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Cinn Mhara alt nua

D'oscail mé alt nua faoi Cinn Mhara ina 'Amanna Nhua-Eabhrac' Dé Domhnaigh seo caite. Scríobh Dónal de Barra é. Fhíafraígh sé féin: "Ar bhfuil Éire 'fíor' fós?" Chuir cuairt ar cois fharraige an imeall contaethaí An Clár agus Gaillimh. Iarraidh sé freagra.

Ní fhaca mé radhairc go leor fúthú na aíteannaí seo. Thiomáin mé agus a bhean a tí amárach tríu an bóthar mór. Thug tíre muid go Sionain agus chuaigh muid go Inis go Cill Rois, Cill Chaoi, Sraid na Cathrach, An Leacht, Aillte na Mochair, Baile Uí Bheacháin, Boirinn, Cinn Mhara, Oran Mór, An Cathair na nGaillimh, Maigh Cuillin, go dtí faoi dheireadh Uachtar Ard. Bhí naoi mbliana déag go ham seo. Ach, ba mhaith liom a feiceáil An Boirinn lá eile.

Shíl de Barra go raibh smaointe na Éirinn de reir seanchais is lú anois. Gheobhaidh tú duine Braisáileachaí An Gort ann, cuir i gcás. Obair siad go bhfuil a phacáil feoil ar na monarchaí ansin. Mearaionn siad ina bhaile tíre Rhós Comain freisín. Tá féilte Charnabhal acu ann. Imríonn Braisáileachaí peile, ar ndóigh. Mar sin féin, tá éideannaí dáthannaí na foireannái difrúilaí uaine acu!

Iarraidh mé ní bheidh foirinnái ag imeall shraidbhaileannaí tuaithe. Ceapaim go bhfuil is gránna é. Caillfidh goirt go deo. Is maith linn turas a thabhairt thart timpeall ina Éirinn. Mar sin, tá lucht saoire go mbeadh ag fanacht ansin, agus is dúil leo a tógáil teach nua. Díolann feirm cluain nó pairc, agus ní fheiceann tú taobh tíre go halainn aríst ansin.


Kinvara in a new article.

I opened a new article about Kinvara in the New York Times last Sunday. Dan Barry wrote it. He asks: "Does the 'Real' Ireland Still Exist?". He pays a visit to the border of Counties Clare and Galway. He wants an answer.

I have not seen many views of these places. I and my future wife drove through on the main road. We landed at Shannon and went from Ennis to Kilrush, Kilkee, Miltown Malbay, Lahinch, Cliffs of Moher, Ballyvaughan, Burren, Kinvara, Oranmore, Galway city, Moycullen, and, finally, into Oughterard. It was nineteen years ago. But, I would like to see The Burren another day.

Barry thinks that expectations about traditional Ireland are few now. You'll find, for instance, Brazilian people in Gort. They work at packing meat in factories there. They live in the country towns in Roscommon also. They have Carnival festivals there. They play soccer, of course. However, the team uniforms are different colors of green!

I want not to see subdivisions on the outskirts of country villages. I think that it is very ugly. The fields will be lost forever. Tourists like to travel around Ireland. Therefore, vacationers would stay there, and they desire to build new homes. The farmer sells a meadow or a patch, and you will not see the beautiful landscape there again.

Photo/Griangraf: Aifreann ina/Mass in Gort.