Đ Copyright Ute Oettel 1997 - 2007
Like a leaf in an Irish storm
Please forgive me the spelling and grammar mistakes!
Unfortunately this novel isnīt available in english yet - but Iīll do my best. Just try a few lines and please come back later!
Contents:
Donegal/Ireland 1839 -
1856
The poor north-west part of Ireland is the home of Colleen
Mulligan, a young Irish girl whose life is running in a
traditional stern catholic way. Curious about the future and the
love she got involved in a – for her family disagreeable
– romance with a smuggler and lost all tracks of morality
and decency.
She tries to arrange her life new but has to realize that the
moment is chosen bad. One of the worst famine of history comes
over Ireland and drags her deep into troubles. Colleen sees
friends and her family dying and grasps that also she has to
fight to survive this time.......
1881
The cool sea-breeze was salty and
fresh, blowing wild and unrestrained across the evergreen
landscape of the north-western part of Ireland – across the
coast of Donegal.
Seagulls, fat and satisfied, were flying at the sky with shrill
noises to use the upward winds to pass the cliffs. Nothing else
at this day seemed so calm and also wild like the dark blue water
of the Atlantic Ocean, crashing against the rocks in a deafening
noise before sloping onto the yellow beaches nearby.
Colleen was standing at one of these cliffs and let her glances
glide over the lonely landscape around while her hair – some
locks already painted in grey – was whirling around her
face. This land with itīs rough cliffs and the cold charm of
loneliness was her home – here she was born; but years ago
this Ireland had been a different country.
The ruins of a nearby house were overgrown with moss and grass
and could hardly be seen – but she loved this place, this
old Cottage, she had ever loved it from the beginning on. Here,
where the land was ending yards away to drop steeply to the ocean
below, here she had lived with her husband and children, here she
had been happy despite the poverty and misery which stroke
Ireland long ago.But these years had changed this country and all
the people who were living here – Colleen could not really
say which part of time she preferred. One again she let her sad
and tired eyes wander across the former walls of her home and
realise that the old stony fence did no longer exist; the rough
and destroying winter storms had demanded tribute during the
years.Many of the farms around were abandoned or destroyed.
Once these
surroundings had got hundreds of tenants and still today Colleen
saw the busy paths before her eyes; the overcrowded churches on
Sunday Mass and the Irish faces – they all were gone; had
left Ireland dead or alive.Only here and there a tenant was still
ploughing the fields, tending the sheep on
a leased land like they did it for centuries. Also today they
were working for the landlords, for english men. It seemed this
would never change in thousand years. Of the former villages
Killyway and Killybegs which had had effects on Colleens life
only one had survived. Killyway had died – died with all the
people who had lived in.
She drew her shawl closer around her shoulders. Green had been
this country ever since – in summer or like today in autumn
– but she also sensed the coming winter; a further winter
after a further autumn. The far coastline of the Donegal Bay was
running up to the horizon, now and then interrupted by
beautiful beaches and huge cliffs; the thundering of the waves
crashing against the rocks let Colleen shiver. It were exactly
these impressions she needed to awake her memories in her
heart.They had taken from her so many years; years when she could
only dream of her home landscape. It had been years which took
all; friends and family, only two of her sisters and brothers
were still alive, and her brother was far away in Australia.
Where her sister was living she did not exactly know. Colleen had
returned from Dublin to see her land again, her home and only her
children would be here to welcome her. Colleens eldest son was
still living in this area; he had never left this county where he
was born more than 40 years ago. With a small farm and a Cottage
he kept the tradition alive which started his
ancestors. Martin resembled so much to his father that Colleen
often remembered in tears what had happened years ago. With her
heart, heavy and leaden, she smiled to see Martins last visit
again. How
much time had passed since then? One year? Two?
