John Wilson T.D. Laoch na nGael ar lár – Trócaire Dé ar a anam dílis

(ENGLISH TRANSLATION FOLLOWS)

Tá léitheoirí rialta den bhlag seo go hiomlán ar eolas go mbím i dtólamh iontach láidir in éadan an tseicteachais laistigh den eite chlé. Sé sin a rá nach bhfuil am agam fá choinne baill (cur i gcás) Sinn Féin, Lucht Oibre, Fianna Fáil no an Chomhaontas Glas, nach bhfuil sásta chomhoibriú le daoine taobh amuigh a bpáirtí fhéin ar “scáth-ábhair” faoi leith cosúil leis an teanga, Éire aontaithe, na cearta daonna srl. Anois, tá fhios agam go mbeidh iontas ag cuid mhaith daoine nuair a chuirim Fianna Fáil san áireamh mar roinnt den eite chlé ach sin mar atá. Ní gar ach amharc ar saol John Wilson T.D., a fuair bás ar an naoú lá den mhí seo, chun fáil amach go raibh, go bhfuil agus go mbeidh arist, go leor Gaeil den scoth laistigh de Fhianna Fáil.

Mhothaigh mise ainm John Wilson den chead uair nuair a bhí mé ag obair sa BBC i mBéal Feirste. Tús na nóchaidí a bhí ann agus feachtas “míleata” na ndílseoirí ag dul chun cinn (buíochas ar chuidiú ó na fórsaí rúnda Sasanacha) agus iad ag mharú níos mó daoine ná an IRA. Is cuimhin liom an ardú eaglaí imeasc Caitlicigh/Náisiúnaithe ó thuaidh cionn is gur mhothaigh muid nach raibh dream ar bith, taobh amuigh an IRA, ag troid ar son taobh s'againne. Ansin, go tobann, thosaigh iriseoirí airithe sa BBC agus foinsí eile ag gearrán agus clamhsán fán fear seo a raibh ina cheannaire na toscaireachta Éireannach sna cainteanna Angla-Éireannacha. Bhí an “attitude” contráilte aige, dar leo, agus bhí sé i bhfad níos righne agus eolaí ná “ba choir dó” bheith. Leoga agus le m'anam, ag an gcéad cruinniú sheas sé suas ar son na Caitlicigh ó thuaidh agus thug se léacht staire do na Sasanaigh/Aontachtaí a bhí i láthair! Dúirt iriseoir “buí” amháin liom ag an am gur bhain an fear seo geit as na hionadaithe dílseora lena chuid scileanna intleachta! An Tánaiste John Wilson a bhí ann; iar pheileadóir den chéad scoth as an Chabhán ó dúchas agus teangeolaí fosta a raibh ábalta tagairt a dhéanamh ar sean scéalta agus Déithe na Gréige. Bhí ainm John Wilson i mbéal an phobail náisiúnach ó thuaidh laistigh de tréimhse ghairid mar ghaisce agus ceannaire, ní amháin imeasc polaiteoirí ó theas ach imeasc an phobail ar fad. Sa deireadh, dúirt muid linn féin, tá polaiteoir ó theas a bhfuil sásta teacht go Béal Feirste agus a aghaidh a thabhairt ar na dílseoirí/faisistí. Domsa, cibé, bhraith mé nach raibh mé chomh uaigneach mar Caitliceach agus Náisiúnach i ndiaidh ceapadh John Wilson mar cheannaire toscaireachta an rialtais ag tús na nóchaidí.
Is é an darna rud (taobh amuigh cúrsaí peile ar ndóigh) a bheireann clú agus caill ar ainm John Wilson i measc na nGael ná an sáriarracht a rinne sé sa seachtóidí ar son na gaelscoileanna sna ceithre coirnéal den tír. Eisean an tAire Stáit a thuig an tábhacht a bhaineann le oideachas fríd mean na Gaeilge imeasc daoine óga agus eisean a thug na hacmhainní agus múinteoirí breise chun bunchloch na gaelscolaíochta a chur a fhód socair, inbhuanaithe.
Silim féin go dhéanann saol John Wilson soiléir (d’ainneoin an gaimbíneachas go mbíonn ag dul ar aghaidh i bhFianna Fáil agus sna páirtithe clé eile ar ndóigh) go bhfuil Gaeil diongbháilte, radacacha agus fadradharcach i ngach pháirtí ar an eite chlé agus go dtig linn i bhfad níos mo a dhéanamh ar bhunús treaspháirtí – amharc ar fheachtais ar nós Shell Chun Sáile/Tara agus agóidí ar son na Gaeilge. Tá buntáiste mór eile leis an gcineál cur chuige seo, nó go dhéanann sé rudaí níos fusa do Ghaeil cosúil liomsa, nach bhfuil ag iarradh bheith i bpáirtí ar bith, a bheith páirteach.
A chairde agus chomhghleacaithe Gael! Mar tá ceacht amháin ón tsaol saibhir agus torthúil John Wilson, sé sin go bhfuil muid níos láidre faoi sheacht nuair atá muid bailithe le chéile mar phobal. Faoi scáth a cheile maireann na daoine agus más mó a bhfuil an “scáth”, más mó an seans go mbeidh an bua againn. Tá daoine maithe i ngach cearn d’Éirinn, gan trácht ar an “bhuíon dár slua” thar lear. Cuimhnígí John Wilson, glóir agus onóir ar a anam, agus coinnígí súil ar na príomhchuspóirí a bhfuil romhainn.

