Siobhán Ní Chiobháin
‘Ó 2001 tá conaí orm i gcathracha difriúila. Baile Atha Cliath, i nDoire, i mBéal Feirste, i Londain, in Auckland. Anois tá mé in Nua Eabhrac. Níor chaitheas am faoin dtuath mar is ceart dom.
‘Tá mé anseo ó deireadh mí Márta — seo an tréimhse is faide a bhfuil caite agam anseo le tamall fada. Fúi amháin nuair a bhí mé anseo timpeall, bhíos i gconaí ag dul. Seo am agus nílim ag dul gach aon áit.
'Tá sé deas le bheith ag a baile, ach ní seo an saol a bhfuil agam. Níl sé nádúrtha dom gan a bheith ag dul, ag bothántaoícht, ag imeacht an t-am go léír.
'Ag fás aníos anseo, bhí fhios agam go raibh an t-ádh liom go raibh mé in áit chomh aoibhinn, chomh bríomhar.
'Nuair a thagann tú anseo tá rudaí difríuil. Tá pace difriúil. Bím bródúil a rá le daoine in Nua Eabhrac gur as an Daingean mé. Tá fhios ag gach éinne cá bhfuil an Daingean. Ardáionn sé mo chroí.
'Tá mé ag baint an taithneamh as an nadúr. Fíú amháin na blathanna fiáiné. Tá siad dearmadta agam. Nuair a thagam anseo timpeall is cuimhin liom na slánlas — bhíomhar ag imirt saighdiúirí leo son. Méaranta na bpucaí, fuschia. Is breá liom an áilleacht atá anseo timpeall. Tá sé chomh aoibhinn.
'Bím ag siúil an trá. Uaireanta déanann daoine dearmad cé chomh álainn is a bhfuil an áit seo, ach de bharr go bhfuil am caite as baile, nuair a thagam abhaile tá mé chomh brodúil go bhfuilim anseo.
‘Trá na Muirí. Déanann daoine dearmad go bhfuil siad ann. Ní bhíonn daoine air. Tá sé difriul gach aoin lá a théann tú air. Is rud speisialta é nuair atá an grian ag dul faoi — na scamaill, gach rud.’
‘Since 2001 I’ve been living in different cities. Dublin, Derry, Belfast, London, Auckland. Now I am in New York. I haven’t as much time in the countryside as I should have.
‘I’m here since the end of March — this is the longest period of time I have spent here in a long time. And even when I was here, I was always going other places. Now I’m here and going nowhere.
‘It’s great to be at home, but this isn’t the life I have now. It’s not natural for me not to be one the move, going from house to house. I was always going.
‘I knew growing up here that I was in a beautiful and energetic place. When you come here things are different. There’s a different paces t things. I’m very proud to tell people in New York that I’m from the Dingle Peninsula. Everyone knows where Dingle is. That lifts my heart.
‘I am really enjoying nature, even the wild flowers. I’d forgotten them. When I come around here I remember the ripple-grass, we’d be playing soldiers with them. Others are foxgloves and fuchsia. I love the beauty of this place around me. It’s blissful.
'I'd be walking the beach. Sometimes people forget how beautiful this place is, but because of the time I have spent away from here, when I come back I am so proud that I am from this area.
‘Muiríoch beach. People forget that it’s here. You don’t get a lot of people on it. It is different every day you go there. It is special when the sun is going down, the clouds, everything.’