Anois teacht an earraigh...

Antaine Ó Reachtaire (1784–1835) was better known as Raifteirí an file (the poet). Blind since early childhood he was one of the last generation of traditional wandering Gaelic bards – playing the fiddle, singing and also composing. It was only after his death that his work was written down. The poem ‘Cill Aodáin’ celebrates the Irish tradition of welcoming spring on St Brigid's Day, the first of February. The poet yearns to return to his home village, in place and in time, as the second verse reveals:

I will leave here and my heart will rise,

As the breeze lifts or the mist clears,

When I think of Carra and Gallen below,

On Sceathath a’ Mhíle and the plains of Mayo;

Cill Aodáin the town where everything grows—

There are berries and raspberries and respect for all;

And if I could stand among my people,

Age would flee and I'd be young again.

—Translated by Shane O’Connor (1931–2005)

The opening lines Anois teacht an earraigh beidh an lá ’dul ’un síneadh, ’S tar éis na Féil’ Bríde ardóidh mé mo sheol will resonate with Irish people from the generation that heard them in primary school. They certainly made an impression on me and I have long wanted to celebrate the beauty of the words and their intention. My late father translated from the original Irish for me but it took more than fifteen years to deliver them on the postcard above.