DÚLRA doesn’t make many home visits, however he made an exception for Pat Rice. The octogenarian former college instructor/politician famous linguist was given fowl feeders as a Christmas current by his son and needed some recommendation on how greatest to place them up.
“Many people get an interest in birds from their parents, I got my love of birds from my son Paul,” smiled Pat.
When Dúlra visited, it was clear that the birds of Pat’s Poleglass backyard are effectively sorted. And they definitely have a large alternative of meals to select from, together with a variety of unique fruit – that’s no shock contemplating Pat’s spouse Martita comes from Ecuador.
Just as we stepped out the again door, we had been met by a heartwarming omen. A wooden pigeon with a big twig in its mouth swooped down in direction of us and disappeared into the depths of the backyard fir tree. It was simply the sixth of February and already this fowl was bidding farewell to winter and building a nest. And proper exterior Pat’s kitchen window. Fantastic!
Dúlra put two feeders up – one on the fence and the opposite hanging from a department of a thicket of ivy which had grown in a single nook. He crammed them with sunflower hearts and left the bag with Pat for refills. Pat might want to try this commonly as sunflower hearts are like a drug to backyard birds. An common feeder shall be emptied in every week, however you by no means can predict by which species of fowl. Here, so near Colin Glen, you can appeal to greenfinches, siskins and even redpolls, together with the extra widespread tits. And these wooden pigeons – colm coille in Irish – will sweep up any fallen seeds on the bottom under.
Refilling these feeders will take some effort, however Pat is up for the duty. “My father used to say, ‘Time and patience will take the snail to Jerusalem.’ I have the same philosophy – I’m slow and careful but I get there.”
Pat could also be a pillar of the West Belfast neighborhood, however as that saying hints, he’s truly a rustic man, introduced up on Sturgan Brae above Camlough Loch. And he carries with him nonetheless the lore and traditions of that lovely South Armagh panorama.
“The birds are probably watching us putting these feeders up and saying, ‘They’ve had some poor body’s blessing,’” Pat stated. “My granny would have said that – it means that the poor people were especially listened to by the powers above.” Pat’s granny would welcome homeless travellers to her hillside home, determined individuals who can be given a meal and/or a mattress for the night time. It’s unbelievable that these occasions are nonetheless inside human reminiscence.
And Pat’s reward to Dúlra for placing up the feeders? A valuable horde of fowl books. Pat’s home is coming down with books – fairly actually. He made a tough depend of them and arrived on the unbelievable determine of 5,000 – most likely greater than some libraries! But one incident made him realise that he had too many. “We were in bed at about one o’clock in the morning when there was this almighty crash. Martita thought it was a bomb. In fact, three bookshelves had collapsed and if I’d been at my desk I would have been hurt.”
Books line each wall in each room. And they appear to be in each language below the solar. Dúlra needed to ask – So what number of languages do you’ve got Pat?
“I would have dabbled in at least 15,” he stated modestly. Fifteen! And for Pat, ‘dabbling’ means the flexibility to at the very least learn a guide in them. He’s so fluent in 5 that he can do TV or radio interviews. Languages he can learn novels in embody Catalan, Portuguese, Italian and Scots Gaelic, amongst others. But how does he get the time to study all of them? Well, it’s truthful to say he doesn’t waste a second.
“I studied Japanese for two years and the only time I could do it was between half six and half seven every morning before I went to school,” he stated. He by no means drove and walked in every single place at a brisk tempo, together with the truthful distance from his then home in Glengoland as much as St Mary’s each morning.
If there’s one language that’s closest to his coronary heart – apart from his native Irish – it’s Basque, famend as one of the troublesome languages to study. “The only thing I would still like to do is translate a book directly from Basque to Irish,” he says.
Pat’s curiosity in languages led to a life crammed with journey. And giving languages to so many young folks as a instructor in St Mary’s was like giving them a passport to discover the world. Not that he ever forgot the place he got here from. He dipped his toe into politics in 1985 when he stood as a councillor for Sinn Féin in Lisburn – though he had been assured he wouldn’t get elected. But he was delighted to win.
“By about teatime on election day I had election fever myself because I saw the people coming out and voting for me,” he stated. It was a seat he held till 1997.
Before Dúlra’s go to, Pat had sifted via his books and picked out a number of referring to nature. “You can have them if you’re interested,” he stated. Dúlra had arrived at Pat’s home with an armful of seeds – and he left with an armful of books.
There’s little question who bought probably the most out of that go to!
• If you’ve seen or photographed something fascinating, or have any nature questions, you may textual content Dúlra on 07801 414804.
Do you’ve got one thing to say on this difficulty? If so, submit a letter for publication to Conor McParland at [email protected] or write to Editor Anthony Neeson at Andersonstown News/North Belfast News, Teach Basil, 2 Hannahstown Hill, Belfast BT17 0LT
