CONCUBHAR Ó LIATHÁIN
Ar ais ó mo shaoire agus réidh don obair
BEIDH áthas ar mo chomhleacaithe a chloisteáil, is dócha, go bhfuilim ar ais ó mo shaoire agus réidh don obair arís.
Cén áit ar chuaigh mé, fiafraíonn sibh. Bhuel, má iarann sibh ar mo mhuintir, seans go ndéarfaidh siad libh gur chuas go dtí an seomra suite agus nár fhag mo thóin an tolg ach le h-aghaidh cuairteanna ar an gcistin agus ar sheomraí eile sa tigh.
I suppose my colleagues will be happy to learn that I am back from my holidays – and ready for work.
Where did you go, I hear you ask. Well, if you ask my family, they might tell you that I went as far as the sitting room, where I became a permanent fixture apart from occasional trips to the kitchen and other rooms in the house.
Níl sin go h-iomlán fíor. Chuaigh mé amach go dtí an gáirdín go minic is chaitheas roinnt ama ag iomrascáil le rothar m’iníon ag iarraidh é a dheisiú, agus bhíos féin amuigh sa gharraí ag iarraidh na fiailí a chuir faoi chois le mo lomadóir. Mhothaigh mé cosúil le Don Quixote!
That’s not entirely true. I went out to the garden frequently and spent some time wrestling with my daughter’s bike, and I went out armed with my trusty strimmer to tackle the weeds. It was worthy of Don Quixote!
Chuaigh mé amach ar mo rothar féin chomh maith, agus bhaineas ana thaithneamh as mo thurasanna timpeall an cheantair, ag tabhairt faoi ndeara na cloiginí gorma, na nóiníní is na samhaircíní ar an gclaí, agus na h-uain is na gamhna sna páirceanna. Agus an rud ba mhó a thabharfá faoi ndeara, fiú ar bhóithre na Gaeltachta, ná an easpa tráchta. Ní raibh an oiread céanna gluaisteáin ar an mbóthar ná baol air – bhí go leor amuigh ag siúl gan amhras.
I went out on my bike a number of times and really enjoyed my trips around the locality, and though I’m no nature expert, I began to notice the flowers, the bluebells, daisies and buttercups on the hedges and, in the fields, the lambs and calves were plentiful. The most obvious thing I noticed was the absence of traffic on the roads, even here in the Gaeltacht.
Saoire sa bhaile a bhí ann de bharr na cúinsí ar leith ina mairimíd agus, chun an fhírinne a insint, níor mhiste liom é. Bhíos ar mo chompórd in éineacht le mo chlann – cad eile a bheadh ag teastáil uaim?
There is no single word for ‘staycation’ in Irish – but ‘ holiday at home’ covers it. I don’t really mind staying at home – I was at my leisure with my family, what’s not to like?
Ní gá dul i bhfad ó bhaile ar aon nós, nó tá gach rud ar mhaith linn láimh linn. Fuaireas roinnt beorach ó ghrudlann áitiúil – Stag Geal ó 9WhiteDeer – agus tá sé chomh blasta sin nach bhféádfainn a shamhlú go bhfuil aon leann chomh deas leis ar fuaid an domhain.
Who needs to go too far from home, anyhow, as when you do, you’re always looking for the home comforts. I got a delivery during the week of a box of ‘Stag Bán’ – a very fine beer produced by a local brewery, 9WhiteDeer. And after a hard day’s holidaying, there’s nothing to beat a bottle of that chilled from the fridge.
An rud ar mhaith liom áfach ná dul ag snámh sa bhfarraige – tá an trá is giorra i bhfad níos mó ná cúig cileaméadar uainn. Nior mhiste liom dul ag imirt galf freisin! Is olc an scéal é don Chorcaíoch mhean aosta seo!
One thing I do miss, however, is a swim in the sea, particularly as the weather is so fine. The nearest beach – and golf course – is way outside our 5km limit. Such are the concerns of this middle-aged Corkman.