The GAA is not only a sporting community, but a cultural one, celebrating Irish music and song, language, literature, history, dance, and culture. We have a range of classes and events throughout the year which are available to everyone in the club. We wish everyone a Happy Christmas Nollaig Shona Daoibh and hope you enjoy this poem.
The First Mourne Christmas – A Poem by Peter Makem
The moon shone all along the Bann
On Lisnavaghrog shone,
On Kinnehalla valley
And the rising fields of Mourne.
She made her light on every home
And lit the fall of snow
Where people moved around their way
Two thousand years ago.
And she set one winter night
Under Glaskermore
A star appeared above the hills
That never shone before,
And they who mapped the heavens
Assembled in alarm
Whispering their prophesies
Of kings and queens to come,
And spoke the winter solstice
The year’s most sacred day
Watching the star grown brighter
Beneath the Milky Way,
And one by one their voices rose
Around the harp and drum,
The young and old together there
Into their ancient hymn,
And as they sang another song
Came from a starry choir
And echoed every word they made
Around their winter fire,
And the words that came together
Sang of the solstice dawn,
Sang of the new age rising
In the flare of the winter sun,
And sang that what they chanted
Was heard in every wind
And that same dawn was rising
On every sea and land,
And that same star that lit the sky
Above the hills of Mourne
Was the star that shone on Bethlehem
That night that Christ was born.
To participate in our Cultural Committee, contact Ana Magorrian or email pro.carryduff.down@gaa.ie for more details.
Nollaig Shona Daoibh
