Dara Ó Conaola
Rugadh Dara Ó Conaola ar Inis Meáin sa mbliain 1945 agus is ann a fuair sé a chuid oideachais bunscoile. D’fhreastail sé ar an nGairmscoil i gCill Rónáin, Inis Mór, agus lean sé ar aghaidh lena chuid oideachais i gCathair na Gaillimhe agus níos deireanaí i gContae Loch Garman. Chaith sé roinnt blianta ar an mórthír ag obair mar mhúinteoir adhmadóireachta sular fhill sé ar Inis Oírr chun cónaí ann go buan. Is as Baile Átha Cliath dá bhean chéile, Pacella agus tá ceathrar clainne tógtha acu.
Ba scéalaí an-mhaith a bhí ina athair agus bhí an-suim ag a mháthair sa léitheoireacht agus i leabhra. D’fhoilsigh Dara a chéad ghearrscéal agus é fós ina ghasúr scoile. Is iad na leabhair ilghnéitheacha don aos óg a bhí á scríobh ag Cathal Ó Sándair is mó a chuaigh i bhfeidhm air ag an am. Le foilsiú Scothscéalta le Pádraic Ó Conaire, curtha in eagar ag Tomás de Bhaldraithe, thuig sé an fiúntas liteartha a bhí le fáil i litríocht na Gaeilge.
Lean Dara air ag scríobh agus foilsíodh saothar leis ar na nuachtáin Amárach agus Inniu, The Irish Press, ar na hirisí Comhar agus Feasta agus i bhfoilseacháin eile. D’fhoilsigh an Gúm An Gaiscíoch Beag, athinsint a rinne sé ar scéal gaisce do dhaoine óga i 1978 agus cnuasach gearrscéalta, Mo Chathair Ghríobháin sa mbliain 1981. D’éirigh go han-mhaith leis an leabhar gearrscéalta Amuigh Liom Féin a d’fhoilsigh Ceardshiopa Inis Oírr i 1983. Sa mbliain 1990 d’fhoilsigh Cló Iar-Chonnachta Teo i bpáirt le Forest Books, London, Night Ructions, bailiúchán gearrscéalta aistrithe go Béarla ag Gabriel Rosenstock. Foilsíodh an t-úrscéal gearr Misiún ar Muir/ Sea Mission le aistriúchán Béarla le Gabriel Rosenstock sa mbliain 1992 (Ceardshiopa Inis Oírr) agus léirigh Na Fánaithe leagan stáitse de i dTaibhdhearc na Gaillimhe agus ag Expo 92 i Seville na Spáinne.
Ag Caint le Synge/Talking to Synge, is teideal don leabhar is deireanaí uaidh sa mbliain 2020 (Oilean Press).
Dara Ó Conaola was born in Inis Meáin on the Aran Islands in 1945 and received his primary education there. He attended the Vocational School in Kilronan, Inis Mór, and continued his education in Galway City and later in County Wexford. He spent several years on the mainland working as a woodwork teacher before returning to Inis Oírr to live there permanently. His wife, Pacella, is from Dublin and they have raised four children.
Dara’s father, who was originally from Inis Oírr was a fisherman/farmer and a good storyteller and could also sing. His mother, from Inis Meáin, had spent several years in America before coming back home. She was a traditional knitter and was very fond of reading and singing.
Dara published his first short story while still a schoolboy. At this stage, he loved books. His favorite author by far was Cathal Ó Sándair who wrote all those exiting adventure and detective novels in Irish for young adults. When Scothscéalta by Pádraic Ó Conaire, edited by Tomás de Bhaldraithe was published, he really became aware of the great merit contained in the Irish language literary tradition..
Dara’s work was published in the newspapers Amárach and Inniu and in The Irish Press, also in the magazines Comhar and Feasta and in other publications.
An Gúm published An Gaiscíoch Beag, his retelling of a traditional story for young people in 1978 and a collection of short stories, Mo Chathair Ghríobháin in 1981. The book of short stories Amuigh Liom Féin published by Ceardshiopa Inis Oírr Teo in 1983, was very successful and in 1990, Cló Iar-Connachta Teo with Forest Books, London, published Night Ructions, a collection of short stories translated into English by Gabriel Rosenstock. His novella Misiún ar Muir/ Sea Mission was published with an English translation by Gabriel Rosenstock in 1992 (Ceardshiopa Inis Oírr) and Na Fánaithe performed a stage version of it in the Taibhdhearc theatre in Galway and at Expo 92 in Seville, Spain.
Dara’s latest book is a bilingual collection of poetry in 2020 (Oilean Press), Ag Caint le Synge/Talking to Synge, inspired by his visit to Synge’s cottage on Inis Meáin.
Birth date: 1945
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Ceisteanna
Nuair a bheas tú
amach sna blianta deireanacha
agus do chuid laethanta á gcomhaireamh
ag an bhfiach dubh –
Céard a cheapfas tú
de na daoine
taobh thiar dhíot
ar bhoithrín na mblianta?
An mbeidh tú éadmhar leo
mar go bhfuil siadsan fós
ag caitheamh a gcolainne go sultmhar
ar a sáimhín só, ag rince?
An mbeidh tú i bhfeirg leo
mar gurb iadsan a shealbhaíonn
an cosán dúilmhear
a threabhadh tú fhéin tráth go haoibhinn?
An mbeidh tú ag fiafraí an-mhinic
cén fáth ar shleamhnaigh
na blianta bláfara tharam
is go bhfuil mé anois ar an bhfaraor géar?
An mbeidh tú
craite
cráite
ciaptha?
Tháinig an freagra chugam
ó chlocha duirlinge bodhra
síormheilte
ó aois is ó aimsir.
Labhair siad
i dteanga
ársa
na gcloch:
Nuair a thiocfas an tráth
a mbeidh tú i bhfad ar aghaidh
sa saol seo
ná bíodh imní ort.
Beidh tú fós ag súil go mór
le ceol a bhaint
as bóthar fada
na mblianta.
Geallaim dhuit
go mbeidh tú ag damhsa le háthas
is ní bheidh cuimhne dá laghad a’d
ar imeacht.
Mar
ní thagann aois ar an gcroí
is fanann an aigne síor-óg
agus amaideach!
Ag Caint le Synge (Oilean Press, 2020), lch 40 agus 42.
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