Poetry - Deireadh na Féide

Cúlra Stairiúil: Sráidbhaile Aas agus an Fheadaíl

To understand the poem, you need to know the historical community that inspired it. The poem is set in Aas, a mountain village in the Ossau Valley in the French Pyrenees, close to the Spanish border.

In steep mountains a shout gets lost, but a whistle is louder and sharper, and it carries for kilometres across a valley. For generations, local shepherds developed a whistled form of their local Gascon dialect. It was not a code of simple signals, but a complete phonetic system. It linked the high pastures with the village and let shepherds converse with women working in the lower fields.

During the Second World War, the language took on a new purpose. Because occupying German forces could not understand it, villagers used the whistle to pass messages for the French Resistance, warn families facing arrest, and guide downed Allied airmen across the mountain frontier into neutral Spain.

Ná déan stair as

Tá an cúlra seo an-úsáideach le tuiscint a fháil ar an dán, ach ní ghnóthaíonn cur síos ar stair na bPiréiní marcanna sa scrúdú. The poem itself focuses on the loss of the language rather than postwar sociology. Connect every fact directly to a line in the poem; if you do not have a textual reference to back it up, leave the historical trivia out of your answer.

Struchtúr an Dáin: Na Trí Chuid

The poem moves through three chronological stages. You can anchor any 30-mark essay to this three-part spine. Use the memory hook Féarach → Frithbheartaíocht → Fothost (pasture → resistance → silence), with one quotation memorised for each stage.

1. Ag tús an dáin: Saol Traidisiúnta na nAoirí (Pasture)

The poem opens with living memory in the village: “Inniu féin / is cuimhin le muintir Aas / go mbíodh teanga / á feadaíl / ag na haoirí / fadó...” The habitual past verb mbíodh shows that this was an everyday custom, not an occasional signal. The sound travelled along “bealach fuaime an ghleanna” (the valley sound-path), creating an acoustic link across rugged landscape. Crucially, it was “feadaíl nach dtuigtí / lasmuigh den bparóiste”. It was a private community tongue that excluded outsiders.

2. I lár an dáin: Ré an Dara Cogadh Domhanda (Resistance)

The arrival of totalitarian war transforms this local habit into an instrument of courage: “Nuair a tháinig na Naitsithe / choimeád an feadaíl / Giúdaigh slán ó chontúirt...” The secrecy of the language made it an effective shield. It carried Resistance messages “ó bhéal go béal faoi rún” and helped lost Allied pilots find the Spanish border (“teorainn na Spáinne a aimsiú”). Then the poet delivers a sudden pivot: “Níor chualathas ó shin í.” The wartime defiance proved to be the language's last major role.

3. Ag deireadh an dáin: An Tost Deiridh (Silence)

The final lines present the tragedy of language death: “Maireann sí i gcuimhne na ndaoine... ach níl ar chumas éinne / na fuaimeanna a aithris.” Memory of a language is not the same as living speech. The poem closes with a flat, cold fact: “Níor deineadh aon taifead.” Because no audio recording was made before the last speakers passed away, the sound cannot be revived. The poem ends in total silence.

Príomhthéamaí, Ton agus Atmaisféar

Príomhthéama: Bás Teanga agus Cailliúint Chultúrtha

The central theme is bás teanga (language death). The poet explores what happens when an oral tradition vanishes without an acoustic record. While Ní Ghearbhuigh writes about the Pyrenees, the poem carries an obvious resonance for Irish speakers conscious of the fragility of Gaeltacht dialects.

Téama Tánaisteach: Crógacht agus Dlúthpháirtíocht

The language served as a tool of human solidarity (dlúthpháirtíocht). In the face of mortal danger, ordinary villagers used their breath and teeth to outwit an occupying army, saving refugees and airmen.

An Ton agus an t-Atmaisféar

Tá ton ciúin, machnamhach sa dán. Tá meas agus bród le brath ar an bhfile agus í ag trácht ar chrógacht na n-aoirí, ach tá brón agus aiféala i réim ag an deireadh. Is atmaisféar tosta a fhágtar linn.

