DARA Ó CINNÉIDE
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Watch a video interview with Dara Ó Cinnéide from County Kerry recalling his career highlight, accepting in Irish the Sam Maguire.
Foclóir / Dictionary
| Gaelic | English |
|---|---|
| Gaeltacht Chorca Dhuibhne | Corca Dhuibhne Irish-speaking area |
| in Iarthar Chiarraí | in West Kerry |
| is dócha gur chabhraigh sé go mór liom | it probably helped me a lot/greatly |
| suim thar na bearta | particular interest |
| mhúscail sé mo shuim | it awoke/sparked off my interest |
| gaolta | relatives |
| comharsana | neighbours |
| timpeall pharóiste mhór | around the large parish |
| nach mór | more or less/almost |
| go bhféadfá dul isteach saor in aisce | that you could go in free of charge |
| dáiríre | really |
| roimhe sin | before that |
| ní dóigh liom | I don’t think |
| sprioc | target/goal |
| lá éigin | some day |
| aisling agus fís | dream and vision |
| tá plean agat | you have a plan |
| is de réir a chéile a bhíonn na caisleáin á dtógáint | it’s gradually the castles are built |
| an bhuaic | the highlight |
| [níl] aon ní inchurtha leis | nothing compares to it |
| Ardán Uí Ógáin | the Hogan Stand |
| Uachtarán Chumann Lúthchleas Gael | the president of the GAA |
| ag féachaint siar | looking back |
| aon chinneadh i gceist | any decision involved |
| ná faic mar sin | or anything like that |
| ba rud nádúrtha é | It was a natural thing |
| thar cheann | on behalf of |
| éachtach | remarkable (feat) |
| tá sé deacair comhairle a chur ar éinne | it’s difficult to advise anyone |
| tacaíocht mhillteach ag teastáil | a great deal of support is needed |
| mianach | potential |
| teacht sa dara háit | come/take second place |
| ach caithfidh an t-ocras teacht ón gcroí amach | but the hunger must come from the heart out |
Dara Ó Cinnéide
Dara Ó Cinnéide is ainm domsa, is as Gaeltacht Chorca Dhuibhne mé in Iarthar Chiarraí. Domsa, go pearsanta, chuireas an spéis i bpeil Ghaelach nuair a bhíos an-óg. Is dócha gur chabhraigh sé go mór liom go raibh suim thar na bearta ag m'athair ann agus ag mo mháthair agus ag mo mhuintir. Nuair a bhíomar óg théimis isteach sna cluichí móra ar fad ag féachaint ar fhoireann Ciarraí, nuair a bhíos óg agus chuireas spéis ansin ann agus mhúscail sé mo shuim as sin don chuid eile do mo shaol.
Is cuimhin liom na gaolta agus na comharsana agus m'athair féin agus ár sinsir ar fad timpeall pharóiste mhór Chorca Dhuibhne ag caint ar na laochra seo agus ag teacht go dtí cluiche ceannais na hÉireann, 1981, - rud, lá mór a bhí ansin, bhíos sé bliana d'aois agus bhíos ann nach mór gach aon lá ina dhiaidh sin. B'shin é an uair go bhféadfá dul isteach saor in aisce le d'athair nó le do mháthair, dul isteach agus d'fhéadfá suí ar an ghlúin acu agus sin iad na chéad chuimhní a bheadh agamsa dáiríre mar ní mórán cuimhní a bheadh agam ar an gclub roimhe sin mar níor thosnaíos ag imirt leis an gclub go rabhas ocht nó naoi mbliana d'aois.
Ní dóigh liom go raibh sé mar sprioc agam riamh, nuair a bhíos chomh hóg sin go mbeinn ag imirt le Ciarraí lá éigin. Is mar sin a chuimhníonn ana-chuid imreoirí is dócha nuair a bhíonn siad óg. Ní chuimhníonn siad ar an bpictiúr mór, déarfaidh siad go bhfuil aisling agus fís acu bheith ag imirt ach níl dáiríre, níl ann ach aisling agus fís ach tá plean agat - áit a bhaint amach ar na foirne uile agus is mar sin a bhí thíos i gCiarraí i gcónaí, is de réir a chéile a bhíonn na caisleáin á dtógáint!
