I mí Mheitheamh 2021, fuair mé teachtaireacht ó Mharcus Mac Conghail agus é ag obair ar sraith nua raidió darb ainm Aistí ón Aer ar Raidió na Gaeltachta. Sa tsraith sin, cloistear aistí atá nua-scríofa ag réimse leathan scríbhneoirí ar iliomad ábhar. Bhí suim aige sa scéal HLP agus d’fhiafraigh sé díom píosa a scríobh faoi. Dúshlán mór gan dabht, mar níor scríobh mé rud mar sin don raidió riamh ach thapaigh mé an deis! D’ullmhaigh mé aiste dár teideal Stair Faoi Cheilt ina léirigh mé stair na lásadóireachta Áth Cinn agus na mná a bhí páirteach sa tionscal: na mná bochta agus iad ag cruthú lása chun cúpla pingin a thuilleamh agus a dteaghlaigh a chothú; na mná in Éirinn agus thar sáile a bhíodh ag ceannach slata lása le gearradh chun maisiú a dhéanamh; agus na mná saibhre Angla-Éireannach ag déanamh maoirseacht agus brabús ar an tionscal. Cailltear glórtha na mban, na bpáistí agus na mionlach go minic agus bhí sé tábhachtach domsa go mbeadh na mná ar ais sa scéal seo, ina bhfuil mórán fianaisí stairiúla bunaithe ar éachtaí na bhfear. Táim fíor-bhuíoch as an deis a bheith páirteach sa togra raidió álainn seo le daoine sa phobal Ghaelach atá meas mór agam orthu, ar nós Roxanna Nic Liam, Manchán Magan agus Seán Ó Dubhchón.

Ella Hassett

In May 2021, I received a message from Marcus Mac Conghail about a new radio series he was working on called Aistí ón Aer on Raidió na Gaeltachta. In this series, you hear newly-written essays by a broad range of writers on a multitude of subjects. He was interested in the HLP story and asked me to write a piece about it. A big challenge undoubtedly, because I had never written anything for radio before, but I took the opportunity! I prepared an essay titled Hidden History where I detailed the history of lacemaking in Headford and the women who were involved in the industry: the poor women creating lace to earn a few pennies to feed their families; the women in Ireland and abroad who were buying lengths of lace to decorate with; and the wealthy Anglo-Irish women who supported and patronised the industry. The voices of women, children and minorities are often lost and it was important to me that the women would be back in this story, where most of the historical evidence is based on the achievements of men. I am very grateful for the chance to be a part of such a beautiful radio project alongside people from the Irish language community whom I admire hugely, such as Roxanna Nic Liam, Manchán Magan agus Sean Ó Dubhchon.