Féasta in ‘Feasta’
Bunaíodh ‘Feasta’ 68 bliain ó shin faoi scáth Chonradh na Gaeilge le cultúr na Gaeilge a chur chun cinn agus le scríbhneoirí óga a ghríosadh – ‘reviú den smaointeachas Éireannach, litríocht, eolaíocht agus polaitíocht’.
Tá eagrán na Nollag beagán níos mó ná de ghách, toisc go bhfuil níos mó fógraíochta ann. Baineann an chuid is mó de na fógraí le foilseacháin Ghaeilge agus tá an iris thar a bheith úsáideach dá bharr- ag an am seo den bhliain go háirithe. Ach cad chuige nach bhfaigheann ‘Feasta’ agus foilseacháin eile fógraíocht ó na comhlachtaí móra in Éirinn- na hollmhargaí móra, mar shampla? Tugann lucht na Gaeilge a lán gnó dóibh.
Thaitin ‘Smaointe Polaitíochta’ le Seán Ó Loinsigh go mór liom. Téann sé siar ar imeachtaí móra na bliana- an toghchán Meiriceánach, an chogaíocht sa Mheán- Oirthear agus san Afraic. Bhí an ceart ag Seán nuair a scríobh sé ag tús na míosa ‘Tá, gan amhras, drochbhuiséad eile romhainn.’ Tugann sé a bharúil de chás Savita Halappanavar in Otharlann na Gaillimhe agus d’impleachtaí polaitiúla an scéil.
Maidir leis an Ghaeilge, deir sé go bhfuil an ghnáthmhuintir agus na polaiteoirí báúil, ach nach féidir an Ghaeilge a thabhairt slán mura bhfuil sí ina hábhar riachtanach iontrála don státseirbhís. Deir sé nach bhfuil stáid na Gaeilge sa chóras oideachais go maith ach oiread, agus gurb í an Ghaelscolaíocht an t-ábhar dóchais is mó atá againn.
Tá cuid mhaith léirmheasanna leabhar san eagrán seo, chomh maith le dánta, agus ómós don Moinsíneoir Breandán Ó Doibhlin. Fuair a dheartháir, an tAthair Ciarán Ó Doibhlin, bás ar na mallaibh. Scolaire iontach a bhí ann fosta: bhí sé ar scor i nDoire. Agus bainfidh tú sult as an ghearrscéal le Biddy Jenkinson.
Tá a lán tacaíochta de dhíth ar na hirisí Gaeilge. Níl mórán againn, agus ní féidir iriseoirí a bheith ann mura bhfuil irisí ann.
A feast in ‘Feasta’
‘Feasta’ was founded 68 years ago with the support of Conradh na Gaeilge (The Gaelic League) to promote Irish Culture and to encourage young writers -‘a review of Irish thinking, literature, science and politics.’
The Christmas edition is bigger than usual, because it carries more advertising. Most of the advertising has to do with Irish publications, which makes the magazine very useful at this time of year especially. But why can’t ‘Feasta’ and other publications get advertising from the big companies in Ireland - the large supermarkets for instance? Irish speakers give them a lot of business.
I liked ‘Political Thoughts’ by Seán Ó Loinsigh. He goes back over the main events of the year - the American election, the fighting in the Middle East and in Africa.
Seán was right when he wrote at the beginning of the month: ‘We have, without a doubt, another bad budget ahead of us.’ He gives his opinion on the case of Savita Halapannavar in Galway Hospital, and its political implications.
Regarding Irish, he says that ordinary people and politicians are favourably disposed towards the language, but that Irish cannot be saved unless it is compulsory for entrance into the civil service.
He says that the position of Irish in the educational system is not good either, and that education through Irish is our greatest source of hope.
There a number of book reviews in this edition, as well as poems and a tribute to Monsignor Breandán Ó Doibhlin. His brother, Father Ciarán Ó Doibhlin died recently. He was another outstanding scholar: he was living in retirement in Derry.
And you will enjoy the short story by Biddy Jenkinson.
Irish magazines need a lot of support. We do not have many of them, and we can’t have journalists if we don’t have magazines.
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Weather for Derry
Monday 20 May 2013
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 9 C to 13 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: North west
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 8 C to 13 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: North west