(TRANSLATION TO ENGLISH OF ABOVE ARTICLE)

John Wilson T.D. A true Irish hero dies – May God rest his soul

Regular readers of this blog are well aware of my strong views regarding sectarianism within left wing parties. In other words, I have no time for those members of (for example) Sinn Féin, the Labour Party, Fianna Fáil or the Greens who are not happy to work with others outside of their own party when it comes to broad front issues such as the language (i.e. Gaeilge), a United Ireland, human rights etc. Now, I know that my inclusion of Fianna Fáil amongst my list of left wing parties will cause surprise amongst some people but that is the truth of the matter. One only has to look at the life of John Wilson T.D., who died on the ninth of this month, to see that there was, is, and will be again, many true Gaels within the ranks of Fianna Fáil.
I first heard John Wilson’s name whilst working for the BBC in Belfast. This was at the beginning of the nineties and the loyalist "military" campaign was gaining pace (thanks to the support received from the English secret services) leaving a situation where more people were being killed by loyalists than by the IRA. I remember the rising fear amongst Catholics and Nationalists in the North due to the feeling that nobody, apart from the IRA, was fighting for our side. Then, all of a sudden, certain journalists in the BBC, and in other quarters, could be heard grumbling and complaining about this man who was the leader of the Irish delegation in the Anglo-Irish talks. He had the wrong “attitude”, they said, and he was far more stubborn and knowledgeable then he “ought” to have been. Well, d'yez mind, but at the first meeting, he stood up for Northern Catholics and gave a history lesson to the assembled English and Unionist delegates! At that time, one journalist of the loyalist persuasion informed me that this man had shocked unionist delegates with his intellectual capacity! This was none other than Tánaiste John Wilson, a former Gaelic footballer of some renown; from Cavan by birth and a first rate linguist who was able to quote the old stories and Gods of ancient Greece. John Wilson’s name was very quickly on the lips of the nationalist people in the North as a hero and leader, not just representing southern politicians but all the people of the country. At last, we said to ourselves, there is a politician from the south who has no problem coming to Belfast and putting it up to the loyalists and fascists. After the appointment of John Wilson as the leader of the government’s delegation at the beginning of the nineties, I for one, as a Catholic and Nationalist, felt that I was no longer as lonely as before,
The second thing (apart from Gaelic football of course) for which John Wilson's name carries great fame is his immense contribution in the seventies towards the creation of gaelscoileanna (Irish language schools) in all parts of the country. He it was as minister of state who understood the importance of education through Irish for our young people, and he it was who ensured resources and extra teachers were made available so as to set education through Irish on a firm and long-lasting footing.
I believe that John Wilson’s life makes it very clear (despite the gombeenism that exists within Fianna Fáil, and other parties of course) that there are far sighted, committed and determined Gaels in every party on the left, and that we can achieve far more on a cross party basis – look at the campaigns like Shell to Sea/Tara and actions to promote the use of Irish. There is another big advantage with this kind of approach, as it makes things easier for Gaels like me, who do not wish to be in any party, to be able to join in.
Friends and fellow Gaels! If there is one overriding lesson to be learned from the rich and fruitful life enjoyed by John Wilson, it is that we are ten times more powerful when we work together as a people. “Faoi scáth a cheile maireann na daoine” – depending on each other for survival is the old Irish way and the greater that interdependence (the solidarity) the greater the chance that we will win through. There are good people in every nook and cranny in Ireland, not forgetting our people across the seas. Remember John Wilson, glory and honour to his soul, and keep your eyes on the main goals that face us.

Paul Larkin

Baile Átha Cliath
24/07/2007

 

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