This article is from page 12 of the 2008-04-15 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 12 JPG
CLARE BASED writer Nuala O Faolain revealed over the weekend that she has cancer and will soon die. In an emotionally charged interview, the Lahinch based journalist and author revealed that she learned of the diagnosed six weeks ago in New York.
The cancer, which began in her lungs but has now spread to her brain and liver, is incurable and Ms O Faolain has turned down the option OMe Toate
Ms O Faolain owns a house in Bar- tra outside Lahinch and has lived between Clare and New York for the last two decades. ;
During those years, Ms O Faolain spent much of her time in Lahinch
with fellow journalist Nell McCaf- ferty and was a regular contributor to the Merriman Summer School in Lisdoonvarna.
“T lived for years with Nell McCaf- ferty and lets say 12 of those were the greatest fun and I owe so much to them and in fact, as far as I am con- cerned, Irish women owe so much to Nell and I was dead lucky to live with her. But then again it ended up not so hot, but now it is my great pleasure to be in email contact with Nell and to thank her,’ she told RTE radio.
“Let poor human beings believe what they want, but to me its (the af- terlife) meaningless. I waited on the radio the other day to hear poor John O’ Donoghue, knowing that he is very important to many people, but to me it is utterly meaningless.
“And yet I want to mention one thing that you might play at the end, particularly for dying people, some- thing I picked up little bits here and there about Ireland, largely at the Merriman Summer School, which is one of the great things in my life.
“It’s a song I heard a few years ago called Thois I Lar an Glanna. It’s a kind of modern song sung by Albert Fry and other Donegal singers. And the last two lines are two things, ask- ing God up there in the heavens, even though you don’t believe in him, to send you back even though you know it can’t happen. Those two things sum up where I am now.”