Partisan • Patriotic • Internationalist
Fortune Teller Out of sheer desperationI went to the fortune tellerand begged her to tell me when the war would end.Her lips curled.What did that mean?I felt my own lips beginning to curl as well, unwittingly.She looked me straight in the eye.Maybe she doesn’t know, I said to myself.Can she […]
Ar dtús, caithfidh mé mo leithscéal a ghabháil as labhairt anseo i dteanga ár namhad. Nach greannmhar go bhfuil muid ag plé an ábhair seo i dteanga a níonn scrios ar ár gcultúr agus ar mheon na saoirse sa tír seo agus ar fud an domhain, lá i ndiaidh lae. […]
Over the years, the Socialist Voice has had some great articles advocating for the Irish language, seen from an anti-capitalist lens which are definitely worth re-reading. I didn’t go to school in Ireland so I don’t have any experience with learning Irish in that setting, but I did grow up […]
There’s a saying on the Isle of Man, “Cha jean oo cosney ping lesh y Ghailick”, which roughly translates as “You won’t make a penny with Manx”. This perfectly illustrates how every minority language struggles to financially justify its existence. It’s hard enough to make a living as a writer […]
Má fhaighimse bás, ní mór duitse fanacht beo chun mo scéalsa a insint mo chuid giuirléidí a dhíol ruainne éadaigh a cheannach agus cúpla téad, (bíodh sé bán ags ruball fada air) chun go mbeadh radharc ag páiste, áit éigin i nGaza agus é ag stánadh ar neamh ag feitheamh […]
“Gan Teideal” (Untitled) is an Irish-language transcreation of a poem by Marius Mason, who describes himself as a transgender anarchist, environmentalist, and animal-rights prisoner. His activities were reported to the authorities by his husband, and he was sentenced to twenty-two years’ imprisonment. Marius—a father of two—who has worked as a […]
Tribute was paid to the life and work of the late comrade and writer Tomás Mac Síomóin at a commemorative event organised by Aontas na Scríbhneoirí in conjunction with the festival IMRAM in the Writers’ Centre, Dublin, last month. The evening was themed “File agus Fear Conspóide / Poet […]
Two bilingual tanka, in Irish and English, “Hail the Deserters” and “Weeping in their Graves,” 31-syllable poems (5-7-5-7-7), in response to work by two Irish artists, William Orpen and Seán Keating. When the First World War broke out, Orpen’s assistant, Seán Keating, returned to Ireland, avoiding conscription, but Orpen stayed […]
The short life of Sidney Keyes (1922–1943) is in itself a striking metaphor for the cruelty and futility of war. He was killed in action before his twenty-first birthday in Tunisia. His book The Cruel Solstice (1944) can be read on Faded Page (tinyurl.com/4282dd4u). Keyes was an unusual poet, […]
“Is it hard to see death when it is disguised and tricked out in the surface trappings of life?” John Healy, Death of an Irish Town. If most Irish people think of the country’s Irish-speaking regions in Cos. Donegal, Galway and Kerry at all, they largely think of them in […]
Being There (a found poem from The Grapes of Wrath by Steinbeck) We’ll be ever’where —Wherever they’s a fightso hungry people can eat,we’ll be there. Wherever they’s a copbeatin’ up a guy,we’ll be there. We’ll be in the way kids laughwhen they’re hungryan’ they know supper’s ready.An’ when our folks […]
Marxist writer, thinker, activist The death of Tomás Mac Síomóin has caused much sadness to comrades and his large circle of friends as well as his family members, but his full, worthy life is a cause for celebration. He bequeathed to coming generations a legacy of powerful writing and thought. […]
Sean-fhéile thraidisiúnta ar feadh na gcianta ba ea Lá Bealtaine, an chéad lá den samhradh. D’eagraítí deasghnátha éagsúla ar fud thuaisceart na hEorpa le fáilte a chur roimh an ngrian agus roimh theacht na soininne. In Éirinn, lastaí tinte cnámh, mar aithris ar an ngrian (“tine gheal” ba bhrí le […]
An bhliain seo caite méadaíodh 74 faoin gcéad ar bhrabús an chomhlachta phríobháidigh otharcharr is mó sa tír, Lifeline Ambulance Service. Is le David Hall, a bhain cáil amach cheana mar fheachtasóir morgáiste, an comhlacht.