Tugann Lisa Fingleton, an t-ealaíontóir a ceapadh do thionscadal Chorca Dhuibhne Inbhuanaithe – A Creative Imagining léargas ar roinnt den obair atá ar siúl aici leis na teaghlaigh feirmeoireachta ar leithinis an Daingin.
Tá muintir Uí Chíobháin – Séamus, Eibhlín agus Lís – ar cheann de na teaghlaigh atá ag glacadh páirte in Corca Dhuibhne Inbhuanaithe, A Creative Imagining. Maoinithe ag an gciste Gníomhaíocht Aeráide Cruthaitheach, tá seo ar cheann de chúig thionscadal déag atá ar siúl ar fud na tíre.
Seamus agus Lís Uí Chiobháin, A Creative Imaginig, 2022
Tá a bhfeirm chaorach lonnaithe i nDún Chaoin, le radharcanna iontacha amach i dtreo na mBlascaoidí ar thaobh amháin, agus amach go Cnoc Bhréanainn sa treo eile. Tá an fheirm an-sceirdiúil, í oscailte le gaothanna láidre agus aer goirt isteach ón Atlantach. Cuireann Eibhlín síos ar an tslí gur iompaigh an féar ó ghlas go dubh tar éis na stoirmeacha a bhí ann le déanaí. Bíonn an fharraige ag tuairteáil go tréan i gcoinne na bhfailltreacha laistíos dá bpáirceanna.
Tá dhá chuairt tugtha agam ar an bhfeirm le roinnt seachtainí anuas, agus chuaigh a bhfáilte chroíúil, agus a gcuid foighne liom mar dhuine a d’fhoghlaim an Ghaeilge seachas í a bheith agam ó dhúchas, i gcion go mór orm. Mar dhuine go bhfuil grá agam don nGaeilge, ach nach mbíonn mórán deiseanna agam í a chleachtadh, is mór an pléisiúr dom a bheith in ann comhrá Gaeilge a bheith agam le muintir Uí Chíobháin.
Domsa, tá an talamh, an teanga agus an t-athrú aeráide ar fad ceangailte lena chéile. Eachtraíonn ainmneacha Gaeilge na bpáirceanna scéalta faoin aimsir chaite a d’fhéadfadh sinn a threoiriú i dtreo na todhchaí. Sa chomhrá domhanda faoin athrú aeráide táthar ag leagan an-bhéim ar an méid gurbh fhéidir linn a fhoghlaim ó dhaoine bundúchasacha. Tá Séamus ag feirmeoireacht anseo ó bhí sé ina gharsún, agus is mór an phribhléid an talamh a shiúil ina theannta.
Thugas an-cheann de cé chomh cineálta agus caoin is a bhíonn sé lena ainmhithe. Roinnt seachtainí ó shin, nuair a bhíos ar chuairt aige, bhí cos thinn ag ceann dá uain agus bhí sé fíorshásta an tseachtain seo go bhfuil feabhas ag teacht ar an uan. Is dóigh liom go bhfuil pearsantacht ar leith ag an uan seo, agus ní raibh aon dul as agam ach portráid bheag a dhéanamh dó.
Lambs in the light, A Creative Imagining, Lisa Fingleton_2022
Portrait of a lamb. Photo: Lisa Fingleton
Is múinteoir í Lís i rith an lae, ach caitheann sí sciar mór den gcuid eile dá ham ina feirmeoir. Bhí sí siúd agus Séamus ag tabhairt sadhlais do na caoirigh agus mé ag fágaint chun an bus nasc áitiúla a fháil thar n-ais go dtí an Daingean
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Seamus, Eibhlín and Laoise Uí Chiobháin, are one of the of the farming families taking part in Corca Dhuibhne Inbhuanaithe, A Creative Imagining. Funded by the Creative Climate Action fund, this is one of 15 projects taking place across the country.
Their sheep farm is in Dunquin with spectacular sweeping views from The Blasket Islands to Mount Brandon. They are also extremely exposed to the Atlantic winds and the salt air. Eibhlín decribes how the grass turned ‘black’ (Féar dubh) after the recent storms. The sea pounds off cliffs beneath their fields.
I have visited their farm twice in the last few weeks and I have been so touched by their warm welcome and their patience with me as a non-native Irish speaker. As a lover of Irish, with little opportunity to practice, it is such joy to be able to talk with the Ní Chiobhans in Irish.
For me the land, language and climate change are intrinsically related. The farmers here all know the Irish names of their fields. The names tell stories of the past which can help inform the future. In the climate conversation globally there has been much emphasis on drawing from the knowledge of indigenous people. Seamus has been farming here since he was a child and it is such a genuine privilege to walk the land with him.
I have been so struck by his kindness and gentleness with his animals. A few weeks ago when I visited, one of his lambs had a sore leg and he was delighted this week that the lamb is getting stronger. I think this particular lamb is quite a character and I couldn’t resist doing a little portrait.
Laoise is a teacher by day and farmer for a lot of the rest of the time. Herself and Seamus were feeding silage to the sheep as I left to get the local link bus back into Dingle.