Her second son and daughter had left Donegal to live in the
cities somewhere in Ireland. Maybe they did not want to see her
again - and Colleen would understand them for such decision. 25
years had passed – 25 long years when the whole world and
her own life had changed. Forgotten since long was the
dreadful famine, striking Ireland with death and emigration in
the 1840s. More than one third of the population had left their
home country – on a ship or wrapped in white linen to stay
forever in the Holy Ground of Ireland. The emigration and
diseases which followed the famine had left behind a nearly
deserted country, only few had stayed to live in these hills. And
Colleen was one of these few who started a new life after famine;
a life which could not prevent what had happened 25 years ago. It
had not come overnight – it had needed years and often she
still remembered the fear in her
heart. What had gone wrong?
One day she would return to Donegal when all things she had to do were done. This land was her home, here she wished to live until her death, here she wished to buried beside her husband’s side. Colleen took a small stone into her hand and stroke over it with her bony fingers. This country with all it myths and legends was worth to survive. Still Ireland was occupied by England but with the increasing resistance and the help of God one day Ireland would be free.It would become a country of which the people would be proud of...
Somewhere a seagull was screaming – one of so many at this coast. The sun had already reached the horizon and it would not last long and the red ball was going to sink. The red sunlight was painting the rocks of Sliabh Liag – this spectacle would not last long, Colleen knew, when standing there to absorb each second of this ending day. Already know thick rain clouds were approaching this island. Her eyes were filled with tears when her glances became lost in the distance. Her life was destroyed since long and it had happened so much – luck and misery, grief and happiness. Could she ever forget what had begun more than 40 years ago....?(...)
1840
(...)
Laughing Colleen
gathered her skirt up to her knees, leaped down from the last
stones and kept running so as if she was as mad as could be.
Wasnīt this crazy, she thought and felt the sand beneath her
feet. Here she was so happy although it was all forbidden. Seans
words behind her hardly reached her as she continued to run and
only felt how the moist air touched her face. After few yards she
slowed as she felt stitches in her lungs. While stumbling she
kept walking and mixed the laughters with a bad coughing –
she was so endless happy.
Short behind the rough cliffs changed to low dunes had Sean
reached her. Hasty and nearly angry he dragged her arm back
whereby Colleen lost balance and fell down into the soft sand.
With a stretched head she first watched Sean standing by her side
before her glances were wandering to the cliffs far away.
„Youīre crazy, you know? These stones are
slippery,“ he said breathless before he knelt down
beside her.
„Maybe Iīm crazy. But why not? All are insulting me of
being crazy because of loving a smuggler!“
Within fractions of a second it came clear what she had said and
Colleen swallowed. Only a short flashing of Seans eyes could be
seen before he lifted his eyebrow, bent over her excited body to
press her into the wet sand. The question was so cold and with
lack of emotion that Colleen shivered.
„You love me??“
She was not able to answer but grasped it had been wrong
what she had said. The short silence let the tension increase
before a slight smile flew over his lips. A thin drizzle had set
in and moistened her face – but what she did not really
realize. Her attention was pointed to Sean who kept bending
downwards, pressing his lips upon her mouth and embraced her so
passionately like never felt before. But if Colleen had thought
of hearing the same words of love from him so she became
disappointed this day. Only a few soft compliments found their
way to her heart before he cursed of a sudden and got up drenched
to the skin. With a demanding gesture he helped her up to the
legs again and squinted into the sky:
„Damned weather,“ and these swearwords were
shocking Colleen, „First rain and now itīs getting
dark. Come on, letīs go back!“
As they reached the path a short time later did Colleen deny
Seans accompany – she wanted to go home alone. Only now
– how it seemed – she felt the coldness of the rain.
With trembling legs she turned once again but Sean had already
vanished. Was he loving her as well, Colleen wondered again and
again, or was she only a diversion for this smuggler?
Later on Colleen was back home before her parents and was
contented that Patrick did not ask he anything. Even why, a visit
by Peggy was not very interesting....
(...)
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You can visit Ireland of the past.
Great Famine - photos and background history
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Đ Copyright Ute Oettel 1997 - 2007