Faoi Dheireadh Thiar Faoi Dheireadh Thiar – gníomh a do (tuilleadh)
At Long Last (continued)

• 
  MEAIG: Tá mé ag iarraidh a dhul in éineacht le Coilmin.
  MÁIRÍN: Seo i do leaba anois, a Mheaig, nó go socróidh tú sios, is ná cloisim focal eile as ceachtar agaibh.
  MEAIG: Ara muise, a bhundúin, ní thabharfaidh tú mo dhúshlánsa. Ach fan go dtiocfaidh Darach ar ais. Bainfidh sé sin fuil as na polláirí agat. (Cuireann sí an phluid ar a ceann.)
  MÁIRÍN: By dad, ach meas tú cén sórt folach bhíog í seo?
  JACKIE: (Ag cur a dhá lámh timpeall ar Mháirín): O,a Mháirín. (deep emotion)
  MÁIRÍN: Ná bí ag caoineadh, a Jackie
  JACKIE: D’inis mé an fhirinne dhó.
  MÁIRÍN: Oh Lord, is céard a tharla?
  

  MEAIG: I want to go with together with Coilmin.
  MÁIRÍN: This is your bed now, Meag, until you settle down, and I won’t hear another word from either of you.
  MEAIG: Ah indeed, you ass, you won’t challenge me. But wait until Darach comes back. He will get blood out of your nostrils. (She puts the blanket on her head.)
  MÁIRÍN: My dad, but what kind of hid-and-seek do you think this is?
  JACKIE: (Putting her arms around Máirín): Oh, Máirín
  MÁIRÍN: Don’t cry, Jackie.
  JACKIE: I told him the truth.
  MÁIRÍN: Oh Lord, what happened?

  ceachtar	Either, one or other of two; (with neg.) neither
  bundún	Fundament; bottom.	m
  dúshlán	Challenge, defiance	m
  polláire	Nostril; Button-hole	m
  pluid	blanket	f
  folach	Hiding, covering, concealment	m
  folach bíog	hide-and-seek

• 
  JACKIE: D’imigh an chaint uaidh. D’imigh an chaint on mbeirt againn is dóigh. Muid ina suí ansin is gan muid in ann breathnú ar a chéile. Bhi mé in ann mo chroí a chloisteáil ag bualadh, an teannas ag pléascadh i mo chluasa. Ní raibh ann ach cupla nóiméad is dóigh ach b’fhaide liom é ná an tsioraíocht. “Tabhair seans eile dhom,” a scread mé. “Tabhair seans amhain eile dhom. Rinne mé dearmad, a Tommy. Ach geallaim dhuit nach dtarlóidh sé go brách aríst.” Níor bhreathnaigh sé direach orm ach chonaic mé na deora ag silt anuas ar a leiceann. Bhí a fhios agam ansin nach raibh sé ag dul ag labhairt liom go deo aríst. Dúirt mé leis go raibh aiféala orm is d’fhág mé slán aige is d’imigh mé amach as an gcarr ag caoineadh . . . ach lean sé dhom.
  MÁIRÍN: Oh Jackie!
  [d.l. 83]
  

  JACKIE: The speech left from him. Probably the speech left both of us. We sat there, unable to look at each other. I could hear my heart beating, the tension exploding in my ears. It was probably only a few minutes, but it seemed to me longer than eternity. “Give me another chance,” I screamed. “Give me one more chance. I forgot, Tommy. But I promise you it will never happen again.” He didn’t look directly at me but I saw the tears streaming down his cheek. I knew then that he was never going to speak to me again. I told him I was sorry and said goodbye to him and got out of the car crying. . . but he followed me.
  MÁIRÍN: Oh Jackie!

  teannas	Tightness, tautness; strain, tension	m
  silt	dripping, dropping, trickling
  aiféala	Regret, remorse	m

• 
  JACKIE: Rug sé greim chomh crua orm is gur chuir sé faitios orm. “Scaoil liom,” a scread mé. Ach ní scaoilfeadh. Bhí greim an fhir bháite aige orm, is gan focal as nó gur chaoin sé an deoir deiridh a bhí ina cheann. “Scaoil liom, please,” a duirt mé faoi dheireadh, is an bheirt againn ag creathadh leis an bhfuacht. “Ní scaoilfidh,” a duirt sé. “Seo é an bronntanas Nollag a bhí agam dhuit.” (Taispeánann sí fáinne geallta do Mháirín.)
  MÁIRÍN: Oh, Lord! Jackie!
  JACKIE: “Ach ní féidir liom glacadh leis,” a duirt mé. “Is féidir,” a duirt sé, “ní bheidh mé i ngrá go deo le aon duine ach leatsa.”
  MÁIRÍN: O, Jackie, tá sé seo iontach.

