowers. They rise up wildly. Now, it's the season of spring. The rain came when it was the winter. Therefore, grasses grow today. This is the undisturbed half-meadow [field, patch of land, strip of land, open space!] which stretches next to ours. There's in Irish a special word for a gap between two things: bearna. It's also the name of a Conamara Cois Fharraige suburb west of Galway city in the breaking-up Gaelic-speaking region.

I see the green grass. You find tall grass-blades there. There's a proverb in Irish when you did not see another person for a great space of time. Tell the man: "you went away into the long grass, my friend." The Boomtown Rats gave to a later album the title "In the Long Grass."

Certainly, various trees live there. I did not learn many of them. I am not able to tell the proper names of them. I remember that one's the very tall tree. I estimate that it was an old elm. I think that it was planted fifty years ago. I judge that the house over there was finished at that time. The house next door is not new. But, our house is older. It is between sixty and seventy years old in age.

Yesterday, I heard wonderful news. Layne told me, my wife. We have neighbors, Paul and Inge. They are [those] on our right-hand side. They had a strong wish. They bought the open place. Now, no people will build there. Birds and cats will play freely. We are all happy together.

Photo/grianghraf: Portadown/Port an Dúnáin ina Tuaisceart na h-Éireann/North of Ireland, Corcrain Community Project/Tionscnamh den Phobal Chórcrain.Meadows