I REMEMBER…/ IS CUIMHIN LIOM…

The current pandemic and lockdown is a historic event that will become part of the story of our lives in the future. However, older people have lived through many significant events, some of which have changed the course of their lives. It is this lifetime of experience that we would love older people to share as part of Waterford’s celebration of Bealtaine.

Usually in May every year Waterford participates in the Bealtaine festival organised by Age and Opportunity but, of course, we cannot gather people together for events as usual in the face of a pandemic. However, we can still celebrate our older people and mark their achievements and life experiences. While many might be cocooning, they can contribute to their local communities with their experiences and help people to appreciate that this too will pass. In the wealth of their experience lies a bed rock of strength and resilience that we can build on and ensure that ‘Together Waterford is Stronger’.

We are asking older people to share their memories of significant events in their lives, how they coped with them and how they were affected – they can be events of huge historical significance or small local changes that impacted on them.

For example, Do You Remember?
• You or a family member spending time in isolation due to TB
• Being affected by polio, scarlatina or other outbreak of disease
• Getting access to a banned book
• Petrol rationing and/or public transport strikes
• Abbeyside, Dungarvan born Dr. Ernest Walton winning the Nobel Prize in 1951
• The emigration of a friend or family member
• The Emergency and rationing during World War II and how it impacted on you and your family

We would love to find out what events were significant to your life.
We have lots of ways you can share your significant event with the community. We understand that it can be difficult to get to the post or, get into technology but thanks to the wonderful Call to Chat service of the Waterford Older Peoples’ Council, run in collaboration with Waterford City and County Libraries, you can simply pick up the phone.

Here are the ways you can Share your Story:
• Call 0761 10 20 20 and ask for Call to Chat, they will take your number and someone from Call to Chat will ring you back.

• Post a written account of your story to City Hall, The Mall, Waterford or the Civic Offices, Davitt’s Quay, Dungarvan. Please mark the envelope “I Remember” Project.

• E-mail archivist@waterfordcouncil.ie

• Share to Twitter or Facebook with the #TogetherWaterfordIsStronger tagging @WaterfordCounci or @WaterfordLibs on Twitter and Waterford Council,  Waterford City and County Archives or Waterford City and County Libraries on Facebook

Bealtaine is about creativity in older people, so you can share your memory in words, by sharing a photograph or by creating your own piece of work. We would love to gather your memories and share them with the wider Waterford community throughout the month of May, so that we can build from your experiences and come together to celebrate your strength and resilience. We are Stronger Together and you can play your part in building up that strength.

IS CUIMHIN LIOM… / I REMEMBER…

Tarlú stairiúil is ea an phaindéim seo agus an t-ordú dianghlasála a ghabhann leis, a bheidh mar chuid de scéal ár saolta sa todhchaí.  Sin ráite, tá daoine breacaosta tar éis maireachtaint tríd go leor tarlúintí suntasacha, cuid acu a d’athraigh cúrsaí an tsaoil dóibh féin agus don tsochaí trí chéile. Ba bhreá linn dá mbeadh daoine breacaosta sásta an taithí úd atá acu a roinnt linn mar chuid de cheiliúradh Fhéile na Bealtaine i bPort Láirge.

De gnáth, glacann Port Láirge páirt i bhféile na Bealtaine, a d’eagraíonn na heagraíochta Aostacht agus Deiseanna gach bliain. Faraoir, ní féidir linn daoine a thabhairt le chéile i gcomhair imeachtaí mar is gnách i mbliana agus sinn i lár na paindéime seo. Sin ráite, is féidir linn ceiliúradh a dhéanamh ar dhaoine breacaosta agus iarraimid orthu anois a bheith páirteach linn sa cheiliúradh seo. Cé go bhfuil go leor daoine ag cocúnú, is féidir leo a gcuid taithí agus cuimhní saoil a roinnt lena bpobal áitiúil mar mheabhrú do dhaoine go dtiocfaidh deireadh leis an ngéarchéim seo chomh maith. Tá buncharraig nirt agus teacht aniar sa taithí atá ag na daoine níos sine gur féidir linne foghlaim uaidh, agus mar a deir an seanfhocal, ‘Ní Neart go Cur le Chéile.’