  JACKIE: He grabbed me so hard that it scared me. “Let me go,” I screamed. But he wouldn’t let go. He had the grip of a drowning man on me, and without a word he cried the last tear he had in his head. “Let me go, please,” I said finally. We were both shivering with the cold. “I won’t let go,” he said. “This is my Christmas present for you.” (She shows Máirín an engagement ring.)
  MÁIRÍN: Oh, Lord! Jackie!
  JACKIE: “But I can’t accept it,” I said. “It’s possible,” he said, “I will never be in love with anyone but you.”
  MÁIRÍN: Oh, Jackie, this is wonderful.

• 
  JACKIE: Thairg mé dhó ginmhilleadh a fháil is tosaí as an nua. Shíl mé go raibh sé ag aontú liom ar dtus. Ach ansin dúirt sé nach ndéanfadh. Go nglacfadh sé liom mar atá mé.
  MÁIRÍN: Bíodh do chomhairleachan agat anois, a Jackie.
  JACKIE: (ag léimneach le háthas): Ní raibh mé chomh sona ariamh i mo shaol, a Mhairin. Níl an teach nua leathchriochnaithe ach tá muid ag moveáil isteach le chéile théis na Nollag.
  MÁIRÍN: Oh Lord, meas tú ar cheart dhuit siocháin a dhéanamh le do mhuintir sul má thosaionn sibh ag cónaí le chéile?
  JACKIE: No. Tuilleadh achrainn a tharraingeos sé sin. Seo é atá muide a iarraidh: a bheith in éineacht is a bheith i ngra go deo na ndeor.
  [d.l. 84]

  JACKIE: I offered him to get an abortion and start over. I think he was agreeing with me at first. But then he said he wouldn’t. That he would accept me as I am.
  MÁIRÍN: You have had your advice now, Jackie.
  JACKIE: (jumping with joy) I have never been so happy in my life, Máirín. The new house is not even half finished but we are moving in together after Christmas.
  MÁIRÍN: Oh Lord, do you think you should make peace with your family before you start living together?
  JACKIE: No. That would only cause more strife. This is what we want: to be together and to be in love forever to the end of time.

  tairg	offer	v
  ginmhilleadh	(Procured) abortion	m
  aontú	Assent, agreement	m
  comhairliú	Counselling, consultation	m
  sul má = sula	before
  achrann	Tangled growth; tangle, entanglement; (Act of) quarrelling, strife

• 
  MÁIRÍN: B’fhéidir gur agaibh atá an ceart, a leana. Tá sibh sách sean lena n-intinn fhéin a dhéanamh suas.
  JACKIE: (lamha ina timpeall): Go raibh mile maith agat, a Mhairin, Ní raibh aon duine eile sásta labhairt liom.
  (Tagann TAIMIN ar ais is an mada aige.)
  MÁIRÍN: Oh Lord, tá sé ag dul ar an tour of Connemara leis an mada.
  (JackiE ag seoladh text chuig Tommy.)
  TAIMÍN: Níl mé dhá iarraidh seo.
  MÁIRÍN: Á, shíl mé go dtaithneodh Fainne leat.
  TAIMÍN: Dhá mba é Fainne é nach mbeadh sé do mo líochán.
  MÁIRÍN: Oh Lord.
  TAIMÍN: An raibh tú ag inseacht na firinne dhom?
  

  MÁIRÍN: Perhaps you’re right, my child. You are old enough [lena] to make up your own mind.
  JACKIE: (arms around her) Thank you very much, Máirín. No one else was willing to talk to me.
  (TAIMIN comes back with his dog.)
  MÁIRÍN: Oh Lord, He is going on the tour of Connemara with the dog.
  (JACkiE sending a text to Tommy.)
  TAIMÍN: I was not wanting this. [dhá]
  MÁIRÍN: Ah, I thought you might like Ringo.
  TAIMÍN: If it were Ringo, wouldn’t he be licking me?
  MÁIRÍN: Oh Lord.
  TAIMÍN: Were you telling the truth to me?

  líochán	(Act of) licking	m

• 
  MÁIRÍN: Hea?
  TAIMÍN: Tá sé dhá fheiceail dhom nach bhfuil Tom Óg ag teacht abhaile chor ar bith . . . Ná hinis aon bhréag dhom . . . Bhí a fhios agam é. Ní fheicfidh mé aon dé aríst go brách air.
  MÁIRÍN: Tá go brách fada, a Taimin. Síos leat a chodladh anois is tabharfaidh mé sleeping tablet dhuit.
  TAIMÍN: Níl mé dhá iarraidh. Nuair a dhúnfas mise mo shúile níl mé ag iarraidh iad a oscailt go deo aríst.<
  MÁIRÍN: Triáil thusa foighid a chur ann, a Jackie. Déanfaidh mise na rounds go bhfeice mé an bhfuil chuile dhuine eile socraithe síos.
  JACKIE: Lig do scíth thall anseo go fóilleach, a Taimín.
  [d.l. 85]

