Gleic Mo Dhaoine / The Struggle of my People
“Bhí mo mháthair difriúil leis na mná nár chleacht Meiriceá riamh… Bhí sí láidir agus dána, mar a déarfá, dána sa chiall cheart leis an bhfocal.”
Gleic Mo Dhaoine
Chaith Máirtín go leor ama i dteannta a mháthar, Peige Tom Pheait Mhóir, bean a ndeachaigh an saol ina haghaidh go minic. Bádh a céad fhear, Labhrás Mac Confhaola agus gan iad ach trí mhí pósta. B’éigean do Pheige filleadh ar Dorchester, i mBostún, áit ar chaith sí deich mbliana roimhe sin, le hairgead a thuilleamh don dara spré. Ar fhilleadh di i 1909, rinneadh cleamhnas di le col seisear léi, Seán Mháirtín Thaidhg Ó Direáin.
I ndiaidh do Sheán Mháirtín Thaidhg bás a fháil den eitinn i 1917, thóg Peige an chlann le comhar na gcomharsan. Dhéanadh sí criosanna agus dhá gheansaí sa tseachtain le cúpla pingin a shaothrú. Chuaigh sí soir go Port Mhuirbhí ag obair i monarcha próiseála éisc ar feadh cúpla bliain agus “chuireadh sí cliabh suas ar a droim chomh maith le fear ar bith.”
Ainneoin nár cuireadh aon oideachas foirmiúil ar Pheige riamh, chothaigh sí spéis mhór sa léann i measc na bpáistí agus rith bua na filíochta leis an gceathrar acu.
File as féin a bhí i dTomás agus tá sciar dánta foilsithe leis in irisí ar nós Ar Aghaidh, Feasta agus Comhar. Chaith sé seal ar an gCeathrú Rua mar chigire faoin Roinn Talmhaíochta agus chónaigh ar feadh tamaill i mBaile Chathail, i Maigh Eo. Dúirt sé go raibh sé ag iarraidh filíocht a scríobh lena chuimhne.
Bhí an-mhianach i Seán freisin. Foilsíodh dán leis in Ar Aghaidh sna 1930idí, ach cailleadh go hóg é i 1946 agus é 29 bliain d’aois.
Chaith Máire a saol ar fad ar an oileán, agus bhí féith na filíochta agus na drámaíochta go smior inti.
Gleic Mo Dhaoine
Dúshlán na ndúl a spreag a ndúshlán,
The Struggle of My People
Máirtín spent a lot of time in the company of his mother, Peige Tom Pheait Mhóir, whose life was blighted by tragedy. Peige's first husband, Labhrás Mac Confhaola, died just three months after their marriage. Peige was obliged to return to Dorchester, Boston, where she had previously worked for ten years, in order to save for her second dowry. On her return in 1909, she was married to Seán Mháirtín Thaidhg Ó Direáin, who was her second cousin.
After her second husband's death from tuberculosis in 1917, Peige raised her four children with the assistance of the support networks provided by the local community. In order to sustain her family, Peige made belts and knitted two jumpers a week, She also worked in a fish-processing factory in Port Murvey for a period, and "could hoist a creel [of seaweed] on her back as well as any man."
Although Peige was never afforded the opportunity to receive a formal education, she instilled a strong commitment to learning in her children, all four of whom were poets.
Tomás was a poet in his own right and published a number of poems in journals such as Ar Aghaidh, Feasta and Comhar. He spent time in An Cheathrú Rua as an inspector for the Department of Agriculture and later lived in Baile Chathail, Co. Mayo. He claimed he wanted to write poetry for as long as he could remember.
Seán too made an impression with his poetry which he published in the 1930s in Ar Aghaidh. He died in 1946 at the age of 29.
Máire spent her entire life on the island and was known for her talent for poetry and drama.