Deasún Breatnach – An Appreciation

‘All we Irish speakers seek is equality’

Deasún Breatnach was an extraordinary man.

His wife Luci (Lucila Hellman de Menchaca) was equally special and together they had six talented and gifted children; Diarmuid, Osgur, Caoilte, Oisín, Cormac and Lucilita.

Deasún lived his life to the full and that is reflected in the 11 books he wrote and in his significant and valuable library of hundreds of books, on history and literature, on culture and the Irish language, heritage and folklore that the family presented to Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta, NUI Galway last Saturday evening.

The Acadamh is charged with promoting higher education through the medium of Irish and works in the Irish communications sector, with a particular reference on journalism.

Deasún would have applauded their decision.

Instead of gathering dust in boxes they will now find renewed life on the shelves of Galway University and play their part in influencing and shaping future generations of journalists and writers.

Deasún was many things – a poet, a novelist, a writer, a political activist, a socialist republican, a Gaelgéoir and a journalist.

He was a father and grandfather and musician.

He was also passionate about the co-operative movement and an active member of Conradh na Gaeilge.

His devotion to the Irish language which he learned in the 1950’s, is legendary.

Deasún wrote music and children’s stories; was an editor and linguist who published in Irish, English and Spanish.

At differing times in his life he worked for most of the main newspapers in this state and when he eventually retired he was a sub-editor for the Irish independent.

He used many pen names including Mac Lir, Dara Mac Dara and Rex Mac Gall section 31.

Deasún was a member of Sinn Féin and on two occasions was editor of the Sinn Féin paper An Phoblacht.

On the first occasion he stepped up to the plate in 1973-74 when Éamon Mac Thomáis was imprisoned under the Offences against the State Act.

It was a dangerous and difficult time to be a republican activist and especially a very public activist editing An Phoblacht.

Almost all found themselves arrested, dragged off to an interrogation centre, abused and briefly before the Special Criminal Court, before being sent off to Mountjoy or Portlaoise prison.

Deasún’s son Osgur was a victim of this process and of the infamous heavy gang.

Deasún became editor of An Phoblacht again in 1977 for two years.

In that year the entire editorial staff and the SDLP printer of the Belfast based Republican News were arrested and imprisoned before the charges were dismissed.

Official censorship in the south through Section 31 and unofficial censorship in the north meant that republicans had to work hard to promote and defend our political analysis.

There was no social media. No you tube or twitter or facebook or internet.

Local news bulletins printed in their tens of thousands on gestatner machines and distributed free door to door were widely used.

But the main vehicles of republican publicity were Republican News based in Belfast and An Phoblacht based in Dublin.

Deasún was one among many very brave men and women who wrote, designed, laid out and distributed these papers.

He had a sharp intellect, boundless energy and commitment, and was a prolific writer.

He worked long hours to earn a living and raise his family.

At the same time he gave freely of his time and experience and writing skills to produce An Phoblacht.

In his time Deasún wrote for the Irish Press, the Irish Times and the Irish Independent.

In the 40s he was asked to sub edit the Commentary.

Among those he interviewed for the magazine were Seán Ó Faoláin and Jack B. Yeats.

Ó Faoláin also founded The Bell which Deasún also wrote for.

An tUltach, Comhar agus Feasta first published his stories in Irish. 

He also wrote for the Farmers Journal, An Timire, and for ScealÉireann, Inniu and Lá.

He wrote letters regularly to the newspapers.

Most frequently these touched on issues affecting the Irish language.

For example, in November 2004 the Irish Times carried a letter from him criticising the failure to provide speech therapy in Irish for children in county Kerry. He wrote: ‘Here is yet another example of inequality where Irish speakers are concerned and where institutions of the Irish state are clearly to blame.’

Equality was a favourite theme of his.

That same year in a letter slamming some politicians for criticising the provisions of the Official Languages Act as a ‘monumental waste of money’ Deasún in a short paragraph wrote a manifesto for action on the Irish language and on equality for this generation of activists.

He wrote: “Let us please be clear on this: All we Irish speakers seek is equality, opportunity for equality, official standing for equality, active, obvious and growing country-wide equality, in print, on radio, on tv, on public spending, in the Oireachtas, at local authority level, during elections, in church and in public wherever people gather for business or pleasure… All human beings are entitled under human rights, to a respect for their own dignity and, likewise, for their languages, including Irish.’

Deasún’s love for the language and his socialist and republican ideals shine through in those words. His actions in support of these ideals are also legendary.

In 1966 when the Irish government was off celebrating the 50^th anniversary of the Easter Rising Deasún was one of an Irish language activist group – Misneach – who challenged the record of the state at what they described as its ‘non achievement of the aims of the signatories of the Proclamation.’

