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fuinneog-ar-leith-ar-shaol-eile-ar-fad-e-‘nollaig-oileanach’

Fuinneog ar leith ar shaol eile ar fad é ‘Nollaig Oileánach’

| Maitiu O Coimin | ,

Cuireann Mícheál Ó Conghaile síos ina leabhar nua Nollaig Oileánach ar an Nollaig mar a chaití í ina áit dhúchais, Inis Treabhair i gCeantar na nOileán, agus é ag fás aníos i seascaidí agus seachtóidí an chéid seo caite agus is fuinneog ar leith atá sa leabhairín beag ar shaol nach bhfuil chomh fada sin uainn ach ar geall le saol eile ar fad í. 

Tá pictiúr lándaite beoga cruthaithe ag Mícheál den saol san oileán Gaeltachta caoga bliain ó shin lena chur síos saibhir ar ghnáthimeachtaí agus imeachtaí speisialta a tharlaíodh aimsir na Nollag – idir sciúradh an tí roimh an bhféile agus mharú na muice don bhéile. 

Is deacair a rá cén fáth ar thaitin leabhar chomh beag simplí chomh mór sin liom ach is dóigh liom go mbaineann sé le tábhacht na Nollag féin in Éirinn agus an bealach gur mar a chéile a bheag nó a mhór a bhí cuid den fhéile do chuile dhuine sa tír – idir oileánach agus tíreánach, idir ghasúiríní na seascaidí agus ghasúiríní na nóchaidí.

Bhí mé féin i mo ghasúr sna 1990idí agus sna 2000idí, ach d’aithin mé go leor de mo Nollaigín féin sa leabhar seo agus ba mhó a d’aithin mé de Nollaigí m’athar cé nár oileánach agus go raibh sé bliana déag aige ar Mhícheál Ó Conghaile. Chuir go leor de na scéilíní agus na nósanna a luann Mícheál in Nollaig Oileánach na scéilíní agus na nósanna a luadh m’athair faoina Nollaig Tíreánach féin, agus faoina shaol tíreánach trí chéile. 

Chuir an leabhar dhá leabhar eile a thaitin go mór liom i gcuimhne freisin – An Nollaig Thiar le Breandán Ó hEithir (Cló Iar-Chonnacht, 2016) agus An Irish Christmas le Stephen Newman (The History Press, 2016). Ní fhéadfaí gan cuimhneamh ar leabhar Uí Eithir, is dóigh, agus an téama ceannan céanna idir chamáin – an Nollaig in oileán Gaeltachta i nGaillimh san am a caitheadh. Níl ann ach gur ré eile atá i gceist, cé gur beag eatarthu in amantaí. 

Leabhairín an-bheag atá ann, gan ann ach beagán 130 leathanach nó mar sin, agus sé cinn déag acu sin lán grianghraf den oileán agus dá muintir. Mar is dual do Mhícheál Ó Conghaile, is i stíl nádúrtha réchúiseach sholéite atá an leabhar scríofa, agus shílfeadh an léitheoir gur cois tine a bheadh sé, ag éisteacht leis an oileánach ag dul síos bóithrín na smaointe. Fiú na scéilín nach bhfuil chomh deas sin – marú na muice nó an saol gan leithreas ceart, mar shampla –  tá cur síos cruinn beacht ar an méid a dhéantaí ar bhealach nach gcuirfeadh isteach ar an léitheoir is goilliúnaí amuigh. 

Tá Nollaig Oileánach théis mé a spreagadh dhá rud a dhéanamh – mo chuimhní cinn féin ar Nollaig na Nóchaidí a bhreacadh síos sa dialann atá á coinneáil agam ó bhí mé sna déaga, agus turas sa gcadhc a thabhairt isteach go hInis Treabhair, áit nach raibh mé riamh cheana. 

Is féidir Nollaig Oileánach a cheannacht anseo.

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