Is fuirist dul i dtaithí ar rud iontach. Ní fada dtí nach dtugaimid suntas a thuilleadh dó ach bímid ag súil leis. Sin nádúr an duine is dócha. D’éiríos maidin sheaca ó chianaibh, priocadh san aer, agus seachas a bheith teolaí ina tigín cluthar féin, cé a bhí ag fanacht liom ar lic an dorais? Mo mhaidrín beag, dílis Braindí.

Cén t-iontas? Nach minic a bhí sí cheana? Ach sa bhfuacht san, dá mbeadh mo rogha agam féin is dóigh liom gur fén bpluid a d’fhanfainn. Ach sin í Braindí. Cé gur leabhar atá tuillte aici ó cheart, braithim go bhfuil sé in am agam alt a scríobh faoi Bhraindí – an gadhar, gan aon áibhéal, a d’athraigh mo shaol.

Ní thuigeann Braindí go bhfuil níos mó inti ná aon mhadra caorach eile. Níl tuairim aici go bhfuil sí feiscthe ages na milliúin ar fud an domhain ar TikTok, go bhfuil na mílte tar éis a bheith i dteagmháil liom ag cur a tuairisce le linn na sé bliana atá caite againn le chéile ná go bhfuil ealaíontóirí fiú i ndiaidh pórtráidí di a sheoladh chugam.

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Beag beann ag Braindí ar aon ní ach obair na feirme.

Ní thuigeann Braindí go bhfuil níos mó inti ná aon mhadra caorach eile. Níl tuairim aici go bhfuil sí feiscthe ages na milliúin ar fud an domhain ar TikTok

Ní hamháin a bheith ag rith timpeall ar na caoire, na ba, páistí beaga ar uairibh – ach rudaí nár cheart go mbeadh aon suim ag gadhar ann. Burlaí féir á n-oscailt, slats á ghlanadh, bíonn sí ag stánadh orm ag cur wire in airde amhail ‘s go bhfoghlaimeoidh sí féin conas tabhairt faoi lá éigin! Cuma le Braindí sa tsaol seo ach a bheith le mo thaobh.

An íoróin atá ann ná, murach Braindí, gach seans nach mbeinn ag plé leis na meáin in aon chor. B’iad na físeáin den gcoileáinín gleoite ag foghlaim conas luí síos, caoire a bhailiú agus iad a fhágaint a d’oscail mé don saol mór. Mheall na físeáin na nuachtáin, raidió agus léiritheoirí teilifíse a thug deiseanna le dealraimh dom.

Ach ag an am céanna, deiseanna gur mhinic a scair ó Bhraindí mé ar feadh tréimhsí a chaithfeadh braithstint níos faide don madra age baile ná don bhfear ar an mbóthar.

‘Sí Braindí an tarna madra a bhí riamh againn a thuigeann nach féidir ba a thiomáint trí wire dúnta. Ní dhéanann sí ach fanacht le duine lena oscailt. Tá tuiscint ar leith aici ar an saol timpeall uirthi.

Thuigfinn dá mbeifeá in amhras, ach faraor táim cinnte deimhneach leis go dtuigeann sí cad is brí le mála mór i mo ghlac ag dul i dtreo na cairte. Chím na cluasa ag dul siar, an ceann thíos, braithim an briseadh croí – agus fós gach aon uair, ‘sí a shiúlaíonn dtí’n doras mé. An slán deireanach.

Bua atá ag madraí ná go maireann siad san am i láthair agus cé go mbraithim ciontach faoina bheith á tréigeant na huaireanta sin uile, níl Braindí ach lántsásta go bhfuilim léi inniubh.

Tréimhse chiúin atá i mí Eanáir sna meáin agus táim chun súp go cluasaibh a bhaint as an am seo – ag beathú ainmhithe agus ag siúl na ngort i dteannta a chéile, mar atá déanta ag daoine ‘s madraí ó thosach ama. Táim chun an suntas atá tuillte ag Braindí a thabhairt di anois, mar nach mbeidh sí ar lic mo dhorais go deo.

In English

It’s easy to get used to a great thing. It doesn’t take long before we stop noticing it, but begin to expect it. That’s human nature, I suppose. I got up of a frosty morning lately, a bite in the air, and instead of staying cosy in her own snug tigín, who was waiting for me on the doorstep?

My loyal, little dog, Braindí. No surprise there. Hadn’t she been there a hundred times before? But in that kind of cold, if I had the choice myself, ‘tis under the quilt I’d have stayed. But that’s Braindí. Although it’s a whole book of her own she deserves really, I reckon it’s time I wrote an article about Braindí – the dog who, no exaggeration, changed my life.

Braindí has no idea she’s anything other than an ordinary sheepdog. She hasn’t a clue that she’s been seen by millions around the world on TikTok, that thousands of people have messaged me asking after her over the six years we’ve been together, or that artists have even sent me portraits of her. None of that means a thing to Braindí.

She hasn’t a clue that she’s been seen by millions around the world on TikTok

All she has in the head is farm work. Not just running after the sheep, the cattle, or the odd small child – but things no dog should really care about.

Opening bales of silage, scraping slats, she stares at me putting up a wire as if she’ll learn to do it herself some day! All Braindí wants in this life is to be by my side.

The irony of it is, only for Braindí, I probably wouldn’t be involved in the media at all. It was the videos of the cute little pup learning how to lie down, gather sheep, and to leave them alone that opened me up to the big, wide world.

Those clips brought newspapers, radio and TV producers that gave me fantastic opportunities. But at the same time, they were opportunities that often pulled me away from Braindí for stretches of time that must have felt far longer for the dog waiting at home than for the fella out on the road.

Braindí is only the second dog we’ve ever had that understands you can’t drive cattle through a closed wire. She’ll simply wait for someone to open it. She has an amazing understanding of the world around her.

I’d understand you having doubts, but unfortunately I’m certain that she knows what it means to see a big bag in my hand heading for the car. I see the ears go back, the head lower, I feel the heartbreak – and still, every single time, it’s she that walks me to the door. The final goodbye.

A gift that dogs have is that they live in the present, and although I feel guilty about all the times I’ve left her, Braindí is just delighted to have me with her today.

January is a quiet spell in the media, and I’m really going to enjoy this time – feeding animals and walking the fields together, as people and dogs have done since the beginning of time. I’m going to appreciate Braindí as she well deserves now, because she won’t be waiting on my doorstep forever.