Inis Me‡inÕs famed son Dara Beag laid to rest

Date Published: 08-Nov-2012

There were few people who visited Inis Meáin who hadn’t met Dara Beag Ó Fátharta because he was a renowned poet and was also the island’s ‘meet and greet’ personality.

At the age of 92, he passed away peacefully in his home on Inis Meáin on Thursday after ailing in the last year of his life. Up to that he was a sprightly, energetic man who saw the positive in everything.

He loved people, loved his island community and wanted the best for his native place. To that end, he was never afraid to speak up or speak out and he gained respect because he always spoke wisely.

Tarlach de Blácam, businessman on Inis Meáin and founder of the island’s knitting factory, said Dara Beag would be sorely missed. He described him as a man ahead of his time with the way he believed in the community and the co-operative movement.

He added that Dara Beag had been very supportive to him when he was setting up the knitting factory.

Apart from working on a turf scheme in Ferbane, Co Offaly for 18 months, Dara Beag lived on the least populated of the Aran Islands all his life, where he and his wife Teresa reared seven children, one of whom, Tomás, died in a drowning accident.

He farmed and helped development on the island but he was best known for his poetry, his story-telling and his wise take on all aspects of life and living. He was also instrumental in the establishment of Halla Naomh Eoin, a community centre on the island.

Tarlach described Dara Beag as a “spokesman for the island” and some even believe he was the closed thing Inis Meáin got to having its own ambassador.

His poetry and stories have been published in two books. One of these, Cloch an Fhaoileáin, was published by the local co-op. He featured in the series Ag Bogadh go hInis Meáin, first broadcast on TG4 in 2004.

Dara Beag was of small stature but big on ideas, knowledge and wisdom who was highly respected within and outside of his own community in the Irish-speaking world. He never appeared to age and has been photographed hundreds of times by visitors.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.