Uilleam Ó Ceallaigh

Biography

Dia dhuit, agus Fáilte; tá sé deas bualadh leat. Is mise Uilleam Ó Ceallaigh, agus is as Lancashire mé; tá mé ag foghlaim Gaeilge. Hello and welcome; it's nice to meet you. I'm Uilleam Ó Ceallaigh, and I'm from Lancashire; I'm learning Irish. Is maith liom a bheith ag léamh filíocht, agus scríobhaim filíocht. I like reading poetry, and I write poetry. Tá an filíocht agam i mo chroí. I have poetry in my heart. Tá an Gaeilige agam i mo chroí. I have Gaelic in my heart. Tá an ceol agam i mo chroí. I have music in my heart. .....................dá bhrí sin tá mé sásta! - so I'm content!.................... Tha con tek t' mon eawt o' Lankisheer, bu' tha connut tek t' Lankisheer eawt o' t' mon. One may take a man out of Lancashire, but one cannot take the Lancashire out of the man. I think, therefore I am; therefore I write, or, as Poet John Clare (1793 –1864) wrote: “I am! yet what I am none cares or knows.” Slán go fóill! By for now!

Samples

Handala, Speed with our Love on the Wing! To the tune of “Speed Bonnie Boat”......Words by me. Chorus: Handala, speed with our love on the wing! “Onward!” the whole world cries, “Send them our love!” we all loudly sing, Love to Palestine flies. Scatter our people, burn down our homes, Say we’re not humankind, Put us in chains, with bombs crush our bones, You can’t imprison our minds. Chorus Though tyrants howl, though they may roar, Though their hate rends the air, Though all compassion they do abhor, Armed with our love, we’ll dare. Chorus Palestine’s freedom must win the day, Bravely our pens we must wield, Truth unto power we will convey, Courage and Hope never yield. Chorus Whilst mothers weep, my pen will not sleep, Never will rest my hand, Our faith is deep, in our hearts we will keep A space for Palestine’s Land. Chorus ........................................................................................................................................................................... Haiku don Bhliain 2025 [Uimhir a cúig déag 15 on Victory (over what?) Day] Auschwitz? Vergessen! Arbeit macht frei in Gaza Frühling für Starmer ................................................................................................................................................ للَّٰهُ أَكْبَرُAlahu Akbar! God is Great! [A celebration of British values] Posted New Year's Day 2025. ---------------------------- My mother had a habit, when times were bad, for example when dad had lost his job, of uttering the phrase: “God is good!”, an expression of her Christian faith and hope. The expression: “Thank God for that!”, is an everyday one of gratitude; and “goodbye” is derived from “God be with you”; a similarly used Arabic phrase forms the title of my sonnet. My republican instincts lead me to disapprove of the British honours system as it exists; however, a notable exception, is my recommendation, that our hero, Councillor Ali, should be eligible for such an honour; a riposte, if nothing else, to the bigots who have so maligned him and others in their ignorant Islamophobia. Oyez, oyez, pray, hear this tale I tell, Of chivalry upon Leeds’ Harehills Lane, When counsellor wise foiled riotous ne’er-do-wells, True Briton he, let all proclaim his fame! With heart of oak and nerves of solid steel, He stood between hotheads and raging fire, Protecting citizens from danger real, All England, Councillor Ali should inspire. Aye, sing the praises of yon gallant soul, Maligned by rogues of brutish ignorance. With pride, performed he well, his civic rôle: What’s right from wrong? he taught the difference. Brave Chevalier, let his fame spread afar, Arise, Sir Ali, Alahu Akbar! -------------------------------------------------- He's a Socialist?.....A Socialist, my Arse! ------------------ Sir Starver hears but must ignore, being answerable, not to the many, but the few’s blood-lusting roar, strings pulled with many a pretty penny. lover he, of fascist shores, solution final, they’ve demanded, in hock to genocidal boors, with filthy lucre he’s red-handed. is there no arse he will not lick? needs must that he stand by his man; no conscience has that standing prick, who’s cheering on the killing klan! --------------------- --------------- ----------- -------- Land and Freedom -------------------- For Land and Freedom, some profess great love; No place though, in my heart for blood-drenched stones; A charnel-house, where grew an olive grove; My new-born’s crèche, built on crushed babies’ bones? What’s Freedom for? to build Apartheid’s walls? That’s good for nought, but sowing death and hate; Its harvest, cruel, to evil it’s in thrall, Brute arrogance spits in the Prophet’s face, But Onward Christian Soldiers march and sing; Remembrance Sunday sees no lessons learned, Po-faced, the cleric drones: where is death’s sting? Their silent night cloaks Truth they all have spurned. Efficiency ensures that coffins filled Mean coffers full, more blessings for those killed. -------------------- A Brahmsian Liszt How do you do, I'm Mick Adoo, I’m captain of thissh sship, Of ale, I've had a sssshhhip or two, Yes, I've got a little lizszszt, I always walk and talk like thissh When I'm Brahms and Liszt. -------------------------------------- He’s fine with the murder of babies, All hail to that regime from Hades, His morals, urinal, His solution is final, And now he’s as popular as rabies. -------------------- Two-Tier Racists She’s persona non grata to the two-tier mob, she just doesn’t matter; yes, “She should be shot”, is what that man said, but that’s mighty fine in Two-Tier’s head; no, justice ain’t blind for those two-tier racists, see, she’s the wrong colour, her face just ain’t English; and her friendship with that fellow called J.C, a socialist, is quite beyond the pale, it makes Two-Tiers pissed, and cry into his ale. ------------------------------------------- Sunday Prayers Yesterday was Sunday; which was our Sabbath; a walk in the park in the autumn sun. That was the day right after Shabbat, and that was the day after their Jumu’ah; Three days of prayer, of reflection and quiet. We walked in the park with family and friends in the autumn sun, then sat in the riotous children’s playground, which wasn’t so quiet for they were reciting at top decibels the age-old song, the ode to pure joy straight from pure hearts. Gran and I sat down right next to a couple with a babe in a pram whose brother and daddy were wearing a kippah. I’d a lump in my throat, a mind full of bad news, and I thought to myself: should I just say “hello, it’s a nice day isn’t it!”, but didn’t. Was it me not being British, -for once? So I held my tongue, perhaps through fear of saying something stupid such as: “isn’t it awful what’s happening over there”. There was a hole in my heart then where joy should have been; so I filled it with love, and saved it for them, and anyone else, who needed a hug. -------------------------------------- Thanksgiving for Sunday 23rd April 2023 It was an ordinary Sunday, ‘Til you turned up, then it was Fuuunday! We took along bread for feeding the birds, God’s creatures need love, both feathered and furred, We settled for the path with the steepest rake, Which leads directly down to the lake, Exercise for the legs, the heart and the mind, But to granddads’s old knees, not quite so kind! With your tiny hands, you held us both tight, Your right in gran’s left, and your left in my right, Gladly I paid for ice creams all round, I’d promised your mum, I was duty bound! We fed Canada Geese and ducks and swans, Sauntering and smiling, amongst the birdsong, Our blessings recieved in nature’s kingdom, Pure joy that we shared with our little Cherry Blossom!

