The Tinteán editorial team are delighted to hear that our regular Irish language contributor, Melbourne’s Colin Ryan, has had a collection of his poems published by Coiscéim.ie as Corraí na Nathrach.
Cló lar-Chonnacht, the Irish language publishing house, published a collection of his short stories in the Irish language, in 2016, a very rare phenomenon in Australia.
We hope to review the book next month. In the meantime, here is a taste:
Ceamara
Beirt bhan os do chomhair
in éide an tseansaoil
agus tú i do cheamara
á mbreathnústrainséirí
atá gairid i ngaol duit
is a iompóidh uait ar ball
a n-aghaidh ar dhóchas
nár mheath go fóill
ar sholas ná dhorchaigh fóstrainséirí
Camera
Two women before you in old-fashioned dresses and you a camera watching them: strangers of your blood who will presently turn away towards hope that hasn’t yet failed, towards light that hasn’t yet faded.
Aithint
Ar feadh nóiméid
ag dúiseacht duit
bhí tú fós i seomra d’óige
ag caint le duine
ba chosúil leat féin
faoina raibh le teacht: rinne scáth
na craoibhe comhartha
ar an mballa mar cheiliúradhagus eolas agat anois
ar a mbeadh de sheachmall feasta
Recognition
For a moment on waking you were still in the room of your childhood, talking to someone who resembled you about things to come: the shadow of the branch waved on the wall in farewell, and you now knew what illusions awaited
Gadaí
Chuir rud éigin an madra ag tafann
um mheán oíche:
an gadaí ar lorg
líomóidí ar chraobh chrochta
nó seoda ó sheomraí an tí
nár tógadh fós
Thief
Something set the dog barking at midnight: the thief seeking lemons from an overhanging branch or jewels from the rooms of the house not yet built.
Colin is a Melbourne poet and a second-language speaker of Irish, having taught himself at first.
Tinteán 