An aimsir… Nach mar sin a osclaíonn gach comhrá in Éirinn? Agus mar sin a osclófar an t-alt seo.

Is ait an samhradh a bhí againn go dtí seo, ó theas brothallach Bhealtaine go fuacht ‘s taiseacht an Mheithimh, tá meascán ceart i ndiaidh a bheith caite inár dtreo. An príomhrud age baile, an t-aon rud go bhfuil aon tábhacht leis déanta na fírinne, ná gur éirigh leo an chéad bhiaiste sadhlais a chur i gcrích. An brú, an t-allas agus an obair sin ar fad curtha díobh agus an mac díobhlásach ar seachrán ar imeall eile na hEorpa.Agus an aimsir agus an sadhlas pléite, is dócha go bhfuil sé in am agam teacht chuig an dtríú píosa eolais is tábhachtaí, cé mé féin in aon chor?

Is mise Séaghan Ó Súilleabháin agus is as feirm i gcroílár na Ríochta dom. Do thosnaíos ag roinnt físeán (mar a dhein mórán eile) ar na meáin shóisialta aimsir na paindéime fén leasainm ‘The Kerry Cowboy’ agus am bhriathar, níl teora leis na deiseanna atá fachta agam ó shin. Ceann acu a bheith mar láithreoir ar an gclár de chuid TG4 ‘Téacs Taistil’ - is é sin a sciob i bhfad ó bhaile mé.

I gcead dom, ní rabhas go hiomlán bainte ó shaol na talmhaíochta agus mé thall. Thiomáineas Massey Ferguson 168 i Rhodes (ag leibhileáil na trá seachas talún) agus chrúigh mé asal de láimh fiú i Cyprus. Ba dhóigh leat agus mac feirmeora i ndiaidh éalú thar sáile gur feirmeacha an rud deireanach a bheadh sa cheann aige ach cuirim ana-shuim sna cosúlachtaí agus difríochtaí inár gcur chuige.

Is mó acra a chífeá i Cyprus gan oiread ‘s sopán féir air, is mó áit gur ar éigean go bhfuil cré ann! Ach mar sin féin, maireann asail dhubha, arda ann agus tálann siad bainne as a dhéantar uachtar reoite agus táirgí craicinn agus áilleachta.

Thug na feirmeoirí chugam láir bhreá ar a ghlaoigh siad ‘Maria’. Bhí a searrach fiosrach lena taobh agus d’éirigh sé ana-cheannúil orm, ag lí mo chluasaibh ‘s ag tabhairt corrshonc sa taobh dom agus mé ag iarraidh línte a rá isteach sa cheamara. Bhaist siad Séaghan air ar deireadh thiar. Má thriail tú riamh bó a chrú de láimh, tuigfidh tú nach aon dóithín é agus cleas ag baint leis ach tá bainne asail chomh uisciúil (0.5% saill, 1.5% protein) go bhféadfadh aon t-amadán crúiscín a líonadh (agus dheineas!). Dúirt na feirmeoirí ansan liom é a ól, ag magadh, agus é fós te.

Is léir nár thuigeadar nár cheart dúshlán mar sin a chur ar Chiarraíoch, chaitheas siar gan aon útamáil. Milis a dhóthaint!

Anois agus mé thar nais ar thalamh na hÉireann, is mise an t-asal in athuair! Braithim babhtaí go bhfuilim ag rith i ndiaidh m’eireaball féin, ag iarraidh mo ghort féin a threabhadh agus ag an am céanna ag iarraidh lámh chúnta a thabhairt age baile.

Thiomáineas Massey Ferguson 168 i Rhodes (ag leibhileáil na trá seachas talún) agus chrúigh mé asal de láimh fiú i Cyprus

Bím á phlé le cairde liom agus braitheann roinnt mhaith acu an chiontacht chéanna, gur cheart a thuilleadh a dhéanamh, nár cheart bheith in easnamh agus brú ann. Ní hé sin le rá go gcuireann éinne brú age baile, ach fós féin, tá an mothú ann. Níl réiteach agam ar an scéal go fóill, ní fuirist an chothromaíocht san a aimsiú, ach is fíor a deirtear ‘Is maith an scéalaí an aimsir’.

In English

The weather…isn’t that how every Irish conversation opens? And this column will open the same way.

We’ve had a strange summer so far, from a dry, hot May to a cold, damp June – it’s been quite the mix thrown at us. The main thing at home, the only thing that matters really, is they managed to get the first cut of silage in. All that pressure, sweat and work done while the prodigal son was off on walkabout on the other edge of Europe!

Now with the weather and silage discussed, I suppose it’s about time we came to the third most important piece of information, who am I at all? I’m Séaghan Ó Súilleabháin and I come from a farm in the heart of the Kingdom.

I started posting videos (like many others) on social media during the pandemic under the nickname ‘The Kerry Cowboy’ and I’m telling you, there’s been no end to the opportunities that have presented themselves since. One has been the chance to present TG4’s Téacs Taistil travel series – which is what swept me away far from home.

In fairness, I hadn’t completely abandoned the agricultural lifestyle overseas. I drove a Massey Ferguson 168 in Rhodes (leveling a beach rather than land) and I even hand-milked a donkey in Cyprus. You’d think farms would be the last thing on the mind of a farmer’s son after escaping overseas but I’m fascinated with the similarities and differences in our approach.

I drove a Massey Ferguson 168 in Rhodes (leveling a beach rather than land) and I even hand-milked a donkey in Cyprus

You’d see a fair few acres in Cyprus without a sop of grass on it, in many places they barely have soil. But nevertheless, tall, black donkeys survive on it and produce milk which is used for ice cream and skincare and beauty products.

The farmers brought me a fine mare called Maria. Her curious foal wasn’t long getting fond of me, licking my ear and giving me the odd headbutt into the side and I trying to say a few lines to camera. In the end they named him Séaghan.

If you’ve ever tried to milk a cow by hand, you know that it’s no joke and that there’s a bit of a knack to it but donkey’s milk is so watery (0.5% fat, 1.5% protein) that any amadán could fill a jug (and I did!). The farmers then told me to drink it, messing, and it still hot. They clearly didn’t realise you shouldn’t challenge a Kerryman like that, I threw it back no bother. Sweet enough.

Now that I’m back on Irish soil, it’s me who’s the donkey again. I feel at times I’m chasing my own tail, trying to live my own life and at the same time give a hand at home. After discussing it with friends, a lot of them feel the same guilt, that you should be doing more, that you shouldn’t be away when the pressure is on.

That’s not to say that anyone puts any pressure on at home, but still the feeling is there. I haven’t worked out a solution yet, it’s not easy to find that balance, but it’s true what they say ‘Is maith an scéalaí an aimsir’ – the weather is a good storyteller, time will tell.