  MÁIRÍN: Yes?
  TAIMÍN: It seems to me that Young Tom is not coming home at all. . . Don’t tell me any lies. . . I knew it. I will never see any glimmer of him again.
  MÁIRÍN: It has been a long time, Taimín. Down to sleep now and I’ll give you a sleeping tablet.
  TAIMÍN: I don’t want to. When I close my eyes I never want to open them again.
  MÁIRÍN: Try to be patient, Jackie. I’ll make the rounds to see if everyone else is settled down.
  JACKIE: Rest over here peacefully, Taimín.

  Triáil	Trial, test	f
  scíth	Tiredness, fatigue; rest	f
  thall	over, beyond

• 
  TAIMÍN: Seo é agam á anois aduaidh,
  Fear na coise caoile crua,
  Is é an trua nach féidir liom rith,
  JACKIE: Ó, nach deas an dán é sin
  TAIMÍN: Ní dán é ach tomhais.
  JACKIE: Tomhais? Is cén freagra atá air?
  TAIMÍN: An bás. Sin é an freagra atá air.
  JACKIE: An bás.
  TAIMÍN: Seo é agam é anoir aduaidh. (Faigheann Jackie text.) Fear na coise caoile crua.
  JACKIE: Gabh mo leithscéal nóiméad, a Taimin. (A chur ina shuí agus ag dul trasna go dtí oifig na mbanaltraí. Solas ag ísliú go dtí trí spotsolas ar Taimin, Meaig agus Jackie, Meangadh gáire ar Jackie ag cur text ar ais chuig Tommy.)

  TAIMÍN: Here I am now, from the north,
  The man with the hard, thin legs,
  It’s a pity I can’t run.
  JACKIE: Oh, Isn’t that a nice poem?
  TAIMÍN: It’s not a poem, but a riddle.
  JACKIE: What is the answer to it?
  TAIMÍN: Death. That’s the answer.
  JACKIE: Death.
  TAIMÍN: Here I am from the northeast. (Jackie gets a text.) The man with the hard, thin legs.
  JACKIE: Excuse me for a moment, Taimin. (Sitting him down and going across to the nurses’ office. Light decreasing to three spotlights on Taimin, Meaig and Jackie, Jackie smiles as she texts Tommy back.)

  tomhas	Measure, gauge; riddle	m
  ísliú	Lowering, depression, subsidence; descent, decline; abasement	m

• 
  MEAIG: ‘Choilmin? Hóra, a Choilmin! Á muise, Dia linn, ó b’annamh liom an méid sin sóláis a fháil. ‘Dharach? Lisa? Á, sin é an chaoi, go bhfóire Dia orainn, théis chomh maith is atá sibh saoraithe i gcaitheamh an tsaoil agam. (Spotsolas síos)
  JACKIE: Ó, Tommy! Rinne mé óinseach dhiom fhéin. Tá brón orm ach geallaim dhuit nach mbeidh aon aiféala ort. I love you.
  (Spotsolas sios.)
  TAIMÍN: Á, muise, Dia linn is Muire. “Clann a leagann agus clann a thógann,” a deirtear. Ach ar ndóigh, b’fheidir gur mé fhéin a bhí as bealach. B’fhéidir gur róghéar a bhí mé. Rinne mé mo sheacht míle dícheall ach is dóigh ina dhiaidh [d.l. 86] sin nach raibh aon nádur máthar ionam. …

  MEAIG: Coilmin! Hi, Coilmin! Oh my, God with us, it’s rare for me to find so much joy. Darach? Lisa? Ah, that is the way, may God help us, after how well you have been freed in the course of my life. (Spotlight down)
  JACKIE: Oh, Tommy! I made a fool of myself. I’m sorry but I promise you you won’t regret it. I love you.< (Spotlight down)
  TAIMÍN: Ah, indeed, God and Mary with us. “Family knocks you down and family lifts you up,” they say. But of course, it could have been me who was off track. Perhaps I was too sharp. I tried my very best but it seems there was no maternal nature in me after that.

  annamh	Rare, infrequent
  sólás	Solace, consolation; comfort, joy	m gs npl sóláis
  fóir	Help, succour, relieve, save	v
  aiféala	Regret, remorse	m
  leag	Knock down; lower; ;au, set
  tóg	Lift, raise; take up, take
  dícheall	Best endeavor	m

