Ar an Luan, 14 Márta, sheol Ambasadóir na hÉireann chun na Fraince, Geraldine Byrne Nason, As Tobar an Doibhlinigh, arna thiomsú ag an Dr Tracey Ní Mhaonaigh, sa Centre Culturel Irlandais, i bPáras. Cnuasach atá sa leabhar seo de shamplaí ionadaíocha de scríbhneoireacht Bhreandán Uí Dhoibhlin agus é i mbun pinn le breis agus seasca bliain anuas, iad leagtha amach i gcúig earnáil, mar atá, Cúrsaí Critice, Cúrsaí Aistritheoireachta, Seanmóireacht agus Óráidíocht, Scríbhneoireacht Chruthaitheach, agus Aistí Ilchineálacha. I measc na dtéamaí a fheictear ag fí trí na sleachta sa leabhar tá ceisteanna féiniúlachta agus cultúir go mór chun tosaigh agus an Doibhlineach ag impí ar mhuintir na hÉireann an oidhreacht as ar fáisceadh sinn a aithint, a admháil agus a chur chun cinn. Mar a dúirt an tAmbasadóir ina hóráid, is tráthúil an ní é cnuasach den chineál seo a bheith ar an bhfód i mbliana agus sinn ag machnamh athuair ar cheisteanna cultúir le linn mhórchomóradh 1916.
Ní díreach seoladh leabhair a bhí i gceist ar an oíche ach ceiliúradh agus comóradh ar dhuine de mhórscoláirí na Fraince agus na Gaeilge, an Mons. Breandán Ó Doibhlin, Ollamh Emeritus le Fraincis. Chuige sin, bhí roinnt cainteoirí difriúla i gceist agus stiúrthóir an Centre Culturel, Nora Hickey M’Sichili, ag feidhmiú mar bhean an tí. Chuir Nora fáilte roimh an slua breá a bhí i láthair sular iarr sí ar an Ambasadóir tús a chur i gceart le himeachtaí an tráthnóna. Dhírigh an tAmbasadóir, ina cuid cainte, ar shaibhreas oideachas Mhá Nuad agus ar mhórghréasán Alumni na hOllscoile. Labhair sí mar gheall ar an gceangal stairiúil idir Má Nuad agus Páras, ansin, agus ar ról an Doibhlinigh i gcosaint an cheangail sin agus i mbunú an Ionaid Chultúrtha, sular sheol sí As Tobar an Doibhlinigh. An tAthair Dwayne Gavin, ball eile d’Alumni Mhá Nuad agus séiplíneach Choláiste na nÉireannach, a labhair ansin agus é ag díriú ar phobal na hÉireann i bPáras, ar thábhacht an Ionaid Chultúrtha dóibh agus ar a chuid cuimhní féin ar an iar-Ollamh le Fraincis le linn a chuid staidéir féin i Má Nuad. Bhí tábhacht an leabhair mar eithne na cainte a thug an Dr Tadhg Ó Dúshláine uaidh agus béim faoi leith á leagan aige ar éirimiúlacht scríbhneoireachta an Doibhlinigh agus ar an saothar luachmhar a bhí curtha le chéile ag an Dr Tracey Ní Mhaonaigh. Tracey, í féin, a labhair ansin agus d’inis sí scéal an tsaothair don slua agus an chaoi a raibh clár saothair Bhreandáin á thabhairt suas chun dáta aici nuair a bhraith sí dualgas uirthi a shaibhreas a athfhógairt. Agus an ball is mó ar deireadh, an Mons. Breandán Ó Doibhlin. Ghabh sé a bhuíochas croíúil leis an Ambasadóir, leis an slua a bhí i láthair, le Tracey, as an saothar a chur le chéile, agus le toscaireacht Mhá Nuad a d’eagraigh agus a thug faoin turas go Páras leis.
Bhí an seoladh seo i measc imeachtaí oifigiúla Ollscoil Mhá Nuad le haghaidh mhórchomóradh 1916. An tráthnóna roimh an seoladh, bhí Breandán agus toscaireacht Mhá Nuad ina n-aíonna chun dinnéir in Ambasáid na hÉireann thall.
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On Monday 14th of March, the Irish Ambassador to France, Geraldine Byrne Nason, launched As Tobar an Doibhlinigh, compiled by Dr Tracey Ní Mhaonaigh, in the Centre Culturel Irlandais in Paris. The work, a collection of examples of Msgr Brendan Devlin’s writing over a period of more than 60 years, is arranged under five headings, Criticism, Translation, Sermonizing and Oration, Creative Writing, and Miscellaneous Essays. The question of culture and identity is among the most prevalent of all the themes running through his writing, as he urges Irish people to recognise, acknowledge and promote their heritage. In her speech, the Ambassador acknowledged the timely nature of this work, given the focus in this year of commemoration on our national identity.
The event wasn’t merely a book launch, but a celebration of one of the great Irish and French scholars, Msgr Brendan Devlin, Professor Emeritus of French. To that end, there were a number of speakers on the night, with the Director of the Centre Culturel, Nora Hickey M’Sichili officiating. Nora began by welcoming those present before inviting the Ambassador to speak. The Ambassador, in her speech, focussed on the uniqueness of a Maynooth education and on the University’s strong Alumni network. She spoke about the historical connection between Maynooth and Paris and on Brendan’s central role in protecting that connection and revitalising it in the Centre Culturel, before formally launching As Tobar an Doibhlinigh. Fr Dwayne Gavin, another member of the Maynooth Alumni and chaplain of the Irish College, then spoke about the strong Irish community in the French capital and on the role of the Centre Culturel at its heart, before sharing some of his own memories as a student of the Professor Emeritus of French. The significance of As Tobar an Doibhlinigh was the focus of Dr Tadhg Ó Dúshláine’s oration, as he emphasised Brendan’s skill as a writer and commended the efforts of Dr Tracey Ní Mhaonaigh in bringing a number of his writings together in one collection. Tracey, herself, then spoke and recounted her journey in compiling the work, from its humble beginnings as a detailed bibliography to its maturation into a collection of 76 articles and excerpts. Last but by no means least, Brendan himself was invited to speak, at which point he thanked the Ambassador, those present, Tracey, for putting the work together, and the Maynooth delegation for making the trip to Paris happen.
The launch was among the events on the Maynooth University official 1916 programme. On the evening prior to the launch, Brendan and the Maynooth delegation were dinner guests in the Irish Embassy.