Asian Journal of Literature, Culture and Society58

Tom Hodgins

RANN NA FEIRSTE – FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH

(Do mhuintir Rann Na Feirste, do scoláirí agus do Fhoireann Choláiste Bhríde)

From the faraway misty womb of timeThis “RANN” cameMusic and mystery

Of sodOf squelching bogThe rock of tears

The wind, the channelThe wind of wordsWhich are soaked

With wealth, richnessThat many fools can’t see

And even if they did-They wouldn’t understand

Beauty of heartbreakMagic of placenames

Lasting half an hour on your earAnd a half-hour on your tongue.

Like a choir of angelsCrying on the tongue

Of First Communion girlsBefore the Coming.

Of Jesus“Ceann Dubhrann na nDubhchann Bán”

The seanchaí Micí Sheáin used call it

59Tom Hodgins

“Is sruth tráigh lena thaobh”Coláiste Bhríde, Clann Mhic GriannaTír na n-óg, Byzantium of teenagers

Chasing the long golden castles of their dreams.Must tread soft

Cause we DO tread on their dreams.Then, the inevitable growing-upSometimes to leave - it’s tragic

That Rann Na Feirste teenage yearsIs magic.

Glossary:

Rann Na Feirste: Gaelic-speaking area in Ireland, one of the richest fountains of Irish culture. Famous for the beauty of the language, song, dance, storytelling, literature and folklore. It is here that renowned Irish language college Coláiste Bhríde is situated.

“Ceann Dubhrann na nDubhchann Bán Agus sruth tráigh lena thaobh”: poetic name for Rann na Feirste, made famous in the folklore of renowned storyteller Micí Sheáin Néill Ó Baoill)

Clann Mhic Grianna: famous family of writers and composers in Irish language.

Rann: This word has more than one meaning. It can mean a verse of poetry or song; - or in placenames a variation of “rinn” - it can also mean a promontory, headland - a piece of land jutting out into the sea, as in Rann Na Feirste.)

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THE SILENT FIDDLE( In honour of Francie Mooney, Gaoth Dobhair – writer,

musician , teacher and one of the greatest speakers of The Irish Dialect of Gaoth Dobhair: to musicians, he was the Kavanagh

of Irish fiddle – playing. )

Every old man I seeReminds me of my teacher

Francie was once our teacherAnd, strangely enough

Down all the yearsHe’d always call me John

(My father’s name)“Caidé mar atá tú a…John…?”

He’d shout - in mid-tuneBeaming his warm smile across Hudaí Beag’s pub to greet me.

Years ago we stood in awe in Baile Na FinneAs the Tinker Fiddler Johnny Simey Doherty

Could make the fiddle whistle.Francie – he could make the fiddle TALK.Like Kavanagh’s father with the melodeon

He could make it talk.Then another peer – Dinny Mac Lochlainn

One night in Bun CranachOut-danced Michael Flatley

While playin his fiddle at the same timeNever missing a note, every stamping step perfection

Like Marcel Marceau in mime…But when Francie played, the whole room swayed

EntrancedLike perfect rhyme.

Those fiddle strings, beauty like a tightened bowButtons and bows

61Tom Hodgins

And “bosca ceoil”And Gleanntáin Ghlas’ Ghaoth Dobhair.

Now he’s talking to the Harvard crowdLecture on Gaoth Dobhair dialect

High-back-narrow sounds and slender vowelsAnd “r caol”

To beat the band…Good God oul’ T.F. O’Rahily and Wagner

And Seamus Heaney tooWould have had a field day

With the man…Haunting lilting Ulster Irish sounds

With a wee tang of Scots GaelicMixed in for good measure

From those Gallóglaigh , they say.

Now chatting with Sorley MacLean-The Gaelic of Skye and Gaoth Dobhair

Exchanged with ease…Sorley reads from Hallaig

And spreads his island magic…His daughter sings

And Francie weaves his poetryWith strings…

These miraculous bastions, oasesOf freshwaterOn the tongue.An R.U.C. man

Down the barrel of a gunOnce roared at me

“What is it with this bloody languageIt just wont f----n die”.

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A language that defies all odds and logicMusical cacophony

Linguistic symphonyA bloody language that just wont die !

But, Proinnsias himself - he did dieAnd now has joined young Frankie in the sky

His corner in Hudai Beag’sWill never be the the same.

The fiddle now is silentFor a while

Resting its stringsMourning the master’s fingers in the night“The wink and elbow language of delight”

Breaking hearts with every noteHead bobbing

Chin to the sideHe beams a smile

And shouts to me across the pub“Caidé mar atá tú …a…John..”

(My father’s name.)But now, though family and friends

Sing out his nameHis corner in Hudaí Beag’s

Will never be the same.

If ever people ask me“How well did you know Francie?”

I’ll smile at them and say“He was once our teacher.”

63Tom Hodgins

Glossary:

Hudaí Beag’s Pub: Famous pub in Gaoth Dobhair, Gaelic –speaking area in Donegal, Ireland. Famous for its Irish music and regular haunt or Irish speakers from all over Ireland.

Johnny Simey Doherty: Legendary Irish fiddler .

Dinny Mac Lochlainn: famous Irish fiddler whose party-piece is to play the fiddle while dancing jigs and reels at the same time.

Marcel Marceau: World-renowned mime artist.

Buttons and bows: “buttons” refer to the buttons of an accordion, “bows” refer to the bow used while playing the fiddle. Play on words by the poet.

Gallóglaigh: often translated as “Gallowglasses” – In Irish it means “foreign warriors”, referring to the professional warriors of Scotland who used come to Ireland as mercenaries-to fight in the army of a chieftain - leaving their influence of Scots Gaelic on the native Irish language .This is well-documented by scholars of linguistics.

Sorley Maclean: World-renowned Scots-Gaelic poet. Sorley used visit the Irish speaking areas of Ireland quite often.

Hallaig: one of the most famous and most loved poems by Sorley Maclean.

Skye: Island of Skye, on the coast of Scotland. Famous not only for the beauty of its Gaelic, and the place on the world stage given to it by Sorleys poems. It is also famous in the folk stories of Gaelic Ireland - especially many stories associated with Cu Chulainn. (Many stories of The Ulster Cycle exist even to this day in Gaeltacht areas of both Ireland and Scotland).

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R.U.C. : Royal Ulster Constabulary. Not known for their love of Irish culture in days gone bye, although cultural barriers are thankfully coming down. As in poetry, music and language know no frontiers.

Young Frankie: Frankie Kenneddy, much-loved musician who died tragically at a very young age. Both he and his beautiful multi-talented wife Mairéad, (daughter of Francie Mooney), along with the other members of the band Altan, helped put Donegal music, song and dance on the world stage. (They, along with bands such as Skara Brae, Clannad, and individuals such as Enya, Seoirse O Dochartaigh, and many more helped create the atmosphere in which Irish music flourishes today.) Gaoth Dobhair hosts an annual music festival in his honour.