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Seán Stiofán Mag Robhartaigh & Misean Naomh Gaibráel

Bhí mé féin a bheith láithreach ag ceiliúradh ar maídin seo. Fhreastail mac leinn féin a baint amach céime astu na ollscoil nuair múin mé. Nílim ábalta insint sibhsa coinceap sin go sámh as gaeilge. Labhairt an teanga sin faoi smaoineamh sin go éagsúla. Is féidir leis chomh mór leis céimeannaí.

Chuaigh mé go Misean Naomh Gaibhráel. Thosaigh sé i 1776. Níl áit níos sean é chomh ceánn amháin níos úr é ina Éirinn, ar ndóigh. Ach, tá fiorgneoireacht is aosta anseo ina ceantair seo i gCalifoirnea Thuaidh, go cinnte. Thit sé ina fhothrach i ndiadh saorstat Mheicsiceo. Dheisigh duine leis grá mhór stairiúil é. Thosaigh siad seo céad bliain fadó.

I measc siad, chruinnigh Seán Stiofán Mac Robartaigh a cabhair na tionscnamh. Bhíonn a chlann go raibh i gconaí in aice leis Baile Dhún na nGall. Chumdaim Clann Mhag Robartaighaí ar saltair na Naomh Colmcille. Rug tuismeitheoiraí Shéain ansin. Mhear siad ag imeall Na Gleannta. D'imigh an h-athair agus an mhathair aigesean féin ansuid go Meiricea. Tháinig siad i bPeannsiolbháiniach. Fuair tú duine go leor na gcontae céanna mar a bhfuaris é. D'oibrigh siad go ard, a tochailt ar lorg guail.

Bhíodh mianadoir Seán i dtosach. Rinne sé danta freisin. D'fhág é go Butte ina Montanaigh. Bhí dlíodóir é idir sin agus tráthas. Chaill sé airgid nuair go raibh ag ceannaithe sé mian na gcopar Mheicsiceach. Bhí sé tinn. Bhí plúcadh Séan. Bhog é go na gCathair na nAingeal i 1901.

Thug sé plean a leagan amach. Bhí mian aige a cothaím na scéim a cheilúireadh na misiní Spáinneachaí. Chuir sé altannaí ar "Na Amannaí" ina cathair nua aige. Scríobh sé tóstal. Bhí rath ar an ngnó aige.

Chuala lucht féachana an drámaíocht ina baile Naomh Gaibhréal. Fhás lucht éisteacha. Bhí maith leo a vhéarsaíocht eádhromái. Ni raibh céann eile ach rann ghrinn. Gheobhaidh sé féin an tri file na cúirte na Stat Órga, mar sin féin. D'éirigh sé dhá oiread ina Dáil na gCalifoirnea. Fuair sé bás go a Rhainse Rhós Ghlic ina Tujunga.

Feiceann mé na sleibhte cá mhair sé san treo sios ar fad mo teach. Shíl Seán an dúrud dúchas na Sean-California. Thóg sé na halla maorga cá go raibh mé ag dulta go buaic bailcríoch inniu. Dhún saor fada níos mo.

John Steven McGroarty & San Gabriel Mission

I myself was attending a graduation this morning. Students "waited on" themselves "to take off" the degree from the university where I teach. I'm not able to tell that concept to you all easily in Irish. That language speaks about that idea differently. It's as if more by stages.

I went to Mission San Gabriel today. It was built in 1776. There's no place very old like this newish one in Ireland, of course. Still, it's the oldest building here of this district in Southern California, certainly. It fell into ruin after the republic of Mexico. People with a great historical love repaired it. They started this a hundred years ago.

Among them, John Steven McGroarty (1862-1944) gathered to help. His family used to live near Donegal town. The McGroarty clan kept the psalter of St Colmcille. John's parents were born there. They lived around Glenties. His own father and mother went away from there to America. They came to Pennsylvania. You'd find lots of people from the same county who'd gone there. They worked hard, searching for coal to mine.

John used to be a miner at the start. He made poems too. He left for Butte, Montana. He later was a lawyer after a time. He lost money when he had bought a Mexican copper mine. He was ill. John had asthma. He moved to Los Angeles in 1901.

He got a plan set out. He sent articles to the "Times" in his new city. He wanted to promote a scheme to celebrate the Spanish missions. His enterprise succeeded.

An audience heard the drama in the town of San Gabriel. The crowd of hearers grew. They liked the light verses. They were nothing else than entertaining stanzas. He would find himself the third Poet Laureate of the Golden State, all the same. He rose into two terms in the California Legislature. Death came to him at his Rancho Chupa Rosa (Cute Rose) in Tujunga.

I see the mountains where he lived in the direction above my house. John possessed much affection for Olde California. He built the stately auditorium that was where I went for culmination today. He closed a long life very well.


Photo from Wikipedia/ Griangraf le Vicipéid:The San Gabriel Civic Auditorium, a classic example of "Mission Revival Style architecture," was built in 1927 as the "Mission Playhouse" specifically as a venue for McGroarty's production of The Mission Play, which chronicled the history of California. The structure was modeled after the Mission San Antonio de Padua in Monterey County.