Poem
Pádraig roimh an mBál
| Title | Pádraig roimh an mBál |
|---|---|
| Author | Máire Mhac an tSaoi |
Instances of Publication
A published appearance of this poem.
| Collection/Anthology | Year of Publication | Medium | View Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| An Cion go dtí Seo | 1987 | Print Collection | View Details |
| An Paróiste Míorúilteach | 2011 | Print Collection | View Details |
| Gaolta Gairide: Rogha dánta comhaimseartha ar théamaí óige agus caidrimh teaghlaigh | 2010 | Print Anthology | View Details |
Translations
Connected translations of this poem.
| Title | Author | Collection/Anthology | Year | View Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Last Blast | Billy Ramsell | The Coast Road | 2016 | View Details |
| Emigrant | Paul Muldoon | The Coast Road | 2016 | View Details |
| Emigrant | Paul Muldoon | Calling Cards | 2018 | View Details |
Publication Instance Details #187
Collection/Anthology Details
| Collection/Anthology | An Cion go dtí Seo |
|---|---|
| Date of Publication | 1987 |
| Publisher | Sáirséal Ó Marcaigh (Ireland) |
| Page Number(s) | 115-116 |
Publication Overview
| Translation | Is Multilingual | Explicit Irish Context? | Ekphrasis | Has Paratext? | Reference to News, Media or Technology |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No |
No |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
Details
| Human Rights Issues | |
|---|---|
| Irish Context | |
| Languages | |
| Genre | Short Lyric |
| Medium | Print Collection |
| Notes | Speaker of the poem watches her own son getting ready for the ball, and simultaneously thinks of his counterpart in Nicaragua, who is fighting in the Contra War on behalf of the poor and his country. The speaker is preoccupied with these thoughts as she watches her own child become a man. She identifies herself with her 'counterpart' mother in Nicaragua, who feels similar trepidation and fear at her son's entry into manhood, but for very different reasons - Pádraig is going to the ball, but the Nicaraguan boy is going to war. The mention of the 'soldier's boots' sent by the Ambassador uncle could be a significant allusion to the American interference in Nicaragua. The boy's 'side' in the war is never explicitly mentioned and so it could be that he is a Contra himself, fighting against the Marxist Junta that came to power after the Nicaraguan Revolution of 1979. |
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