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Fuair Nuala Ó Faoláin bás

Scríobh Moira J. Ní Chatasaigh an alt an eagathóra ina 'Amanna Nhua-Eabhrac' inné. Caitheann tú ábalta fáil é síos ar an lasc. D'fhoglaim mé gur fuair Nuala Ó Faoláin bás an seachtaine seo caite ansin. Léigh mé ina 'Glór Éireannach' ar feadh coicis é faoi an agallamh is cumhachtach leis Maireann ní Fhionnacáin araon ar RTÉ. Dúirt sí leis Nuala. Bhí sé an-deacair orm a léamh ann.

Bhí ailse uirthi. D'inis Nuala féin go Maireann. Ní raibh sólás uirthi. Ní raibh sí do mhuinin a chur i nDia. Ní raibh saoirse do phian nó do chrá croi uirthi. Ar an laghad, chríochnaigh a triail fadfhulaingthe. Go minic, molaim muid nádúr. Ach, dearmaidimuid go mbeadh séisean féin go fírinneach ní beidh trocaire ar chor ar bith. Níl mothú air.

Rinne doctúirí a sheacht ndícheall Nuala a shábháil. Chuaigh sí a ospideal go luath. Mar sin féin, ni raibh cóireáil dochtúra a stópadh an tinneas mór. Tháinig breoite aisti go tobann. Chaill sí a grá le saol go gairid. Ní bhfuair ciall ag maireolacht uirthi ar fad.

Deir Ní Cathasaigh go raibh ag rá Nuala: tá eolas go leor go raibh ag fásadh linn ar taobh istigh agus nuair ag dul bás, bhain amach feasa a cailleadh gach uair. Bheith muid sa dol. Is cosuil dol a chur a choinín. Rithim muid amach agus imríonn muid. Ach, cruinníonn an tráthnóna tharainn muidsan diadh ar ndiadh. Ní fhaca go bhfuil gaiste le chur orainn uile.

B'fheidir, creideamh muid ar na healaínonaí go mír ar feadh ár aois saolta. Bhí suaimhneas le Nuala nuair go eisteacht ceol ar leathanta deireanachaí. Chonaic mé piosa ar mo imeasc go bhfuil ag tabhairt a fís ceart go leor ómós uirthi.



Nuala O'Faolain Dies

Moira J. Casey wrote an editorial in 'The New York Times' yesterday. You can find it below on the link. I learned there that Nuala O'Faolain died this past week. I read in 'The Irish Voice' a fortnight ago a most powerful interview with Marion Finucane on behalf of RTÉ. She spoke with Nuala. It was very difficult for me to read there.

She had cancer. Nuala herself talked to Marion. She had no hope. She had no trust in God. She had no freedom from pain or mental anguish. At least, her endurance test has ended. Often, we praise nature. But, we forget that it would be without any mercy at all. It has no feeling.

Doctors tried their best to save Nuala. She went to the hospital early. Nevertheless, there was no medical treatment to stop the great sickness. The illness came over her suddenly. She lost her love for life quickly. She found no sense in living any longer.

Casey says that Nuala said: there's so much knowledge we have inside grown with and when death comes, wisdom goes away to waste each time. We're snared in the rope-loop. It's like a rabbit ensnared. We run out and play. But the twilight gathers around us gradually. We didn't see that a trap's been set for us all.

Perhaps, we believe in a bit of the fine arts in our secular age. There was comfort for Nuala in listening to music in her last days. I saw this piece for my illustration that is giving a right enough vision in tribute to her.
Nuala O'Faolain by Maura J. Casey

Illustration/Iómhá : William Walker, 1840-75. The Harbour of Refuge (1872)

Caption/Ceannteideal:
This painting was inspired by a group of elderly people seen sitting outside a church. The background was painted at the Jesus Hospital at Bray, near Maidenhead. The theme is the passage of time and the inevitability of death. Youth is contrasted with age, vigour with decrepitude, and death is symbolised by the scythe wielded by the young man. The old men beneath the statue listen to a man reading, but they also wait for the end of their lives. The warm glow of sunset signals the end of the day, but also provides an atmosphere of human resignation in the face of death.

P.S./ ceann-scríobh. Another blog-post/post-blog eile: Only What You Do: Nuala O'Faolain