They went on hunger strike for a week and picketed the GPO to highlight their campaign.

Micheál MacAonghusa, who was also a member of Misneach said he did not believe that ‘those who died in that Easter week died to have their names celebrated but rather their aims achieved.’

He and Luci were among those who founded the first Gaelscoil in Dublin, Scoil Lorcáin, in Monkstown.

Deasún died at the age of 85 on October 3^rd 2007.

Tragically for the family it was also the day they were burying their mother.

Luci Bhreatnach was a political activist in her own right working in Amnesty International, the Irish anti-Apartheid Movement and the Irish Council for Civil Liberties.

Together they were a formidable couple.

I want to thank Diarmuid, Osgur, Caoilte, Oisín, Cormac and Lucilita for making this important donation of books to Galway University.

Deasún agus Luci 

Deasún Breatnach – Léirthuiscint

Duine faoi leith a bhíi nDeasún Breatnach.

Bhí a bheanchéile Lucy (Lucile Hellman de Menchaca) mar a gcéanna agus rugadh seisear clainne dóibh a raibh buanna agus tallann faoi leith acu; Diarmuid, Osgur, Caoilte, Oisín, Cormac agus Lucilita.

Chaith Deasún saol iomlán agus tá sé sin léirithe sa 12 leabhar a scríobh sé agus sa leabharlann shuntasach agus luachmhar a bhí aige, ina raibh na céadta leabhar staire agus litríochta, cultúir agus teanga, leabhair atá an teaghlach á mbronnadh ar Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta, Ollscoil na hÉireann, Gaillimh.

Tá sé de dhualgas ar an Acadamh ardoideachas a chur chun cinn trí mheán na Gaeilge agus trí shaothair in earnáil na cumarsáide Gaeilge, agus le béim faoi leith ar an iriseoireacht.

Bheadh Deasún sásta lena gcinneadh.

In áit ligean dóibh dusta a charnadh i mboscaí cuirfear beocht úr iontu ar sheilfeanna Ollscoil na Gaillimhe agus beidh tionchar acu ar ghlúnta iriseoirí agus scríbhneoirí atá le teacht.

Duine ilghnéitheach a bhí i nDeasún – file, úrscéalaí, scríbhneoir, gníomhaí polaitiúil, sóisialaí, poblachtanach, Gaeilgeoir agus iriseoir.

Athair, dadó agus ceoltóir ab ea é.

Bhí sé paiseanta faoin Ghaeilge.  Chum sé ceol agus scéalta do pháistí; bhí sé ina eagarthóir agus ina theangeolaí a d’fhoilsigh ábhar as Gaeilge, Béarla agus Spáinnis.

I rith tréimhsí áirithe ina shaol d’oibrigh sé do bhunús na bpríomhnuachtán sa stát seo agus nuair a chuaigh sé ar scoir sa deireadh bhí sé mar fho-eagarthóir ar an Irish Independent.

Is iomaí ainm cleite a d’úsáid sé, Mac Lir, Dara Mac Dara agus Rex Mac Gall ina measc.

Bhí Deasún fosta dhá uair mar eagarthóir ar nuachtán Shinn Féin, An Phoblacht.

Ghlac sé leis an chúram seo den chéad uair sa bhliain 1973 nuair a cuireadh Éamon Mac Thomáis i bpríosún de réir An Achta um Chiontaí in aghaidh an Stáit,

Am contúirteach agus deacair a bhí ann le bheith i do ghníomhaí poblachtanach agus go háirithemar ghníomhaí an-phoiblí ina eagarthóir ar An Phoblacht.

Gabhabh beagnach gach duine, glacadh chuig ionad ceistiúcháin iad, tugadh drochíde daoibh agus i ndiaidh seal gairidin roimh An Chúirt Choiriúil Speisialta, cuireadh go Príosún Mhuinseo nó Phort Laoise iad.

D’fhulaing mac Dheasúin, Osgur, faoin phroiséas seo agus faoin lámh láidir.

Bhí Deasún ina eagarthóir arís ar An Phoblacht sa bhliain 1977 ar feadh dhá bhliain.

Sa bhliain sin gabhadh foireann iomlán eagarthóireachta agus clódóir de chuid an SDLP ón nuachtán lonnaithe i mBéal Feirste, Republican News.

Cuireadh i bpríosún iad sular caitheadh na cúisimh amach.

Níorbh ann do na meáin sóisialta.

Níorbh ann do You Tube, Twitter ná Facebook.

Baineadh úsáid go forleathan as feasacháin nuachta a ndearnadh na mílte cóip dóibh agus a scaipeadh saor in aisce ó dhoras go doras.