All poems are copyright of the originating author. Permission must be obtained before using or performing others' poems.

Blog entries by Uilleam Ó Ceallaigh

Number 18 Shirt for Number 10! (27/07/2025)

Bunker Bum [with apologies to Oscar Wilde] (27/07/2025)

Luimneach [2. Faoi Príomh-Aire na Breataine-Blunt Tools are Dangerous] (26/07/2025)

Luimneach [Faoi Príomh-Aire na Breataine] (25/07/2025)

The Price of Liberty (24/07/2025)

Haiku for 2025 [No. 27. Christians Awake!] (22/07/2025)

Up the Garden Path [a response to JD's "Like a Night in the Forest"] (22/07/2025)

Haiku for 2025 [No. 26. Palestine Inaction] (20/07/2025)

Handala, Speed with our Love on the Wing! (16/07/2025)

I am Palestine Action (12/07/2025)

Read more entries by Uilleam Ó Ceallaigh…

Blog link: https://www.writeoutloud.net/blogs/uilleamÓceallaigh

Audio entries by Uilleam Ó Ceallaigh

The Price of Liberty (24/07/2025)

Handala, Speed with our Love on the Wing! (16/07/2025)

I am Palestine Action (12/07/2025)

Bonnie Madleen (26/06/2025)

His Majesty's Crime Minister (03/06/2025)

Maternity to Eternity (23/05/2025)

Speyk Lanky Twang! [ Fascists Eawt! English not Spoken Here!] (15/05/2025)

Naofa Deatach! [Luimneach Thriarach] (09/05/2025)

Propaganda (05/05/2025)

Bread and Roses (22/04/2025)

More audio from Uilleam Ó Ceallaigh…