Bódléar - Darach Ó Scolaí

I mbaile beag ar an gcósta thiar, gach samhradh, cumann an máistir scoile dán ar son mhuintir an bhaile agus tugann leis ó dheas chuig Cúirt Mhór na bhFilí i gCúige Mumhan é. Tar éis na cúirte, tugann sé dánta is amhráin nua na bhfilí Muimhneacha abhaile leis. Bíonn muintir an bhaile ag súil go mór leis na hamhráin nua, agus reachtálann siad oíche mhór le fáilte abhaile a chur roimhe.

I mbliana, tá Bódléar tagtha aneas agus cantal air. As seo seo amach, cumfaidh sé “filíocht nua,” a deir sé, “filíocht níos fírinní!” Ach nuair a chloiseann muintir an bhaile na dánta nua  “gan cheol gan rithim”, tagann uafás agus alltacht orthu. An sagart féin, fógraíonn sé na ‘filí mallaithe’ ón altóir.

Úrscéal é seo a phléann leis an athrú a bhí ag teacht ar shaol agus ar chultúr na tuaithe ar fud na hEorpa san 19ú haois. Ceiliúradh freisin é ar dhomhan na bhfilí Muimhneacha agus ar an ngaol speisialta a bhí againn leis an bhFrainc.

In a village on the west coast of Ireland, every summer, the local poet is sent south to Munster to represent his village at the great gathering of poets. And each year, he composes a new poem for the occasion and, more importantly, he brings home new poems and songs. The people of the village love the songs he brings back to them, and organize a big night every year to welcome him home.

But this year, the poet has returned in a foul humour. From now on, he will compose “new poetry, truer poetry!” he says. But when his new “rhymeless and toneless” poems are heard, the locals are horrified….

Bódléar is a novel with a light comic touch, a romance that deals with the changes in life and the ways in which people deal with them.