Ba iad an Republican News, a bhí lonnaithe i mBéal Feirste, agus An Phoblacht, a bhí lonnaithe i mBaile Átha Cliath, an dá phríomhbhealach poiblíochta a bhí ag Poblachtanaigh.

Bhí Deasún i measc na ndaoine cróga sin a scríobh, a dhear, a leag amach agus a dháil na nuachtáin seo.

Bhí intleacht ghéar aige, fuinneamh agus tiomantas ollmhór, agus scríbhneoir torthúil a bhí ann.

D’oibir sé uaireanta fada chun beatha a thabhairt i dtír agus chun a chlann a thógáil.

Ag an am céanna, thug sé a chuid ama agus taithí go saor chomh maith lena scileanna scríbhneoireachta chun An Phoblacht a chur amach.

Ar feadh tamaill, scríobh Deasún don Irish Press agus don Irish Independent.

Chomh maith leis sin, scríobh sé don Farmers Journal, An Timire, na hirisí Bell agus Comhar agus Feasta agus do Scéál Éireann, Inniu agus Lá.

Scríobh sé litreacha go minic do na nuachtáin sin.

Ba mhinic é ag scríobh faoi na ceisteanna a raibh tionchar acu ar an teanga.

Mar shampla, i Samhain 2004, d’fhoilsigh The Irish Times litir uaidh inar cháin sé an dóigh nár cuireadh teiripe cainte ar fáil do pháistí i gCo. Chiarraí. Scríobh sé:

‘Seo sampla eile d’éagothroime maidir le Gaeilgeoirí agus an locht go soiléir ar institiúidí na hÉireann.’

Chuir sé an-bhéim ar an éagthroime riamh.

An bhliain chéanna cháin sé go mór roinnt polaiteoirí a dúirt go raibh Acht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla ina ‘chur amú ollmhór airgid’.

In alt gairid, scríobh Deasún forógra gníomhaíochta don Ghaeilge agus don chothromas.

Scríobh sé: “Bímis soiléir air seo: Níl uainn mar Ghaeilgeoirí ach Cothrom na Féinne, agus deiseanna chuige sin, seasamh oifigiúil don chothromas, cothromas ar fad na tíre, i gcúrsaí clódóireachta, ar an raidió, ar an Teilifís, maidir le caiteachas poiblí, san Oireachtas, ar leibhéal údaráis áitiúil, le linn na dtoghchán, san eaglais agus go poiblí in áit ar bith a dtagann daoine le chéile le haghaidh gnó nó le haghaidh pléisiúir….Tá gach duine i dteideal, de réir cearta daonna, meas a fheiceáil ar an dínit s’acu féin, agus, ar an teanga s’acu féin, an Ghaeilge san áireamh.’

Ba léir ó na focail sin an grá a bhí ag Deasún don teanga, chomh maith leis na hidéil shóisialacha agus phoblachtanacha.

Tá na rudaí a rinne sé chun tacaíocht a léiriú do na hidéil seo i mbéal an bhig is an mhóir.

I 1966 nuair a bhí Rialtas na hÉireann ar shiúl ag ceiliúradh Chomóradh 50 Bliain Éirí Amach na Cásca, bhí Deasún ar dhuine den ghrúpa gníomhaíochta Gaeilge – Misneach- a thug dúshlán an Stáit maidir leis an dóigh ‘nár éirigh leis an stát aidhmeanna sínitheoirí an Fhorógra a bhaint amach.’

Chuaigh siad ar stailc ocrais ar feadh seachtaine agus d’eagraigh siad picéad taobh amuigh d’Ard-Oifig an Phoist chun an feachtas a léiriú.

Dúirt Micheál Mac Aonghusa, a bhí ina bhall de Misneach, nár chreid sé ‘ go raibh na daoine sin a fuair bás le linn Sheachtain na Cásca ag iarraidh go mbeadh ainmneacha s’acu in airde in áit a gcuid aidhmeanna a bheith bainte amach.’

Fuair Deasún bás agus é 85 bliana d’aois ar an 3ú Dheireadh Fómhair 2007.

Go tragóideach don chlann, tharla sé ar an lá chéanna nuair a bhí a máthair á cur acu.

Ba ghníomhaí polaitiúil í Lucy Bhreatnach ar a bealach féin agus d’oibrigh sí le Amnesty International, le Gluaiseacht Frith-Apartheid na hÉireann agus leis an Chomhairle um Chearta an Duine

Dís faoi leith a bhí sa bheirt acu le chéile.

Ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a ghábháil le Diarmuid, Osgur, Caoilte, Oisín, Cormac agus Lucilita as an bhronntanas leabhar tábhachtach d’Ollscoil na Gaillimhe.