Tá an-bhrón orm a rá gur imigh sean cara agam, an bráthair Cathal Ó Cuinn ar shlí na fírinne inniu, an 19ú lá déag de mhí Feabhra. Trócaire Dé ar a anam uasal.
Ba chara mór don teanga é agus níor stop sé riamh ag iarraidh í a chur chun cinn anseo i Nua Eabhrac. Chomh luath agus a bhfaca sé go raibh duine dáiríre maidir léi dhein sé a dhícheall tacaíocht a thabhairt agus bhíodh sé i gcónaí flaithiúil lena chuid eolais agus a chuid ama.
Thug sé cabhair nach beag domsa ón lá a bhuaileas leis, timpeall deich mbliana ó shin nuair a tháinig sé go dtuaisceart Westchester chuig ciorcal comhrá ina rabhas páirteach ag an am san. Thug sé cuireadh dom teacht ar chuairt go coláiste Í (Iona College) agus ní fada go raibh ciorcal comhrá bunaithe ansin gach Mháirt, i measc a bhailiúcháin leabhar, bailiúchán a shaol, i Leabharlann Ui Riain; eisean, Barra Ó Donnabháin nach maireann, Muiris Ó Bric, Eibhlin Zurell agus mise. Ón am san déarfainn nár imigh coicís gan teagmháil de shaghas éigin a bheith eadrainn, teacht le cheile, nóta sa phost le cóip Foinse, mar shampla, glaoch ar an ngutháin…………ach amháin i dteas an tsamhraidh nuair a chaitheadh sé tréimhse thuas i Westpark, Esopus NY.
Thug sé cabhair dom cead a fháil ón gcoláiste ranganna An Scoil Chois Claí a bhunú in Iona agus do bhí áthas mór air gur éirigh leo. Bhíodh sé ar nós aige teacht ar chuairt orainn anois is arís sa seomra ranga agus a bheith páirteach sa chomhrá, ceist nó dhó a chaith amach nó a fhreagairt. Coicís ó shin san ard rang bhíomar ag plé na cláir teilifíse is fearr linn nuair a bhuail sé isteach orainn agus ghlac sé páirt sa chomhrá. Chuir sé glaoch orm an tseachtain seo chaite agus dúirt sé gur bhain sé an-taitneamh as an tréimhse le na mic léinn, agus go raibh sé go deas a chloisint an méad sin comhrá sa seomra ranga. Luaigh mé leis go rabhamar ag plé máinliacht phlaisteach oíche amháin eile, (teannadh aghaidhe agus a leithéid,) agus dúirt sé, ag gáire agus é ag fágáil slán liom, go mbeadh sé ar ais oíche eile gan dabht, ach is mór an trua nach mbeidh.
Táim an bhuíoch de as a chabhair agus a chairdeas trí na bliana beaga anuas.
Slán abhaile a chara.
Tórramh / Faire: Dé Mháirt 2 – 4 pm agus 7 -9 pm. St. Joseph’s Infirmary, 30 Mongomery Circle, New Rochelle.
Dé Chéadaoin 2 - 9pm Spellman Hall, Iona College, New Rochelle.
Aifreann na Mairbh, 9.30 Déardaoin,
Holy Family Church Mayflower ave. New Rochelle agus ansin go Westpark, NY.
5 comments:
Go hálainn, a Hil.
Tháinig Braithar O'C go ár rang an óiche sin chomh maith. Samhlaigh ar gur iarr sé cead orm teacht isteach! Bhíomar ag déanamh "Jimín" agus léigh Brathair píosa de dúinn. Bhíomar go léir sna trithí agus lán compórdach le chéile.
Is méala mór dúinn a bhás. Ar dheis Dé agus i measc na nGael go raibh a anam uasal.
Seo nóta ó Mhuiris Bric. H.MhicS.
My best friend passed away yesterday, Bro. Charles B. Quinn of Iona College. I’ve known him since I came to America forty years ago.
In that time, he and I never spoke to each other in English except if in the company of those who couldn’t speak Gaeilge. He was an English and Gaelic scholar (Professor of English, former Dean of Students and Vice President of Iona). He was an authority on Joyce and Yeats.
He was a past Grand Marshal of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in recognition of his work promoting the Irish Language, Irish Literature and Culture here in New York. Actually he was born in Boston but his parents moved back to Ennisdiamon (sp) in Clare when he was seven. He received his formal education in Ireland and graduated fro UCD with a degree in English Literature. He taught at the famed Synge Street Christian Brother’s school and in Enniscorthy (sp) in Wexford before being sent to New York. He taught at All Hollows and then Iona College from there.
Every Saturday morning we would go to Tri Eddy’s Deli on Katonah Ave. in the Bronx to pick up the Irish Papers, he the Clare Champion and I The Kerryman and Kerry’s Eye and there was never a moment without an erudite and animated conversation on either historical or current events. At 93, God Bless him, his mind was as nimble and sharp as anyone half his age and his recall was just remarkable. He would recite verses of
Poetry or cite paragraphs of prose that he learned in grade school in Clare. Many of his pupils in Synge Street went on to powerful positions in The Irish Government and he would often comment, “I remember him in school, he was a good student but a bit wild”. His Irish and English grammar was perfect and he was the ultimate teacher. There was never an occasion that I was in his company that I didn’t learn something.
I will miss him terribly.
Fíor Gael é, an Bráthair Cathal Ó’Cuinn. Ar dheis Dé a anam uasal.
(A true Irishman, Brother Charles Quinn. At God’s right his noble soul)
Maurice
Ní raibh ach deis amháin agamsa bualadh leis, ach bhí sé go breá deas. Seo taifead a rinne mé ag an am.
Grmma a Shéamais. Bhí sé go deas éisteacht ar a ghuth arís! Soiléir go raibh ana chuid eolais aige faoi gach aon duine le baint acu sa teanga i Nua Eabhrac le fada fada anuas, níor theip air riamh teacht ar a n-ainmneacha. H.
Piosa a scríobhas faoi tamall o shin:
ar an mblog seo
Post a Comment