My time at Scoil na nÓg, Trabolgan

My previous post about being "anti-Gaelic" reminded me about my time as a student in 6th class in Primary School. Up to 5th Class I had attended Carnew National School, but in an effort to improve my Irish I was sent to Scoil na nÓg in Trabolgan near Cloyne in Co Cork. I was 11 years old, and it was September 1971. I have visited Trabolgan only once since I left and it has long since been converted to the more well-known Trabolgan Holiday Village.

Image link to Houstorian.

Recently I came across the Housetorian blog, which has an article on Trabolgan Country Estate, written by Annemarie Foley. In the article she quotes one of my own posts Irish School in Trabolgan and Sleeping with a Tenor about my time there sharing a room with the singer Ronan Tynan. The article is an excellent history of the house and estate, and it features several photographs that brought back some memories. 

The house in the photo above was used for the school. The classroom that I sat in was in the room with the three windows on the extreme right of the photo. On the extreme left was the dining room for the about 60 boys that attended the school - I think that it was there that I tasted chips for the first time! In the middle, behind the pillars at the door (which thought were a lot bigger) was the entrance hall - we used to play bowling in this hall. If I remember correctly, there was a plaque on the front wall to the right of the main doorway commemorating Patrick Pearse. In the photo below you can see the woods behind the house which was a paradise for young boys - I have fond memories of my time there.

Image links to the Irish Historical Picture Company.

Did it improve my Irish? Yes it did! When I left in June 1972 I was presented with a Fáinne Nua as a fluent Irish speaker. However, once I went to secondary school it all went downhill - within five years I was barely able to converse in it (Grade C in Ordinary Level). My Fáinne Nua also disappeared as I rather stupidly lent it to a boy named Ruane from Mayo in secondary school who "lost it".

Apparently I am "anti-Gaelic"!

On 17th October 2010 last I wrote a piece Ed Walsh wants school budget for Irish to be halved - I agree. This post did attract some comment. Today, Colm Mac Fhionnghaile takes me to task about my comments on the Irish language. In the interest of fairness, here is his comment in full (which I have published on above link):

I find it confusing that you have called Irish both a 'dead language' and 'our first language' in as many sentences, cementing my first impressions of you as writing controversially for the sake of controversy here. This is a standard attack on 'our' language, an unrehearsed and ill-researched piece. As a man who's grown up in a bi-lingual family I believe the language is the standing-stone on which our heritage leans. I would hesitate to base opinions on that of Dr. Ed Walsh. 'But let those who are not enthusiastic about Irish drop out after primary school'. Would he also be comfortable letting those with no enthusiasm for math, or English, or History, Geography etc. abandon those subjects? 

Having said this much, this is a well written piece, and will have been read by plenty people, therefore I believe you should be more careful with anti-Gaelic posts in future in the interest of fairness, or 'cothrom na féinne' as Irish speakers would say. 

First - Colm is more than entitled to his opinion and I welcome his response to my post. Free speech and all that!

But I have responded as follows:

A Chara,

"for the sake of controversy" - gimme a break!

"anti-Gaelic posts" - gimme another break!

According to Google Translate, "cothrom na féinne" means "fair play" - I had to look it up. I am 52 years old and I do not recall ever hearing this. I cannot hold a conversation in Irish - and do you know what? I do not feel less Irish, or "anti-Gaelic" for that matter.

"unrehearsed"? - FFS I have had 52 years of this.

"ill-researched" - FFS I do not claim to have researched this. This is a Blog, not a peer reviewed journal. This is an opinion piece in a personal blog - I'll say what I want. Last time I looked - we live in a democracy.

Is mise,

Eoin Ó Lochlainn

That last bit is my name in Irish - I have not used it since 1972 when I was in Scoil na nÓg in Trabolgan, Co Cork. I have just to walk from my office for 10 minutes to hear Polish and Chinese being spoken, I bet I would have to walk for hours before I would hear Irish being spoken on the street. 

Thank goodness we have Irish to help us get around!

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Is a person "anti-Gaelic" just because he cannot speak Irish? Or doesn't want it rammed down his throat?