Ar an Trá Fholamh / High and Dry
Ar an Trá Fholamh
Ainneoin an mhíshuaimhnis a chuir gnéithe áirithe de shaol na cathrach air, bhí baint mhór ag Máirtín le saol liteartha Bhaile Átha Cliath. Bhí sé an-ghníomhach sa chiorcal filíochta, Éigse Átha Cliath, agus bhí sé ina Uachtarán ar Chumann na Scríbhneoirí go dtí na 1970idí.
“Caithimse sealta in éad Leis an dream a d’fhás I dtaithí áilleacht chathartha.”
Nuair a bhí caitheamh agus cáineadh ag léirmheastóirí na Gaeilge ar Eireaball Spideoige (1952), an chéad chnuasach filíochta leis an mórfhile Seán Ó Ríordáin, sheas Ó Direáin leis agus dúirt, “[Níor] bhraitheas féin tada cearr leis... ach nach raibh tús agam air.”
Ghlac Ó Direáin páirt i lear mór drámaí in amharclann An Damer agus rinne sé iarracht amharclann lánGhaeilge a bhunú in éineacht le Mairéad Ní Ghráda i 1954. D’aistrigh sé dráma le Teresa Deevy, Iníon Rí na Spáinne (1935), a craoladh mar dhráma raidió i 1952. Sa bhliain 1967, ghlac sé an phríomhpháirt i ndráma a scríobh sé féin, Éisc Aduain, a bhí bunaithe ar shaothar an fhile Rúisigh Alexander Blok.
Foilsíodh an t-aon leabhar próis leis, Feamainn Bhealtaine, i 1961. Cnuasach atá ann d’aistí a foilsíodh ar dtús ina cholún in Scéala Éireann agus cuntas grinn ann ar shaol a óige.
Le himeacht na mblianta, tháinig Ó Direáin ar an tuiscint go raibh oileán a chuid filíochta go huile is go hiomlán as alt le saol nithiúil an oileáin. Mar sin féin, d’fhan sé dílis don idéal agus é den tuairim gur fearr an aisling ná an fhírinne.
“Ní don óige feasta an sceirdoileán cúng úd.”
“Is scáil é an radharc sin amuigh, ar ndóigh. Is scáil é a cheileann an fhírinne, sé sin an long féin, an fhoireann atá inti, an tranglam go léir, tonnta, suaitheadh na mara agus tinneas farraige. Ach is fearr rogha a dhéanamh den scáil ar an substaint uaireanta.”
The Irish Press, 29 Lúnasa 1961.
High and Dry
Despite his unease with certain elements of city life, Máirtín was very much involved in the literary community of Dublin. He was active in the poetry circle Éigse Átha Cliath, and was President of Cumann na Scríbhneoirí [The Writers’ Association] until the 1970s.
“I spend times in envy Of the tribe who learnt To live with the city’s beauty.”
When Seán Ó Ríordáin, one of the most important poets of the twentieth century, was severely criticised for the innovation of his first work Eireaball Spideoige [A Robin’s Tail] (1952), Ó Direáin came to his defence, insisting that the only fault he found with it was that he had not beaten him to it.
Ó Direáin acted in a number of plays in An Damer theatre and was active in promoting an Irish speaking theatre along with Mairéad Ní Ghráda in 1954. He translated Teresa Deevy’s 1935 play, The King of Spain’s Daughter which was broadcast as a radio play in 1952. In 1967, he played the lead role in his own play, Éisc Aduain, which was based on the work of Russian lyrical poet Alexander Blok.
Ó Direáin’s only prose collection, Feamainn Bhealtaine [May Seaweed], was published in 1961. This collection contains essays originally published in his column in The Irish Press and offer a comprehensive account of his youth.
With the passing of time, Ó Direáin came to believe that the island of his poetry was at odds with the realities of island life. He remained committed to his ideal, deciding that the dream is superior to the reality.
“Not for the young any more that narrow windswept island."
“That sight is a phantom of course. It is a phantom that hides the truth, that is to say, the boat itself, its crew, the hustle and bustle, the waves, the turmoil of the sea and the seasickness. But sometimes it’s better to choose the phantom over the substance.”
The Irish Press, 29 August 1961.