Ba phribhléid mhór agamsa bheith mar chaptaen ar fhoireann Chiarraí sa bhliain 2004 nuair a bhuaigh muid Craobh na hÉireann. B'shin é an bhuaic agus is dócha nach bhfuil aon ní inchurtha leis. Bhí sé go dian ar fad bheith in airde in Ardán Uí Ógáin, ag glacadh le Corn Sam Mhig Uidhir ó Uachtarán Chumann Lúthchleas Gael, Seán Ó Ceallaigh. Ag féachaint siar ar mo shaol anois mar imreoir chaithfinn a rá gurb é sin mo bhuaic.
Ní dóigh liom go raibh aon chinneadh i gceist labhairt i mBéarla nó i nGaeilge ná faic mar sin. Ba rud nádúrtha é, bhíos ag glacadh an choirn thar cheann fhoireann agus lucht bainistíochta Chiarraí agus lucht leanúna Chiarraí. Bhíos ag déanamh ana-rud éachtach ar mo chlub, an Ghaeltacht, is í an Ghaeilge teanga na Gaeltachta agus sin an rud is nádúrtha a tháinig chugam agus bhíos breá sásta go raibh idir daoine sásta leis an gcinneadh sin a thógas.
Bhal, tá sé deacair comhairle a chur ar éinne, caithfidh ana-chuid de teacht go pearsanta uait féin, gan dabht tá tacaíocht mhillteach ag teastáil, ó do thuismitheoirí, ó do chlub, ó do thraenálaithe, ó do chuid bainisteoirí, caithfidh ana-chuid teacht ón gcroí istigh agus ón gceann agus isteach amach ón mbolg dáiríre. Caithfidh sé an mianach bheith ionat, an t-ocras a bheith ionat, caithfidh gach aon rud eile i do shaol teacht sa dara háit - agus tá sé sin fíor, fiú amháin ag leibhéal faoi dó dhéag agus b'fhéidir go ndéarfá nach sin spórt. Sea. Mar baineann tú taitneamh as an gcoimhlint, baineann tú taitneamh as an sprioc atá romhat a bhaint amach agus athraíonn na spriocanna sin i gcónaí agus mura bhfuil siad ag athrú tá tú ag fáil bháis dáiríre ach caithfidh an t-ocras teacht ón gcroí amach.
Dara Ó Cinnéide
My name is Dara Ó Cinnéide, I'm from the Corca Dhuibhne Gaeltacht in West Kerry. For me, personally, I developed an interest in Gaelic football when I was very young. It probably was a great help to me that my father had a particular interest - and my mother and my family. When we were young we used to go to all the big matches, watching the Kerry team - when I was young and I took an interest then and it sparked off my interest from then, for the rest of my life.
I recall relations and neighbours and my own father and all our people before us around the large parish of Corcra Dhuibhne, talking about these heroes and coming to the All-Ireland final, 1981, it was a great day and event. I was six years old and I was there more or less every day after that. That was the time when you could go in for free with your father or mother, go in and you could sit on their knee. And those really are the first memories I'd have because I wouldn't have many memories of the club before that, since I didn't start playing for the club until I was eight or nine years old.
I don't think that it was ever my target, when I was as young as that I'd be playing with Kerry some day. That's how many players remember it probably, when they were young. They don't remember the big picture. They'll say that they have a dream and a vision of playing but really it's only a dream and a vision but you have a plan - to gain a place on all the teams and that's how it was down in Kerry always, Rome wasn't built in a day!
It was a great honour for me to captain the Kerry team in 2004 when we won the All-Ireland. That was the highlight and probably nothing compares to it. It was really 'deadly' to be up in the Hogan Stand, accepting the Sam Maguire Cup from the president of the GAA, Sean Kelly. Looking back on my career now as a player I'd have to say that that was my highlight.
I don't think that I had a decision to make, to speak in English or Irish or anything like that. It was a natural thing. I was accepting the cup on behalf of the team and the Kerry management and the Kerry supporters. A remarkable feat for my club, the Gaeltacht, Irish is the language of the Gaeltacht and the one that came to me most naturally and I was pleased that, among the people, they were happy with the decision I took.
It's hard to advise anyone, a lot of it must come from you personally, without doubt tremendous support is needed, from your parents, from your club, from your trainers, from your managers, a lot must come from the inside out - from the heart, and from the head and from your gut really. You have to have the potential in you, have the hunger inside, everything else in your live must take second place - that's true, even at under-12 level. Maybe you might say that's not sport. It is. You enjoy the challenge, the contest, you enjoy reaching the goal you've set and the targets always change and if you aren't changing you are withering really but the hunger and drive must come from within, from the heart.
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