• 
  … Á, dhá mairfeá, a Bhrídín, go ndeána Dia grásta agus trócaire ort, nach mba tú a bheadh práinneach as do pháiste. Nach tú a chuirfeadh comhairle a leasa air. Thabharfadh sé aird ortsa, thabharfadh. Ach ar ndóigh, ní fhaca sé ariamh thú. Fuair tú bás dhá thabhairt ar an saol. Cothrom an lae inniu, a Bhrídín, a d’fhág mé thiar sa reilig thú. Mé ag gárthail chaoineacháin nuair a thriáil siad mo pháiste a bhaint dhíom. Iad ag rá nach mbeinn in ann déileáil leis. Ach níor lig mise leo fhéin é. Níor bheag dhom thusa a bheith uaim. Is ort a bhínn ag cuimhneamh is mé ag tabhairt buidéilin bainne dhó, ag tabhairt anios a bhrúichtín, ag athrú claibhtíní air. ….
  

  Oh, may you live, Brídín, may God grant you grace and mercy, wouldn’t you be devoted to your child? Wouldn’t you give him advice about his welfare. He would pay attention to you, he would. But of course, he never saw you. You died giving birth. Today is the anniversary, Brídín, that I left you behind in the cemetery. I was shouting and crying when they tried to take my child away from me. They said I wouldn’t be able to deal with it. But I didn’t let them do it. You were not a small thing to me[??]. I was remembering you as I gave him a bottle of milk, bringing up hs ????, and changed his diapers. …

  grásta	grace	m
  trócaire	Mercy; clemency, leniency, compassion	f
  práinneach i/as	Fond (of), devoted (to), delighted (with)
  leas	Good, well-being, benefit, interest	m gs leasa
  caoineachán	(Act of) crying, mewling; lamentation	m
  brúichtín	?????

• 
  …. Ní bhíodh dúnta agam ach leathshúil ar fhaitios go mbeadh clóic ar bith air in am mharfach na hoíche. Choinnigh mé slán ar bhóthar is ar bhealach é, choinnigh. Sheas mé roimhe nuair a bhíodh scaibhtéiri dhá mhealladh isteach i dtithe ósta, mé ag súil go dtógfadh sé láimh os mo chionn nuair a thiocfadh sé in inmhe. Deirinn lán an phaidrin chuile oíche ag iarraidh ar Dhia mé a fhágáil beo nó go gcloisfinn mo gharchlann ag glaoch Deaideo orm. Mé dhá shamhlú ina sui ar mo ghlúine is mé ag slíocadh a gcuid gruaige. Ach d’fhág sé ansin mé. Sin é an chaoi, go bhfóire Dia orainn. Á muise, nach suarach é an saol faoi dheireadh thiar. (Ceol pianó go ciúin ag tionlacan[d.l.87] glór páiste (Róisín) le tús “Oíche Chiúin”….
  

  I only closed one eye for fear that there would be any cloak at all on him in the deadly time of night. I kept him safe on the road and in the way. I stood before him when scoundrels were luring him into inns, I was hoping he would take a hand over my head when he reached maturity. I would say a lot of prayers every night asking God to leave me alive until I could hear my grandchildren calling me Deaideo. I imagine them sitting on my knees and me stroking their hair. But he left me there. That’s the way it is, may God save us. Ah, indeed, isn’t life ultimately wretched. (Quiet piano music accompanying a child’s voice (Róisín) with the beginning of “Silent Night.”

  clóic	Cloak; Gloom, sadness; Defect	f
  marfach	Deadly, fatal, lethal
  scaibhtéir = scabhaitéir	blackguard	m
  meall	Beguile, charm; entice
  inmhe	Wealth, estate; position in life, condition; Maturity, strength	f
  suarach	Paltry, petty, insignificant; mean, contemptible; Airy, frivolous
  ciúin	Calm, silent, still
  tionlacan	Accompaniment, escort	m

• 
  …. An ceol ag dul in éag is gan le cloisteail ach glór Róisín. Solas ag isiliú go mall go dtí nach bhfuil fágtha ach solas ón gcoinneal agus crann na Nollag. Pianó go híseal ag tionlacan deireadh an amhrain.)

  Críoch
  

  The music fades away and nothing can be heard but Róisín’s voice. Light slowly fading until only light from the candle and the Christmas tree remains. A soft piano accompanies the end of the song.)

  End.

  éag	death; Numbness, powerlessness	m
  dul in éag	to die; to expire, die out, become extinct
  coinneal	candle	f

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