A cuplá focal and a cupán tae

Both the tae and the caint are flowing at Café An Nead, Monaghan Town’s newest Irish language café. Matthew Craven caught up with the café’s chair, Seán Ó Murchadha, to learn more about the enterprise, the inspiration behind it and the vision going forward...

AC: Where did the idea/name come from?

SOM: There was a café here in Park Street and Muineachain le Gaeilge were using that café for a while to hold events and, when the café closed, we didn't have much time to make a decision.

We decided that we would do our best to take over the café and that people would see that it was a normal café but that there would be a place where people would feel comfortable and could speak in Irish. The name An Nead, means a nest where a bird can be safe, that they are comfortable, that no one is disturbing them. But not only that, the concept of the nest was used by the Native Americans in America because they were doing their best to save their languages and the concept they used was that the nest was a place for their children to learn their own language. That impressed me and people were happy with that title.

AC: Have you seen an increase in the amount of Irish Speakers in Monaghan since the opening of the café?

SOM: I'm not saying that An Nead is increasing the Irish speakers, but it boosts people's confidence to try. People who speak a lot of Irish come in and they like it. People who don't speak Irish come in and they try their best to speak a few words in Irish. Other times people who don't have any Irish come in as they like a coffee, at the end of the day, it's a nice place to sit in. I have no doubt that An Nead is helping the Irish language so that people will try to speak Irish in a setting where it's not official and in that circumstance it's a good thing.

AC: Has the fact that there is a Gaelscoil in the town helped you in any way and are many students/ teachers coming in? Do you have any plans to collaborate with the school?

SOM: We may have to think about creating a package if there is a school in the town centre on an event day and they can come and get some materials in An Nead, there may be a cheaper package available for them. This will be open to all schools regardless of whether they are an Irish or English school. It is lovely when teachers and students come in for a cup of tea, we have a nice little shop as well.

AC: What impact do you want An Nead to have on the community?

SOM: We can speak English whenever we want but there aren't many places where you can feel comfortable and Irish is the main language. As for the Nead it's an opportunity for you to put your toe in the water or jump in completely in your swimsuit because the space is here for you and it's big enough for you to sit with your friend and you wouldn't be bothering anyone. But I have no doubt that when you're here, you'll hear most of the people speaking Irish.T hat's clear that we're doing something right.

AC: Is the location anything to do with the café because Muineacháin le Gaeilge is right next to An Nead?

SOM: It probably helps that there are two places right next to each other and these two places help us to hold events e.g. Santa’s visit. Parents had tea in an Nead, while Santa was at the back in Muineacháin le Gaeilge. Do we want more space? Of course we always want more space. We want to do more things nature related. We have a few plants at the back, now we want to add to that so that people will be able to see that nature is in the life of the Irish language community as well.

AC: What has been your proudest moment so far?

SOM: We can look at the big things like the opening - that was great. Sometimes I feel most proud when people around me are doing their best to speak Irish, especially parents, so their children can see that this is something outside of school and that mum and dad are doing their best as well.

AC: What is one phrase to describe the atmosphere inside the café?

SOM: Word - Calmness. It's important that there’s a place for the language and it's not a classroom, it's not a lecture. You come in and no one is wondering how much Irish you speak. People being comfortable, relaxed are the things that stand out to me.

AC: Is the menu available in Irish and what is the most popular food in the café?

SOM: It is bilingual and one of the things that is available on the menu is veggie delight but the Irish we put on it is Feol ar bith Fadhb ar bith. I like that as a name. There is a mix between our gorgeous soup, toasted sandwiches and scones. People are returning and that means something is going right.

An Ghaeilge agus an spraoi i Muineacháin

Tá an Ghaeilge agus an tae i lán seoil in san caifé nua An Nead I Baile Muineacháin. Bhí Matthew Craven ag labhairt le Sean Ó Murchadha ó Muineacháin le Gaeilge faoi An Nead.

AC: Cá háit a tháining an smaointe/ainm ó?

SOM: Bhí caifé anseo i  Sráid na Páirce agus bhí Muineacháin le Gaeilge ag baint leas as an gcaifé sin d’am a cheile  chun imeachtaí a reáchtáil. Nuair a dhruid an caifé, ní raibh mórán am againn cinneadh a dhéanamh. Shocraigh muid go ndéanfaidh muid ár ndícheall seilbh a glacadh ar an caifé muid féin. An t-ainm An Nead, is dócha go nead rud ina bhfuil éan in ann a bheith slán sábháilte, go bhfuil siad ar a chompord,. Ach ní amháin sin bhí an coincheap den Nead nó Nest úsáidte ag na Meiriceánaigh Dhúchasacha i Meiriceá mar gheall go raibh siadsan ag déanamh a dhícheall teangacha s’acu a shábháil agus an coincheap a d’úsáid siad ná go raibh An Nead mar áit do pháistí s’acu go mbeidís ag foghlaim a theanga féin. Chuaigh sin i bhfeidhm ormsa.

AC: An gceapann tú go bhfuil méadú I líon na Gaeilgeoirí i mbaile Muineacháin ón am a d’oscail An Nead?

