Féile na Carraige – Idir Ballaí Fuara Lá 2

Idir Ballaí Fuara

Mar chuid d’Fhéile na Carraige, léirigh muid an ghearrscannán aréir “Idir Ballaí Fuara” i dTeach na Móna.

Bheir an clár léargas agus comhthéacs ar chuinsí cimí poblachtacha ag foghlaim Gaeilge agus iad i príosúin chomh maith leis an tionchar a bhí foghlaim na Gaeilge orthu agus an tionchar a bhí ag cimí poblachtacha ar athbheochan na Gaeilge ó thuaidh. Cuireadh an clár i láthair ag réimse d’iarchimí poblachtacha., lena n-airítear Eibhlín Uí Choileáin, Diarmuid Mac an tSionnaigh, Jake MacSiacais, Pilib Ó Ruanaí agus Laurence McKeown.

Insíonn Idir Ballaí Fuara scéal na gcimí poblachtacha a d’fhoghlaim an Ghaeilge le linn na 1970í i bPríosún Bhóthar Chromghlinne, i gCásanna na Ceise Fada, sna Blocanna H agus i bPríosún Ban Ard Mhacha.

Bhí stádas polaitiúil ag cimí poblachtacha sna luath 1970í agus bhí fáil acu ar mhúinteoirí agus ar théacsleabhair, chomh maith le taithí a gcomhchimí ní ba shine. Ach in 1976 tugadh isteach polasaí an choiriúlaithe agus baineadh stádas polaitiúil ó na cimí poblachtacha.

Bhí cimí ann nár ghlac leis an pholasaí seo agus chuir siad tús le hagóid na pluide. Gan teacht acu ar ábhar scríofa ná leabhar ar bith, seachas Bíobla in achan chillín, tháinig na cimí ar bhealaí nua leis an Ghaeilge a fhoghlaim agus a theagasc sna coinníollacha na dhúshlánaí.

“Nach teith an teanga an Ghaedhlig astoigh annseo eadar bhallaí fuara – an teangaidh a d’fhaibhir agus a d’fhás agus a tháinig i méaduidheacht i dtír nach rabh príosúin ar bith inntí” – Seosamh MacGrianna

Tar éis an scannáin, bhí greim bia, píosa ceoil agus comhluadar ann.

Idir Ballaí Fuara

We showed “Idir Ballaí Fuara” as part of Féile na Carraige last night in the Trinity Lodge.

Idir Ballaí Fuara provided an insight and context into the circumstances of republican prisoners learning Irish while in jail, the impact the learning of the language had on them as well as their impact on the Irish language revival in the North. The programme was narrated by republican ex-prisoners including Eibhlín Uí Choileáin, Diarmuid Mac an tSionnaigh, Jake MacSiacais, Pilib Ó Ruanaí and Laurence McKeown.

Idir Ballaí Fuara tells the story of republican prisoners who learned the Irish language during the 1970s in Crumlin Road Jail, the Cages of Long Kesh, the H-Blocks and Armagh Women’s Prison.
Republican prisoners had political status in the early part of the 1970s and were able to avail of teachers and textbooks, along with the experience of older fellow prisoners. However in 1976 the policy of criminalisation was introduced and political status was removed from republican prisoners.

Prisoners who refused to accept this policy began the blanket protest. Having no access to writing material or books, beyond a Bible in each cell, the prisoners found new ways to learn and to teach the Irish language to each other in the most difficult of circumstances.

“Nach teith an teanga an Ghaedhlig astoigh annseo eadar bhallaí fuara – an teangaidh a d’fhaibhir agus a d’fhás agus a tháinig i méaduidheacht i dtír nach rabh príosúin ar bith inntí” – Seosamh MacGrianna
How warm is the Irish language in here between cold walls – the language that developed and grew in a country that never had a prison in it.

After the film, we had a bite to eat, a bit of music and craic