Táimid ag iarraidh ar dhaoine breacaosta a gcuimhí cinn maidir le rudaí suntasacha a tharla le linn a saol a roinnt linn – conas mar a chuaigh na himeachtaí i bhfeidhm orthu agus conas mar a dheileáil siad leo – d’fhéadfadh gur mór-tharlúintí stairiúla a bheadh ann, nó athruithe níos lú a tharla sa saol áitiúil thart thimpeall orthu.

Mar shampla, an cuimhin leat?

• Ar choimeádadh tú féin nó baill dod’ theaghlach ar leithlis de bharr na heitinne a bheith ort/orthu
• A bheith curtha as de bharr póilió, an fhiabhras dearg, nó briseadh amach ghalar de shaghas éigint eile
• Bheith in ann teacht ar leabhar a raibh cosc air
• Ciondáil peitril agus/nó stailceanna iompair phoiblí
• Nuair a bhuaigh an Dr. Ernest Walton, a rugadh i nDún na Mainistreach, an Duais Nobel sa mbliain 1951
• Nuair a chuaigh cara nó ball dod’ chlann ar imirce
• Aimsir na hÉigeandála agus ciondáil le linn an Dara Chogadh Domhanda agus conas mar a chuaigh sé i bhfeidhm ort féin agus do chlann

Ba bhreá linn a fháil amach mar gheall ar na tarlúintí suntasacha a bhí i do shaol.

Is féidir leat do thaithí a roinnt leis an bpobal i roinnt slite éagsúla. Tuigimid go bhfuil sé deacair rudaí a chur sa phost, nó teacht ar theicneolaíocht, ach a bhuíochas leis an tSeirbhís iontach ‘Call to Chat’ de chuid Chomhairle na nDaoine Breacaosta, Port Láirge (Waterford Older People’s Council), atá á reachtáil i gcomhar le Seirbhís Leabharlanna Cathrach agus Contae Phort Láirge, ní gá duit ach an guthán a phiocadh suas agus labhairt le duine.

Seo a leanas na slite inar féidir leat do Scéal a Roinnt:

• Glaoigh ar 1761 10 20 20 agus lorg ‘Call to Chat’ (Is féidir do scéal a thabhairt i nGaeilge nó i mBéarla)
• Cuir tuairisc i scríbhinn dod’ scéal chuig Halla na Cathrach, An Meal, Port Láirge nó chuig na hOifigí Cathartha, Cé Dáibhéid, Dún Garbhán. Scríobh “Is Cuimhin Liom/I Remember” ar an gclúdach litreach.
• R-phost a sheoladh chuig archivist@waterfordcouncil.ie
• Roinn ar Twitter nó Facebook leis na clibeanna #TogetherWaterfordIsStronger, @WaterfordCounci nó @WaterfordLibs ar Twitter agus Waterford Council, Waterford City and County Archives nó Waterford City and County Libraries ar Facebook.

Déanann Bealtaine ceiliúradh ar chruthaitheacht i measc daoine níos sine, mar sin is féidir leat do chuimhní a roinnt i bhfocail, nó trí ghrianghraf a roinnt, nó tríd do shaothar féin a chruthú. Ba bhreá linn do chuimhní a bhailiú agus iad a roinnt le pobal Phort Láirge i gcoitinne le linn mí na Bealtaine, ionas gur féidir linn foghlaim ó do thaithí agus teacht le chéile chun do neart agus do theacht aniar a cheiliúradh. Ní neart go cur le chéile agus is féidir leatsa do pháirt a imirt chun an neart seo a mhéadú.