Fiona McNamara
‘Is as sráidbhaile beag bídeach Cill Chúile sinn. Déanann an cúpla teaghlach, muintir Uí Chonchúir, Uí Shé agus Uí Dubhda an sráidbhaile.
Is cuimhin liom dul isteach sna tithe agus mé i mo pháiste beag ag ól cupán tae agus ag dul i dtaithí ar theach feirme. Tá go leor den ghlúin níos sine imithe ar shlí na fírinne anois agus tá na páistí ón gcéad ghlúin eile tar éis na tithe a ghlacadh ar láimh.
Roimhe sin bhí sé difriúil nuair a tháinig mé anseo. Bhraith mé i gcónaí go raibh mé ag teacht anuas le mo thuismitheoirí, nó ag dul go dtí an coláiste samhraidh. Bheadh trí seachtaine agat le do chairde ach ansin bheadh ort filleadh ansin.
‘Chuir mé aithne ar chuid de mhuintir na háite agus mhothaigh mé go raibh taithí den chineál céanna agam le daoine atá ina gconaí anseo. Braithim cuid den áit dá bharr.
‘Is cuimhin liom campáil thíos anseo nuair a bhí an teach á thógáil. Is cuimhin liom seachtainí thíos anseo ag an Coláiste Samhraidh agus na rudaí go léir a tharla — mo chéad phóg ar Thrá na Muirí agus an craic a bhí againn agus Gaeilge á fhoghlaim.’
‘We’re from a tiny village, Cill Chúile. The couple of families — O’Connor, O’Shea, O’Dowd make the village. I remember going into their houses as a small child having a cup of tea and experiencing that real old farmhouse sense. A lot of the older generation have passed and so the kids of those families have taken over the houses.
‘Before that coming down here was different. The beauty of this whole couple of months has been getting a sense of community myself here. I always felt like I was coming down with my parents, the Irish college when you’d have your three weeks with your friends but then it would be gone again.
‘This time I’ve felt I’ve got to know some of the locals and the people that live here and shared an experience and makes me feel part of it I guess here.’
‘Being here I remember camping down here when the house was being built. I remember the weeks of Irish College and all the things that happened. The first kiss on the beach and had lots of craic while learning the language.’