Siúlóid 'Ar Thóir na Féinne' 'In Search of the Fianna' Walk

Scaip an bhrat ceo de réir a chéile agus na siúlóirí ag cruinniú ag Rua Red le dul Ar Thóir na Féinne. Bhí sneachta salach fós ag leá anseo is ansiúd.

Bhailíomar clocha le cur leis an gcairn. Go tobann bhris sean Oisín na Féinne trí dhoras an chaife os ár gcomhair amach. Tháinig Naomh Pádraig go luath in a dhiaidh, ag caitheamh hata dubh. Lean an sean argóint fhíochmhar eatarthu, idir bealach na Féinne agus an bealach chríostaí. Thosaigh Oisín ag insint a scéil arís, an scéal a tharla i nGleann na Smól. As go brách linn ansin ag lorg deireadh an scéil, ceol na feadóige stáine fós san aer.

Bhí stríocha bána sneachta ar na sléibhte os ár gcomhair. Buaileamar le grúpa breise siúlóirí ag an taiscumar. Go luath bhí sneachta faoin ár gcosa. Áit a raibh sé ró dhomhain chuamar timpeall an bealach níos faide. Chualamar adharc ar an mbealach, an dord fiann n’fheadar. Ansin i lár páirce bán le sneachta chonaiceamar Oisín óg ag fiach lena cháirde. Tháinig Niamh Cinn Óir agus a capall bán. D’imigh Oisín léi. Shiúil an capall draíochta i gciorcal mór. Chas roth an tsaoil. D’fhág Oisín leis an gcapall, ar thóir na Féinne.

Leanamar é tríd an gheata. Thuas ar an sliabh thángamar ar shean Oisín cois le chloch mór, an capall draíochta lena thaobh. Thóg Naomh Pádraig an sean laoch leis síos an gleann arís. D’fhágamar ár clocha ag an crann. Bhí an sneachta ró dhomhain le dul chuig an cairn. Crochfaimid linn iad i mí Aibreain.

Beidh an chéad shiúlóid eile ar 14 Aibreain.

Bhí an siúlóid i gcomhair le Gaelphobal Thamhlachta agus Aisteoirí Thamhlachta. Buíochas le Foras na Gaeilge, Donie Anderson, DMP Rangers, agus Rua Red. 

Mar chuid de tionscadal ealaíne poiblí Rock to the Top / Ó Charraig go Cairn le Ciarán Taylor, a iarrann ar phobal Átha Chliath Theas teacht le chéile chun aithris a dhéanamh ar éacht Oisín (as Tír na nÓg) a chaith carraig mhór suas an sliabh, gar do Thamhlacht. Iarrtar ort píosa bheag de charraig mhór atá lonnaithe ag Rua Red a iompar go dtí na sléibhte chun cairn nua a thógáil ar Cipiúr.

Rock to the Top / Ó Charraig go Cairn coimisiúnaithe faoi IN CONTEXT 4 - IN OUR TIME, Clár Ealaíne Poiblí Chontae Átha Cliath Theas 2016-2019, faoi scéim Céatadán do Ealaíon.

Béarla

The mist cleared as walkers arrived at Rua Red to go In Search of the Fianna. Soiled snow piles were still melting here and there.

Walkers loaded their bags with rocks for the cairn. Bursting through the door of the nearby café, came old Oisín of the Fianna. He was follwed by his benafactor St Patrick. The old arguments raged between them. The way of the Fianna versus the Christian way. Oisín began to retell his story. The story that ended in Glenasmole. We headed for the valley to see what would happen next. The music of tin whistle sent us on our way.

Steaks of white still lay across the mountains in front of us. We met with more walkers at the reservoir. Soon there was snow underfoot. We heard a horn along the way. Was it the Dord Fiann, the hunting horn of the Fianna? Where the road was blocked by snow we took the long road round. In a field white with snow we saw young Oisín hunting with his friends. Niamh Cinn Óir came, along with her white horse. Oisín went with her. The magical horse walked in a wide circle. The wheel of life turned. Oisín left with the horse in search of the Fianna.

We followed him through the gate. On the mountain we came on old Oisín by a boulder, his horse by his side. St Patrick took the old hero down the valley again. We've left our rocks by a tree. The snow was too deep to make it to the cairn this time. We will return in April to finish the trip!

All our welcome on the next walk on 14 April.

The walk was in co-operation with Aisteoirí Tamhlachta from Gaelphobal
Thamhlachta. Thanks to Foras na Gaeilge, Donie Anderson, Dublin Mountains
Partnership Volunteer Rangers, Wicklow National Park and Rua Red.

Rock to the Top is commissioned under IN CONTEXT 4 - IN OUR TIME, South Dublin County Council’s Public Art Programme for 2016-2019 under the Per Cent for Art Scheme.