Deirdre Brennan
Genres: Translator, Playwright, Poet, Short story writer
Rugadh i mBaile Átha Cliath í ach is i gCluain Meala is i nDurlas a chaith sí a hóige. Bhain sí céim amach sa Bhéarla is sa Laidin i gColáiste na hOllscoile, Baile Átha Cliath. I measc a cuid saothar tá I Reilig na mBan Rialta (1984), Scothanna Geala (1989), Thar Cholbha na Mara (1993), Ag Mealladh Réalta (2000), Ag Eitilt fara Condair (2009), Scáthán Eile (2011). Foilsíodh ceithre chnuasach dá cuid i mBéarla: The Hen Party (2001), Beneath Castles of White Sail (Divas 2003), Swimming with Pelicans (2007), Hidden Places (2011). Cnuasaigh gearrscéalta is ea An Banana Bean Sí agus scéalta eile (2009), agus Staying Thin for Daddy (2014), agus is aistriúcháin atá sa leabhar is deireanaí dá cuid, As Trunc Fernando Pessoa: rogha dánta ó Fernando Pessoa (2015).
Deirdre Brennan is a bilingual writer of poetry, short stories, and drama. She was involved for many years with the arts locally and was a founder member of Éigse Cheatharlach, originally a bilingual festival. It was against this background she started to write in Irish. At the first Éigse Court of Poetry she was given encouragement to try writing ‘as Gaeilge’ and four years later Coiscéim published her first collection. It was some years before she started writing in English again and believes that she has a very different voice in each language.
Sa Reilig
Gnó mar is gnách sa reilig ar maidin.
Veaineanna na saor cloiche páirceáilte
Ar chosáin chúnga idir na huaigheanna,
Cling-cleaing spaideanna na reiligirí
Ar spallaí sa chré,
Fear, neart cumhdaigh air i gcoinne fuachta,
Ina shuí ar chathaoir chistine
Os comhair uaighe amach
Ag greanadh ainm nua ar leac.
Cloisim mionbhuillí a chasúir ar shiséal
Mar a bheadh smólach ag bualadh
Blaosc seilide ar chloch.
Smaoiním ortsa, an tslí ina mbeireadh tú greim
Ar uileannacha do chathaoireach féin,
Ag tabhairt dúshlán don bhás tú a bhogadh.
Fiú ag d’adhlacadh sa reilig seo,
An uaigh ag méanfach romhat,
Ní scaoilfeá leis an saol
Ach do dhá shúil ar bior ionat,
Sheas tú i measc na gcaointeoirí
Ag breathnú ar do bhaintreach
Nár ghoil aon deor.
Is féach ort anois ar do ghlúine lem ais
Ag uaigh-gharraíodóireacht,
Do lián ag siortú i measc gormbhúnna is sabhaircíní.
Nach bhfuilir chun sos a ghlacadh go deo?
Deirdre Brennan, as Ag Eitilt fara Condair (Arlen House, 2007)
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