{"id":11429,"date":"2021-01-29T13:26:30","date_gmt":"2021-01-29T13:26:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/?p=11429"},"modified":"2021-03-17T20:57:46","modified_gmt":"2021-03-17T20:57:46","slug":"irish-poetry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/irish-poetry\/","title":{"rendered":"Irish Poetry"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dia daoibh!<\/em><\/p>\n

I know the holidays are over, but I wanted to share a poem by Sean O Riordain<\/a> called O\u00edche Nollaig na mBan – Women’s Christmas Night.\u00a0<\/strong>Women’s Christmas<\/a> is on January 6th (The Epiphany) and it is when men take over the household duties for the day and allow women a day of rest after the holidays.<\/p>\n

This famous poem describes O\u00edche na Gaoithe M\u00f3ire, <\/i><\/strong>the Night of the Big Wind<\/a>, in the opening verse, a devastating storm which hit Ireland leaving hundreds of fatalities and severe damage on January 6th, 1839. In the final verse, the poet expresses his desire for a second storm to hit when he is on the brink of death, to distract from his final passing. O Riordain\u2019s poem is synonymous with death, rather than commemorating Women\u2019s Little Christmas and the echo of a more conservative time in Irish history.<\/p>\n

O\u00edche Nollaig na mBan<\/strong><\/p>\n

Bh\u00ed fuinneamh sa stoirm a \u00e9alaigh ar\u00e9ir,<\/p>\n

Ar\u00e9ir O\u00edche Nollaig na mBan,<\/p>\n

As gealt-teach iarg\u00falta at\u00e1 laistiar den r\u00e9<\/p>\n

Is do scr\u00e9ach tr\u00edd an sp\u00e9ir chughainn ‘na gealt,<\/p>\n

Gur gh\u00edosc geata\u00ed comharsan mar ghogallach g\u00e9,<\/p>\n

Gur bh\u00fair abhainn shlaghd\u00e1nach mar tharbh,<\/p>\n

Gur m\u00fachadh mo choinneal mar bhuille ar mo bh\u00e9al<\/p>\n

A las ‘na splanc obann an fhearg.<\/p>\n

Ba mhaith liom go dtiocfadh an stoirm sin f\u00e9in<\/p>\n

An o\u00edche go mbeadsa go lag<\/p>\n

Ag filleadh abhaile \u00f3 rince an tsaoil<\/p>\n

Is solas an pheaca ag dul as:<\/p>\n

Go l\u00edonfa\u00ed gach neomat le li\u00faraigh \u00f3n sp\u00e9ir,<\/p>\n

Go nd\u00e9anfa\u00ed den domhan scuaine scread,<\/p>\n

Is n\u00e1 cloisfinn an ci\u00fanas ag gluaiseacht f\u00e1m dh\u00e9in,<\/p>\n

N\u00e1 inneall an ghluaiste\u00e1in ag stad.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Photo from Pixabay, CCO.<\/p><\/div>\n

Women’s Christmas Night \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

The storm that blew with such fury last night,<\/p>\n

Women’s Christmas Night,<\/p>\n

Escaped from some remote madhouse behind the moon<\/p>\n

And came screaming as a lunatic through the sky.<\/p>\n

Neighbours’ gates grated like the gaggling of geese,<\/p>\n

The throaty river roared like a bull;<\/p>\n

My candle was quenched like a blow on the mouth<\/p>\n

That ignited\u00a0a sudden spark of anger.<\/p>\n

I would wish that same storm to return<\/p>\n

On the night when I am feeble,<\/p>\n

Returning home from the dance of life<\/p>\n

As the light of sin is fading,<\/p>\n

So that every moment be filled by shouting from on high,<\/p>\n

That the whole world become one uproarious din,<\/p>\n

And that I would not hear the silence approach<\/p>\n

Or the engine of the car cutting out.<\/p>\n

___________________________________________________________________<\/p>\n

A short film based on this poem was written, directed and produced by Oonagh Kearney for Tyrella Pictures in 2016. It has won numerous awards, including Best Irish Short Film at the OFFline Film Festival. The film juxtaposes traditional Irish customs and poetry with contemporary political momentum and ideology, namely feminism. Check it out below and tell me what you think in the comments!<\/p>\n