Turas Siar 218 - Riocard Ó Bruadair (R.I.P.) as an Mullach Rua ag caint le Máirtín Mac Donnchadha, RnaG, ar an 5ú Márta 2001. Ón gclár “I gCeartlár na nDaoine”.

i gContae Mhaigh Eo.

in County Mayo..

Bhfuil cuimhne ar bith agaibh céard a bhí ag tarlú an Mhárta sin? Bhuel an chéad tseachtain sin agamsa ag obair i gContae Mhaigh Eo seoladh tuarascáil an Tascfhórsa a bhí curtha ar bun le staidéar a dhéanamh ar bhealaí le cúrsaí géilleagracha a chur chun cinn i gceantar Iorrais tar éis don chomhlacht Warner Brothers dúnadh agus do chéad agus cheithre dhuine dhéag a gcuid postanna a chailliúint.

Do any of you remember what was happening that March? Well, that first week I was working in County Mayo, the report of the Taskforce that had been set up to study ways to promote economic affairs in the Erris area was launched after the Warner Brothers company closed and one hundred and fourteen people lost their jobs.

Thiar i dteach Iorrais i nGaoth Sáile ag seoladh an tuarascáil agus cé go raibh súil le slua mór a bheith i láthair bhí an aimsir go dona le sioc agus sneachta agus bhí roinnt daoine nárbh fhéidir leo a bheith i láthair.

In the west, in a house in Erris in Gaoth Sáile, launching the report, and although a large crowd was expected to be present, the weather was bad with frost and snow and there were some people who could not be present.

Chomh maith leis sin, más cuimhneach libh, bhí an galar crúb agus béil sa tír agus bhíothas ag iarraidh ar dhaoine gan a bheith ag taisteal dhá bhféadfaidís é.

Also, if you remember, there was foot-and-mouth disease in the country and people were being asked not to travel if they could avoid it.

Ar ndóigh bhí súil ag bhí súil leis an Aire Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta na linne, Éamon Ó Cuív.

Of course, the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs of the time, Éamon Ó Cuív, expected...

í ag súil go mbeadh sé i láthair ag a leithéid d'ócáid ach bhí seisean ar an leaba le fliú.

She was expecting that he would be present at such an event but he was in bed with the flu.

Anois bhí mé féin ann ar chuma ar bith agus cluais orm go gcloisfinn an raibh aon Ghaeilgeoir suntasach i láthair.

Now I was there myself anyway and my ear was tuned to hear if there was any notable Irish speaker present.

Bhioraigh mé na cluasa nuair a chuala mé fear áirithe ag caint agus seo é an tuairisc a bhí againn air ar an gclár i gceartlár na ndaoine mar a bhíodh air an uair sin ar an gcéad chlár a bhí againn ar an gcúigiú lá de Mhárta dhá mhíle agus a haon.

I pricked up my ears when I heard a certain man speaking and this is the report we had on him on the programme in the midst of the people as it used to be called at that time on the first programme we had on the fifth day of March two thousand and one.

Bhí fear as taobh na hEachléime i láthair ag seoladh thuarascáil Thascfhórsa Bhéal an Mhuirthead san oíche Dé Luain seo caite nuair a bhí muid thíos i dTeach Iorrais i nGaoth Sáile labhair sé go paiteanta i mBéarla agus i nGaeilge le linn na díospóireachta a lean an seoladh agus tar éis an seoladh chuaigh mé chomh fada leis agus chuir sé é féin in aithne dhom.

There was a man from the Eachléim area present at the launch of the Béal an Mhuirthead Taskforce report last Monday night when we were down in Teach Iorrais in Gaoth Sáile. He spoke fluently in English and in Irish during the discussion that followed the launch, and after the launch I went over to him and he introduced himself to me.

Rocar dá brúdar agus cén áit cén áit ar as tosaigh rop in airde.

Rocar if you press it and where, where does it come from ahead, a jerk upwards...

Eh

Eh.

An Mullach Chrua

The Hard Summit.

Sin síos ar ar an Eachléim.

That’s down at Eachléim.

Ar an mac léinn

On the student.

Bhoil ar ar bóthar as Béal an Mhuirthead go dtí an Eachléim 'Sea.

Well, on our road from Belmullet to Eachléim, yes...