SOM: Nílim ag rá go bhfuil méadú mar gheall ar An Nead, ach cuireann sé le muinín daoine le hiarracht a dhéanamh. Tagann daoine gan Ghaeilge isteach agus déanann siad a ndícheall chun an Ghaeilge a labhairt agus cúpla focail a rá. In amanna eile tagann daoine nach bhfuil Gaeilge ar bith acu ach is maith leo caife, mar ag deireadh an lae is áit deas  é le suí isteach. Níl aon dabht agam go bhfuil An Nead ag cuidiú leis an Ghaeilge go mbeadh daoine ag baint triail as an Ghaeilge a labhairt i  gcomhthéacs nach bhfuil sé oifigiúil agus sa chomhthéacs sin is rud maith é.

AC: An bhfuil an dóigh go bhfuil Gaelscoil-  in san baile ag cuidiú libh in aon dóigh, an dtagann aon mhúinteoirí/ daltaí istigh agus an bhfuil pleananna agaibh oibriú leo?

SOM: Beidh muid ag  smaoineamh faoi phacáiste a chur le chéile más rud é go bhfuil scoil i lár an bhaile ag lá ócáide agus gur féidir leo teacht agus roinnt áirithe ábhar a fháil in An Nead, b'fhéidir go mbeadh pacáiste níos saoire le fáil dóibh. Beidh sin oscailte do gach uile scoil is cuma más Gaelscoil nó Scoil Bhéarla. Tá pointí dearfacha nuair a thagann múinteoirí agus daltaí isteach le haghaidh cupán tae, tá siopa beag deas againn chomh maith agus is maith leo an siopa agus sin fáth eile le teacht isteach.

Cén tionchar atá tú ag iarraidh go mbeidh ag An Nead ar an phobal?

Tá an teanga ann, is féidir linn Béarla a labhairt am ar bith ach níl a lán áiteanna is féidir leat a bheith ar do shuaimhneas agus go bhfuil an Ghaeilge mar an phríomhtheanga. Is rud deas é go bhfuil An Nead ansin, is dócha go bhfuil tú ag iarraidh daoine a chur ar a shuaimhneas. Glacann sé tamaill fhada le fáil réidh leis an meon sin.  Tá sé mar dheis duit do bhairicín a chuir in san uisce nó léim isteach go hiomlán I do chulaith snámh mar tá an spás anseo duit agus tá sé mór go leor duit suí le do chara agus ní bheifeá ag cuir isteach ar dhuine ar bith. Ach níl aon dabht agam nuair atá tú anseo cloisfidh tú Gaeilge á labhairt ag an gcuid is mó de na daoine agus tagann siad ar ais. Is léir sin go bhfuil muid ag déanamh rud éigin i gceart.

AC: An bhfuil aon rud le déanamh ag suíomh an caifé toisc go bhfuil Muineacháin le Gaeilge dhíreach in aice leis An Nead?

SOM: Cuidíonn sé is dócha go bhfuil dhá ait díreach in aice lena chéile agus tá an dá áit seo ag cuidiú linn imeachtaí a reáchtáil m.sh Lá Daidí na Nollaig. Tháinig tuismitheoirí agus páistí isteach chuig An Nead agus bhí cupán tae acu,  ach ar gcúl i Muineacháin le Gaeilge bhí Daidí na Nollaig ann. Bhí deis ag daoine  a scíth a ligean sa chaifé agus dul isteach le Daidí na Nollaig a fheiceáil agus níl aon dabht go bhfuil seo ag cuidiú. An maith linn níos mó spás? Cinnte i gcónaí ba mhaith linn níos mó spás. Ba mhaith linn níos mó rudaí a dhéanamh  maidir leis an dúlra. Tá cúpla planda againn ar gcúl, ba mhaith linn cuir le sin agus go mbeidh daoine in ann a fheiceáil go bhfuil dúlra i saol pobail na Gaeilge chomh maith.

AC: Cad é an t-am a mhothaigh tú ba bhródúil as An Nead?

SOM:Is féidir linn féachaint ar na rudaí móra mar an seoladh, bhí sin go breá, in amanna  mothaím bródúil níos mó ná aon am eile ná nuair atá daoine timpeall orm ag déanamh a dhícheall le labhairt as Gaeilge go háirithe tuismitheoirí agus go bhfeiceann páistí s’acu gur rud seo taobh amuigh den scoil agus go bhfuil mam agus dad ag déanamh a dhícheall chomh maith.

AC: Frása amháin le cur síos a dhéanamh  ar an atmaisféar istigh in san caifé?

SOM: Suaimhneas. Tá sé réamh-chúiseach go bhfuil áit ann don teanga agus nach seomra ranga é, nach léacht atá i gceist . Tagann tú isteach agus níl aon duine chun a bheith ag  féachaint ar an dóigh ag cur fios ar cé mhéad Ghaeilge atá á labhairt agat le daoine ar a gcompord.

AC: An bhfuil an biachlár le fáil as Gaeilge agus cad é an bia is fear le daoine le fáil ón gcaifé?

SOM: Tá an biachlár dhá theangach agus ceann de na rudaí is maith liom faoin mbia chlár, tá ceann de na rudaí atá le fáil ar an mbia clár na veggie delight ach an Ghaeilge a gcuirimid air ná Feoil ar bith Fadhb ar bith. Taitníonn sin liom mar ainm. Tá  meascán idir anraith- anraith don scoth againn-,ceapairí tóstáilte, sconnaí, leicní bácála. Tá daoine ag filleadh agus ciallaíonn sin go bhfuil rud éigin ag dul i gceart.