Irish Trc - Tumblr Posts - Page 2
CDTH SPOILERS will tag also but just so you’re warned
The use of the word Fenian in CDTH is so jarring to me. Like I’m sure she’s trying to invoke Fenian in the sense of a member of the Irish mythological Fianna ? But like... it’s unavoidably political as a word ?
I could delve into a better explanation of this but I’m currently in a doctor’s waiting room so have this Wikipedia explanation of the term.
Being associated with Boudicca as an organisation makes it weirder that it’s being used and isn’t political to me. (There are probably a host of reasons why Boudicca as a figure could also complicate this further, but I just mean in the barest sense of it being a shady dangerous group, not that they appear to be even remotely paramilitary in nature, which also adds to the weirdness)
I mean lbr here is a man who must have memories of being from Belfast during the Troubles as evidenced by his shared past with Niall discussed in Chapter 64:
And calls himself the New Fenian apolitically ? As a henchman of this group ?? So odd.
I mean the term even has specific American history too.
I just don’t think any of the reasoning behind this will touch upon any of the connotations/history of this in itself - I mean that’s absolutely not the point of CDTH, nor do I particularly think it should be. So just... why ? Is it just that it sounds like a cool rebel name ? If so that surely would be shrouded in the actual historical rebellion it’s linked to ? Being from Belfast when Niall would have been there, there is no way he’d be ignorant of the word or immune to its connotations, he wouldn’t use it without those being considerations, and I don’t know why he’d particularly want to in this context regardless of political leaning. Therefore: very strange.
Like generally when people are talking about the Fianna even you wouldn’t say “Fionn mac Cumhaill was a Fenian” you’d say he was a leader of the Fianna? Diarmuid Ua Duibhne - solider or member of the Fianna. Calling them Fenian would be weird. It’s still an extremely recognisable term today.
Anyway this is my off the cuff rambling as a confused Irish reader.
hello it’s me that ghost account, here because I’m comfort reading a pynch facfic in the midst of a lockdown low which has just referred to a period in Ronan’s life fraught with alcohol and angst and general bad behaviour as The Troubles - capitals and all - literally have been dragged out of this mortal realm by this insanity - like actually using The Troubles for a canonically Irish character as a ? gag ? and in relation to alcoholism to boot because yeah why not. Ireland. two Irish issues. very cool. Genuinely what. Like it doesn’t go into it but I cannot believe with the way that it’s phrased that the author doesn’t know. I am hurtling into the sun rn.
CDTH SPOILERS will tag also but just so you’re warned
The use of the word Fenian in CDTH is so jarring to me. Like I’m sure she’s trying to invoke Fenian in the sense of a member of the Irish mythological Fianna ? But like... it’s unavoidably political as a word ?
I could delve into a better explanation of this but I’m currently in a doctor’s waiting room so have this Wikipedia explanation of the term.
Being associated with Boudicca as an organisation makes it weirder that it’s being used and isn’t political to me. (There are probably a host of reasons why Boudicca as a figure could also complicate this further, but I just mean in the barest sense of it being a shady dangerous group, not that they appear to be even remotely paramilitary in nature, which also adds to the weirdness)
I mean lbr here is a man who must have memories of being from Belfast during the Troubles as evidenced by his shared past with Niall discussed in Chapter 64:
And calls himself the New Fenian apolitically ? As a henchman of this group ?? So odd.
I mean the term even has specific American history too.
I just don’t think any of the reasoning behind this will touch upon any of the connotations/history of this in itself - I mean that’s absolutely not the point of CDTH, nor do I particularly think it should be. So just... why ? Is it just that it sounds like a cool rebel name ? If so that surely would be shrouded in the actual historical rebellion it’s linked to ? Being from Belfast when Niall would have been there, there is no way he’d be ignorant of the word or immune to its connotations, he wouldn’t use it without those being considerations, and I don’t know why he’d particularly want to in this context regardless of political leaning. Therefore: very strange.
Like generally when people are talking about the Fianna even you wouldn’t say “Fionn mac Cumhaill was a Fenian” you’d say he was a leader of the Fianna? Diarmuid Ua Duibhne - solider or member of the Fianna. Calling them Fenian would be weird. It’s still an extremely recognisable term today.
Anyway this is my off the cuff rambling as a confused Irish reader.
This also - does anyone have the ebooks and can they find the Roscommon mention? Realise I’m just on a little journey here without full context but truly fascinated by the objectively weird cultural approach to the Niall of it all
I know you've said before that Niall was probably from Belfast but I'm pretty sure I recall it being stated somewhere in the books something about him being from Roscommon? I mean to be fair I could have dreamt it but I'll try and find where I saw it
I don’t know about whether there may be mention of Roscommon at some point but in the prologue to The Dream Thieves it tells us “Niall Lynch was a braggart poet, a loser musician, a charming bit of hard luck bred in Belfast but born in Cumbria, and Ronan loved him like he loved nothing else.” I generally tend to ignore the Cumbria bit though. People generally do? Idk England doesn’t particularly compel me in relation to the Lynch as “Irish” characters soz - though I’m guessing these links may be developed in regards to the Scottish history/Celtic revival linked with Cumbria? But actually has anyone ever considered a Niall of NI descent raised in Cumbria as opposed to Norn Iron? Like that’s a whole thing u feel can we just - he’s written in a way that cloaks the potential of this entwined identity I feel - I need more of the relevance to make me give this any weight what’s the deal what is up why - also please keep in mind all of tumblr that I am the most perpetually exhausted I have ever been and as someone who never started their work in advance in college and has had issues with sleep generally for over 10 years that’s saying something so be forgiving for any glaring errors of logic I’m trying my goddamn best rn I stg I will be a real human so soon so beautifully soon I can sleep
ugh I might have to read these books - the reincarnation greywaren thing I’m seeing mentions of has me 👀 about reincarnation and shapeshifting in Irish mythology and my brain is ⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️
re: these tags - Ronan is a v common Irish name but the name lore? I have always thought it could be rich for examining Ronan as a dreamer who is the son of a dreamer & a dream.
Here’s a lil copy & paste job from Wikipedia on the name lore in question:
“The name is derived from a very old legend, which tells the story of a mother seal who is warned never to stray too close to the land. When the seal is swept ashore by a huge wave, she becomes trapped in a human form, known as a "Selkie" or "seal maiden". Although she lives as the wife of a fisherman and bears him children, known as "ronans" or "little seals", she never quite loses her "sea-longing". Eventually she finds the "seal-skin" which the fisherman has hidden and slips back into the ocean. However, she can't forget her husband and children and can be seen swimming close to the shore, keeping a watchful and loving eye on the
guys it’s just so I mean swap out selkie with dreaming/aurora and it’s just so
guys why is her name mór no one is called mór it literally means big