It was a fine windy Friday when a group of us set off to climb Djouce from Ballinastoe Woods. Half-way up we came across two young women having a snack. Conversation ensued and we found that they were from Argentina and Germany. We responded that we were Irish, but I interjected that I was Welsh. “Ydych chi’n siarad Cymraeg?” said one of them.
A Welsh conversation followed and it transpired that Dianna Mancilla was from the Welsh colony in Patagonia. She was delighted to find that there were Welsh speakers in Dublin and I was thrilled to have an unexpected Welsh conversation half-way up a Wicklow mountain.
Fellow walkers Joe and Caitlin have spent many summers exploring the Austrian Alps and were able to exchange some words of German with the other lass. So, a real polyglot gathering!
Dianna is continuing her European journey, but expects to be back in Dublin in November. She is looking forward to meeting up with more Welsh people then.
Gareth Llwyd Jones
‘Roedd hi’n ddiwrnod gwyntog a braf pan aeth grŵp ohonom allan i ddringo Dioghais (Djouce) o goedwig Ballinastoe. Hanner ffordd i fyny, daethom ar draws dwy fenyw yn cael tipyn o fwyd. Cawsom sgwrs ac fe wnaethon ni ddarganfod eu bod nhw’n dod o’r Ariannin a’r Almaen. Wnaethon ni ymateb ein bod ni’n Wyddelod, ond fe wedais fy mod i’n Gymro. “Ydych chi’n siarad Cymraeg?” gofynnodd un ohonyn nhw.
Dilynodd sgwrs Gymraeg ac fe ddigwyddodd fod Dianna Mancilla yn dod o’r wladfa Gymreig ym Mhatagonia. Roedd hi’n falch iawn i glywed bod siaradwyr Cymraeg yn Nulyn, ac roeddwn i wrth fy modd i gael sgwrs Gymraeg annisgwyl hanner ffordd i fyny mynydd yn Wicklow.
‘Roedd ein cyd-gerddwyr Joe a Caitlin wedi treulio sawl haf yn archwilio Alpau Awstria, ac roedden nhw’n gallu cyfnewid rhai geiriau o Almaeneg gyda’r ferch arall. Felly casgliad polyglot go iawn!
Mae Dianna yn parhau a’i thaith Ewropeaidd, ond mae’n disgwyl bod yn ôl yn Nulyn ym mis Tachwedd. Mae hi’n edrych ymlaen at gwrdd â mwy o Gymry pryd hynny.
Gareth Llwyd Jones
Nothing like these wonderful chance meetings and finding the Welsh connection!
Dim byd fel cwrdd a phobol fel hyn yn anisgwyliadwy a ffindio cysylltiad cymreig arbennig!
Diolch am y hanes. Braf i gael y cyfle i siarad Cymraeg hanner ffordd i fyny mynydd yn Iwerddon!
I had the same experience in reverse when a couple of years ago I noticed some men in the Crown Bar in Belfast wearing red tops and i spotted Welsh writing on the sleeves…ydych chi’n scared Cymraeg? I asked and continued conversing in Welsh with them…harder to write. They were chuffed to find a Norn Irish woman in Belfast speaking Welsh. Got a couple of free drinks 🤪 ..they were over it seems for rugby 🏉 Cardiff v Belfast