This week, I accompanied Irish Global Guide Darragh to PS 75 in the South Bronx. Darragh, a PhD student in Theater at Colombia, did not hold a “typical” workshop; rather than a PowerPoint, Darragh led several engaging activities.
First, he directed a simple play about the legendary sea journey of St. Brendan of Clonfert. Darragh taught students Gaelic words and phrases to use in the performance, including America, Ireland, Hello, Goodbye, What is your name?, and Whale. In the story, St. Brendan lands on an island which turns out to be a whale. Then, he and his companions scurry away from the island and eventually find America.
Then, Darragh led an excerpt of the song “Molly Malone,” a popular anthem in Dublin. He explained the song is about a woman who sells seafood on the street, and students connected this to the food vendors here in New York City.
In Dublin's fair city,
where the girls are so pretty,
I first set my eyes on sweet Molly Malone,
As she wheeled her wheel-barrow,
Through streets broad and narrow,
Crying, "Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh!"
"Alive, alive, oh, Alive, alive, oh",
Crying "Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh".
Finally, Darragh introduced students to Ogham stones--stones where people in past centuries used to write the Old Irish language. Students practiced writing their names with the alphabet, finding it challenging that some letters in our alphabet (J, K, Y) did not exist in the Ogham alphabet.
Students thanked Darragh for a wonderful workshop by shouting "Slán!", the Gaelic word for goodbye.
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