Teideal Oiriúnach?

Is teideal an-oiriúnach é ‘Deireadh na Feide’. Insíonn sé dúinn roimh ré cad a tharlóidh: nach bhfuil aon todhchaí i ndán don fhead. Tá an focal ‘deireadh’ lom agus cinnte, gan aon dóchas ann, agus sin go díreach atmaisféar an dáin. Ina theannta sin, tá dhá bhrí leis: deireadh na fuaime féin, agus deireadh ré an phobail a labhair í.

Teicnící Liteartha agus Friotal

Ní Ghearbhuigh uses an understated, minimalist style (stíl íostach). In Paper 2, examiners reward candidates who name a technique, cite the line, and explain its literary effect in Irish.

Nótaí Gramadaí agus Canúna

• The title is spelled Deireadh na Feide (no accent on Feide). Feide is the regular genitive singular of the feminine noun fead.
• The poem contains authentic Munster verb forms: the past autonomous níor deineadh (standard: níor rinneadh) and choimeád (standard: choinnigh). Never standardise or alter these when quoting or reciting.

Banc Luachana: Na Línte le Foghlaim

SEC circular S.90/10 guarantees that the poem's text will be printed on the paper only for the Additional Literature poems question (Ceist 4). No such guarantee is given for Ceist 3, so never assume the text of 'Deireadh na Feide' will be in front of you. Commit five or six short quotations to memory. The poem is under copyright and is not reproduced here in full; work directly from your copy in The Coast Road (Gallery Press, 2016).

Saol agus Saothar an Fhile: Ailbhe Ní Ghearbhuigh

Circular 0070/2024 notes that a short sub-question may be asked on the poet's life, context, or literary background. In the 2026 examination, this author component carried 9 marks. Memorise these core facts:

• Áit Bhreithe agus Oideachas: Is file comhaimseartha Gaeilge í Ailbhe Ní Ghearbhuigh. Rugadh i dTrá Lí, Co. Chiarraí, í sa bhliain 1984, rud a mhíníonn an blas Mumhan ar a cuid friotail sa dán. Rinne sí staidéar in Ollscoil na Gaillimhe.
• Tréimhsí Thar Lear: Chaith sí sealanna ag déanamh staidéir agus ag obair thar lear sa Fhrainc agus i gCeanada. Mhúscail an taithí idirnáisiúnta seo a spéis i stair agus i dteangacha na hEorpa.
• Cnuasaigh Filíochta: Foilsíodh a cuid dánta sna cnuasaigh Péacadh (Coiscéim, 2008) agus Tost agus Allagar (Coiscéim, 2016). Tá an dán ‘Deireadh na Feide’ le fáil sa chnuasach cáiliúil dátheangach The Coast Road (Gallery Press, 2016).
• Gnéithe dá Saothar: Is guth nua-aoiseach í i bhfilíocht na Gaeilge. Breathnaíonn sí ar théamaí uilíocha Eorpacha, ar stair an domhain mhóir, agus ar chás na dteangacha mionlaigh trí mheán na Gaeilge.

Léamh na Filíochta sa Bhéaltriail (35 Marc)

Under SEC Circular S76/25, Section 2 of the Common Oral Examination requires candidates to read aloud or recite one of the five prescribed poems for 35 marc (out of 240). The examiner selects the poem on the day. If ‘Deireadh na Feide’ is called, you must recite an dán ar fad (the complete poem). You may read from your own clean copy.

Scoring Bands

The examiner marks rhythm, pronunciation, and understanding across six performance classes:

• Excellent (29–35 marks): Natural rhythm, accurate pronunciation of broad and slender sounds, fluent phrasing, clear communication of meaning.
• Very Good (24–28 marks): Strong fluency and pronunciation with minor hesitations.
• Good (19–23 marks): Competent reading; meaning is clear despite occasional mispronunciations.
• Fair (14–18 marks): Understandable reading, but hindered by awkward pauses or anglicised vowels.
• Weak (9–13 marks): Halting, inaccurate reading with little sense of rhythm.
• Very Weak (0–8 marks): Severe difficulty reading the text.

