CONCUBHAR Ó LIATHÁIN
GOBNAIT, NAOMH PATRÚN D’ÁR LINN
AGUS mise ag fás suas i gCúil Aodha, i bParóiste Bhaile Mhúirne, bhí Naomh Gobnait linn inár saol i gcónaí, sa chaint, ar scoil, sa bhaile, ag aifrinntí agus, gan amhras, ar lá na sochraide.
As I was growing up in Cúil Aodha, in the parish of Baile Mhúirne, St Gobnait - or Abbey - was a huge part of our lives, she was invoked in conversations, her life was taught in school, we prayed to her during Sunday Mass and she was with us, without fail, on the day of the funeral.
Clairíneach, deirtear, a tháinig chughainn go Múscraí mar gur inis aingeal di a clochar a bhunú san áit a bhfeicfeadh sí naoi gcinn d’fhianna bána. -chuaigh sí siar ó thuaidh go hÁrainn agus ó dheas go Dún Chaoin agus soir ó dheas ansan go dtí Baile Mhúirne mar a chonaic sí naoi gcinn d’fhianna bána.
A mighty Clare woman, and not the last from that county to come to the Múscraí Gaeltacht, she had a visitation from an Angel who told her to locate her settlement where she came across nine white deer.
An méid a rinne Gobnait agus í i Múscraí agus ar son ár sinsir, tá sé fós i mbéal na ndaoine beagnach 1.500 bliain níos déanaí agus ní h-ionadh sin. Dá ndéanfadh sí an méid is lú de sin sa lá atá inniu ann bheadh sí ina banlaoch domhanda agus daoine ag déanamh haisclib fuithí ar na meáin soisialta is a leithéid, #Gobnait.
What Gobnait did in Baile Mhúirne, in the townland of Seanachluain, is still the talk of the community here and her fame has spread far and wide.
Were she alive today and had done a fraction of what Gobnait is reputed to have done in her day, she would be a global hero and the talk of the social media with her own hashtag, Gobnait.
Shuífeadh sí ar a cathair i nGort na Tiobraid agus gach uair a thogfadh an namhaid caisleán trasna uaithí ar an láthair ar a bhfuil Coláiste Íosagáin inniu, chaithfeadh sí bolla iarainn leis chun é a leagadh go talamh. Ar an mbóthar faoi bhun na fánaí sin tá bollaí á gcaitheamh go fóill ag muintir an cheantair.
She would sit on a stone seat above the village and every time the enemy would built his fort on the site now occupied by Coláiste Íosagáin, she would throw a bowl at it and knock it. That soon discouraged that particular building project.
Tá tuilleadh scéalta faoi Ghobnait agus má bhí tú i mBaile Mhúirne dá lá patrúin an tseachtain seo, seans gur chuala tú iad. A Ghobnait mhúinte ó Bhaile Mhúirne, tairse chugham le chabhair is led chúnamh!
Gobnait’s feastday was celebrated on Tuesday, February 11, in Baile Mhúirne, Dún Chaoin and on the Aran Islands.