Siún Ní Dhuinn Chaith mé Seachtain na Gaeilge i lár Ghaeltacht Chiarraí. Téim ann chuile bhliain le mic léinn na hOllscoile.
Ní chreidfeá an méid oibre a dhéantar roimh ré le sceideal a eagrú chomh maith le himeachtaí istoíche agus ábhar teagaisc, bheifeá traochta sula dtéann tú ann ar chor ar bith.
Ach nuair a éiríonn tú ar maidin agus nuair a fhaigheann tú radharc ar an ngrian taobh thiar de Chnoc Bhréanainn agus tonnta na bhfarraige ag triail ar na carraigeacha ar Thrá an Chlochair in aice le Baile an Fheirtéaraigh, is fiú an obair ar fad láithreach.
Labhair muintir na háite leis na mic léinn faoin gceantar s’acu, oidhreacht agus stair na teanga ann. Bhí na mic léinn faoi dhraíocht ag cainteoir amháin a labhair leo faoi stair na logainmneacha agus an tábhacht a bhain leo ó thaobh na féiniúlachta de.
D’inis sé na scéalta a bhain le nathanna cainte san áit agus an chaoi go bhfuil an teanga fite fuaite le stair na háite a théann siar níos mó ná míle bliain. Chuaigh sé seo go mór i bhfeidhm orthu agus mar sin i bhfeidhm ormsa chomh maith.
Déantar dearmad in amanna nach ábhar scoile amháin atá sa Ghaeilge agus go bhfuil níos mó i gceist ná rialacha gramadaí agus focail ar phár. Tá rian ár muintir sníofa sna focail a úsáidtear gach lá agus an saol atá imithe fós le tuiscint ón gcaint a mhair níos faide ná na daoine iad féin.
Is dócha go bhfuil cuimhne níos faide ag an nGaeilge ar oidhreacht na ndaoine ná mar atá ag an mBéarla agus spreagtar daoine óga chun foghlama ar an mbealach seo ná mar a spreagadh aon leabhar ariamh iad.
Is scríbhneoir agus léachtóir le Gaeilge í Siún Ní Dhuinn in UCD
Celebrating the Irish language
I spent Seachtain na Gaeilge – the annual festival promoting the Irish language – in the west Kerry Gaeltacht, where I go once a year with a group of university students.
You wouldn’t believe the amount of time and energy that is spent organising evening events, bus schedules and teaching material for a week, you’d be exhausted by the time you even get there.
But then, when you get up in the morning and catch a glimpse of the sun behind Mount Brandon and the wild waves of the sea crashing against rocks at Clogher Beach near Ballyferriter, it’s immediately worth it.
Some local people spoke to the students about their area, the heritage and the history of the language there. The students were enthralled by one speaker who told them about the history of the place names and their importance regarding identity of the area and its people.
He told them stories of the background of phrases in the area and the way in which they are completely interwoven into the history of the place for over a thousand years. These influenced and changed the students’ and my own perception of the language.
It is often forgotten that the Irish language is not just a school subject and there is more important things than grammar rules and words on paper. The traces of our people are sewn up into the words we use everyday and the life that is not practiced anymore can still be understood through the language which has transcended its people.
It seems that Irish has a longer memory than English of the heritage of its people and this inspires young people to learn more than any book would ever have done.
Siún Ní Dhuinn is a writer and lecturer at UCD