Treoir Foghraíochta

• Cleacht na consain leathana agus caola: feadaíl, chualathas, taifead, choimeád.
• Tabhair aire don fhoirceann ‘-adh’ ag deireadh focal (deineadh, taifead) agus don ‘gh’ i sloinne an fhile (Ní Ghearbhuigh).
• Any French proper names such as Aas or Résistance should be pronounced clearly and steadily without exaggerated drama.
• Respect the enjambment in the opening lines—keep the clause flowing across line ends, but leave a distinct pause after “Níor chualathas ó shin í” before delivering the final stanza.

Treoir Scrúdaithe: Páipéar 2 Ceist 3 (30 Marc)

Cad atá i gceist le 30 marc?

Ceist 3 on Paper 2 carries 30 marc out of 200. Spend roughly 25 minutes writing 250–300 words (about a page and a half).

If the question is a single discussion prompt ('É sin a phlé'), marks are typically split between 25 marc d'eolas (points of analysis supported by tagairtí cruinne) and 5 mharc do Ghaeilge (grammar, syntax, vocabulary). If the question is divided into parts (such as 15 + 6 + 9 in 2026), match the length of your writing directly to the marks allocated.

Ceisteanna is Dóichí

1. ‘Is dán faoi bhás teanga é...’ É sin a phlé: Use the three-part framework: pasture life, wartime resistance, and the final silence.
2. Cén príomhthéama agus an fhorbairt a dhéantar air: Identify language death in sentence one, then trace its decline across the poem.
3. A bhfuil i gceist leis na línte seo a mhíniú: Give the literal description first, then explain the deeper thematic meaning and the emotional effect.
4. Cén éifeacht atá ag deireadh an dáin: Focus on gontacht, the sudden arrival of tost, and the feeling of permanent loss.
5. Nóta ar shaol agus ar shaothar an fhile: Provide four or five concrete biographical facts (place of birth, education, named collections).

Frásaí agus Foclóir Criticiúil

Frásaí don Fhreagra Litríochta

• Is é príomhthéama an dáin ná... (The main theme of the poem is...)
• Aontaím go hiomlán leis an ráiteas sin. (I completely agree with that statement.)
• Ar an gcéad dul síos... Ina theannta sin... Mar fhocal scoir... (Firstly... In addition... In conclusion...)
• Feictear é seo sa líne: ‘...’ (This is seen in the line: ‘...’)
• Cruthaíonn an file atmaisféar ciúin, machnamhach. (The poet creates a quiet, reflective atmosphere.)
• Téann an líne seo i bhfeidhm go mór ar an léitheoir. (This line has a powerful effect on the reader.)
• Dar liom / I mo thuairim féin... (In my opinion...)

Foclóir Criticiúil

• íomhá – image
• meafar – metaphor
• athrá – repetition
• codarsnacht – contrast
• rithim – rhythm
• ton – tone
• atmaisféar – atmosphere
• friotal – diction, wording
• gontacht – brevity, concision
• bás teanga – language death
• tost – silence
• caillteanas – loss
• aiféala – regret
• crógacht / misneach – courage

Key terms

teanga fheadaíola

A whistled language; a phonetic system where whistled pitches replace spoken sounds to carry across valleys (genitive: deireadh na teanga feadaíola).

bealach fuaime

Sound-path; an acoustic corridor naturally formed by valley terrain along which high-frequency whistled sounds travel clearly.

bás teanga

Language death; the total, irreversible extinction of a language when its last native speakers pass away without living successors.

an Résistance

The underground French Resistance movement that fought Nazi occupation during the Second World War.

saorbhriathar

The autonomous verb form, used when no subject is named, such as 'nach dtuigtí' (was not understood) and 'níor deineadh' (was not made).

stíl íostach

Minimalist style; an unadorned poetic style characterised by short lines, restrained diction, and understated emotion.

gontacht

Brevity or conciseness of expression, used particularly to describe the stark, unembellished final lines of the poem.

tagairtí cruinne

Accurate textual references or direct quotations from the poem required by the marking scheme to support analytical points.