Rialtas nua in áit agus athoscailt don Samhradh
NÍOR mhaith liom éirí sáite sa pholataíocht sa cholún seo ach sílim go mothaím gur ligeadh osna mór faoisimh ag an deireadh seachtaine.
Tá taoiseach nua sa tír, an Corcaíoch, Mícheál Martin, fear a d’fhoghlaim a chuid Gaeilge anseo i Múscraí nó bhíodh sé ag freastal ar Choláiste na Mumhan i mBéal Átha’n Ghaorthaidh, agus é i bhfeidhil, más féidir linn sin a rá, ar chomhrialtas ina bhfuil airí ó trí pháirtí, Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael agus an Chomhaontas Glas.
I don’t want to get bogged down in politics in this column but I do sense a massive sigh of relief around the country at the weekend.
The country has a new Taoiseach or Chieftain, Micheál Martin from Cork, a man who learned his Irish while attending Coláiste na Mumhan in Ballingeary. He will be in charge, if that’s the right word, of a coalition government involving three parties, Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Greens.
Ghlac sé i bhfad orthu an bó seo a chur thar abhainn ach anois tá sé sa ghort. Mar a dúirt fear liom fadó agus mé ag tosnú ar phost nua - ná moltar an oibrí ar maidin, moltar sa trathnóna é.
Tá sé ró luath bheith ag moladh nó ag cáineadh an Rialtas nua mar nach bhfuil siad ach ag tosnú ar an obair mhór atá le déanamh. Is féidir áfach fáilte a chur roimh an gcinneadh go bhfuil bean cumasach le Gaeilge, Catherine Martin, ceaptha le cúram na Gaeltachta i measc a cuid freagrachtaí.
It took a good while for them to get this cow across the river but now she’s happily grazing in the farm’s best field. As a man told me a long time ago as I started a new job, it’s better to praise someone in the evening after they’ve finished the work rather than in the morning when they’re just beginnng.
It’s too early yet to be praising or criticising the new Government as they’ve just begun the massive work of restarting the country.
We are able to welcome the appointment of Catherine Martin, the Green Party deputy leader, who has been handed the Gaeltacht ministry (among her list of six portfolios).
Agus an obair sin déanta is féidir linn díriú isteach ar an gcuid eile den Samhradh - bearradh gruaige, piúnt deas i dtigh tabhairne, dul ar saoire go dtí paróiste éigean eile ar an oileán.
Now we can focus on the Summer, getting a haircut, a nice pint in a pub and a holiday in some other parish on the island.