Chum mé an t-amhrán seo do chomórtas na nAmhrán Nuachumtha ag an Oireachtas.Bhí cúpla bliain caite agam ag freastal ar an Oireachtas agus bhí mé an-tógtha leis an gComórtas céanna.Is comórtas ar leith é ina ndeirtear sna treoracha gur amhrán meidhreach éadrom atá á lorg ag na moltóirí.D’fhoghlaim mé rud amháin an bhliain sin – go bhfuil gá le neart grinn san amhrán.

__________________

I composed this song for the Newly Composed Song competition at the Oireachtas.  I’d attended the festival for a few years and really enjoyed this competition.  In the instructions composers are told to submit light-hearted songs.  One thing I learnt that year is that they also have to be funny.

Tá gean ar leith agam ar an amhrán seo agus ar an mbliain mar gurb é an chéad uair dom ag cur isteach ar chomórtas na nAmhrán Nuachumtha ag an bhFleadh Cheoil agus d’éirigh liom Craobh na hÉireann a thabhairt liom.Is cuimhin liom ag an mbronnadh gur cuireadh an cheist orm ‘An mó bliain a raibh mé tar éis cur isteach ar an gComórtas?’. Nuair a d’fhreagair mé gur mo chéad bhliain a bhí i gceist ceapaim gur baineadh geit as fear na ceiste !

Bhain mé sásamh ar leith as an amhrán seo mar mo cheantas dúchais Áth Eascra in oirthear na Gaillimhe atá san amhrán agus mo chuid cuimhní agus mé ag dul siar ar bhóithrín na smaointe – nach iontach í an óige!

____________________

I have a special fondness for this song and the year because it was the first time that I entered the Newly Composed Song competition at the Fleadh and I won first place at Fleadh Cheoil na Éireann.  I remember when the prize was awarded that someone asked me how many years I had been competing in the competition.  He was surprised to hear that it was my first time.

The song is about Ahascragh, in East Galway, where I grew up, and I enjoyed going down memory lane while composing it.  Isn’t youth wonderful.

Le cúig bliana anuas gach Déardaoin bím ag casadh ceoil agus deirim corr-amhrán sa teach tábhairne ‘Tommy Fletchers ‘i Nás na Ríogh.Cé go bhfuil Tommy Fletcher ar shlí na fírinne le roinnt blianta tugtar ‘Tommy Fletchers’ ar an áit mar chomhartha omóis.

Bainim an-taitneamh as an seisiún seachtainiúil agus is ardú croí dúinn ar fad atmaisféar na hoíche. Tá dream dílis ceoltóirí a thagann seachtain i ndiaidh seachtain agus faoin am seo tá aithne mhaith againn ar a chéile agus ar cheol a chéile. Baineann muid taitneamh agus tairbhe as comhluadar agus as an gceol agus iarracht a bhí san amhrán seo tagairt a dhéanamh do lucht an cheoil agus lucht na n-amhrán a fheictear agus a chloistear chuile Dhéardaoin.

Thug an t-amhrán mé chomh fada le Craobh na hÉireann ag an bhFleadh Cheoil ach b’shin é. Amhrán deas le ceiliúradh a dhéanamh ar dhea-chomhluadar ceolmhar, suáilceach, fáilteach.

____________________

For the last five years I’ve been playing music, and singing the odd song, every Thursday evening in Tommy Fletcher’s pub in Naas, Co. Kildare.  Tommy Fletcher has since died but the name is retained in his honour.

I really like the weekly session and the atmosphere gladdens the heart.  There is a group of loyal musicians who come every week and at this stage we know each other well.  We get great satisfaction from the company and the music and this song is a tribute to the musicians and singers that we see and hear every Thursday.

This song took me as far as Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann.  It’s a nice song that celebrates pleasant company, good music and a hearty welcome.

Chaith mé nach mór dhá scór bliain ag obair leis an gColáiste Gaeilge Coláiste Chamuis i gConamara agus taithí iontach saoil a bhí ann. Thosaigh mé leo i gCamus, ina dhiaidh sin bhí mé lonnaithe ar an Tulach agus chríochnaigh mé mo sheal thiar i Ros a Mhíl.

Bhí fonn orm aitheantas a thabhairt don áit inar chríochnaigh mé agus samhradh i ndiaidh samhradh a caitheadh thiar. Tá cairde saoil agam, dea-chuimhní agus d’fhoghlaim mé go leor mar mhúinteoir, mar dhuine, agus is ann a cuireadh snas ar mo chuid Gaeilge.

Is do chomórtas na nAmhrán Nuachumtha ag Oireachtas na Samhna a cumadh an t-amhrán agus in ainneoin mo chuid dúthrachta-mar a chloistí fadó ar Raidio na Gaeltachta ‘Ní raibh aon mhaith déanta’.

______________________

I spent almost 40 years working with the Conemara Gaeltacht Coláiste Camus, and it was a wonderful life experience.  I started in Camus and then worked in Tulach and my final years were in Rós a Mhíl.

I enjoyed getting to know the place where I ended up, spending summer after summer over there.  I made life-long friends, great memories, learnt a lot about teaching and it is there that my Irish became polished.

I composed this song for the Newly Composed Song competition at Oireachtas na Samhna but despite my best efforts ‘ní raibh aon mhaith déanta’ – as they used to say on Raidió na Gaeltachta – it was to no avail.