Oilithreach Pinn - Liam Ó Muirthile

Shiúil Liam Ó Muirthile an Camino Francés as a chéile ó Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port go Santiago de Compostela i bhfómhar na bliana 2015. Leis féin a bhí sé agus a phaca ar a dhroim, ag fanacht sna tithe aíochta oilithreachta ar a thuras 770 km.

Breacann sé an tírdhreach dúinn agus tráchtann sé ar na daoine a casadh air. Oilithreacht pinn agus fionnachtain phearsanta í seo ina roinneann sé linn a chuid smaointe féin ar an dtír a bhfuil dlúthcheangal sinseartha ag Éirinn léi agus a ndúirt an mórfhile Spáinneach Juan Ramón Jiménez ina taobh:

‘‘Trí chéile, is tír í an Spáinn atá fréamhaithe go domhain sa réadúlacht, tír bhréag-reiligiúnda í, tír Chaitliceach seachas Chríostaí, eaglasta seachas spioradálta, tír phréamhacha agus chos seachas sciatháin … ar an gcúis sin is dánta misteacha iad na liricí Spáinneacha is fearr: tugann siad faoin spéir, faoin eitilt.’’

Coimeádann an t-údar a dhá chos ar an dtalamh, ach ó am go ham eitlíonn sé ar an gcuma Spáinneach. Caitheann grianghraif Moira Sweeney loinnir ealaíonta ar chonair na n-oilithreach.

Liam Ó Muirthile walked the Camino Française, a total of 770 km, across the Pyrenees from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Santiago de Compostela in autumn 2015. He journeyed alone, carried a backpack and stayed in the pilgrim hostels along the route.

He shares with us his thoughts on the landscape and the people whom he met on his pen pilgrimage and personal journey. He recalls the work of other poets and the long-established links between Ireland and Spain. As the Spanish poet Juan Ramón Jiménez said: ‘Spain is deeply rooted in reality, a country of Catholicism rather than Christianity, of churches before spirituality, of roots and feet before wings … and for that reason the best Spanish lyrics are mystical: reaching for the sky, for flight.’

The author keeps his feet firmly on the ground, quite literally, but here and there he takes flight, Spanish-style.

Moira Sweeney’s inspired photographs illuminate the pilgrim path.