Aisling
Máire Bean Uí Shéaghdha, múinteoir i mbunscoil Chathair Samháin, a bhailigh an t-amhrán mar chuid de Bhailiúchán na Scol sa bhliain 1938. Muiris Ó Conaill, An Chillín Liath, a thug an t-amhrán di. Tá Oileán Buí, an baile fearainn atá luaite san amhrán, suite ar bhruach na hUíne i bparóiste na Dromad.
This song was collected in 1938 as part of the Schools’ Folklore Collection by Máire Bean Uí Sheaghdha, a teacher in Cahersavane national school. Muiris Ó Conaill, Cillín Liath is credited as being the source. Oileán Buí is a townland situated on the banks of the river Inny in the parish of Dromid.
Tagann an t-amhrán seo le nós na haislinge. Aimsíonn an fear fáinne óir ar bhruach na habhann ach nuair a phriocann sé suas é titeann sé uaidh agus cailtear é. Gan choinne, tagann bean álainn faoina bhráid. Deineann an fear an bhean álainn a cheistiú agus í á mholadh go hard aige. I ndeireadh an amhráin freagraíonn an spéirbhean é agus tugann le fios gurb í Éire atá ann. .
This song belongs to the traditional form of the ‘aisling’ which developed during the late 17th and 18th centuries. The man finds a ring on the bank of a river which he drops. He is unable to retrieve it. A beautiful woman, or a ‘vision’, suddenly appears before him. The man asks the woman to reveal her identity. He praises her beauty throughout the song. The woman finally gives in and announces that she is in fact ‘Ireland’.
De réir an bhéaloidis d’fhuadaigh na síoga triúr dreiféar as móinéar ar an dtaobh thiar de Ghóilín lá breá fómhair. Cuireadh bean acu go ceantar an Daingin, bean eile go Cill Ó gCróin agus an triú bean go Clochán Mhóir atá ar an gcnoc lastuas do Mhálainn i bparóiste na Dromad. Mór a bhí mar ainm uirthi sin is bhíodh sí le feiscint ag Clochán Mhóir agus í síos suas an Caol ina sprid an mheán-lae. Deirtear go raibh folt breá gruaige ar dhath an óir ag sileadh léi. Is léir gurb é an seanchas seo a spreag Dónall Ó Curnáin ó Mhálainn an t-amhrán seo a chumadh. Bhí an fothrach ar a dtugtaí Clochán Mhóir suite ar an gcnoc lastuas dá thigh féin.
According to local tradition Mór was one of three sisters who was carried by the fairies as they were working in a meadow somewhere Over-the-Water. One sister was brought to Dingle, another to Killogrone, while Mór, the third sister was carried off to Málainn in the parish of Dromid. That sister had flowing golden hair and went by the name of Mór. A small stone hut on the mountainside, the ruins of which can still be seen today, is known as Clochán Mhóir. It was claimed that Mór could be seen as a mid-day spirit walking up and down along a nearby mountain stream. This legend inspired Dan Courtney from Malainn, in the composition of this song “Bean na Gruaige Buí.” The ruin of Clochán Mhóir is situated on the mountainside just above the house where Dan resided.
De réir an tseanchais b’é Seán Ó Loingsigh, file a mhair ar bharra na dTeiní i nDairbhre a chum an t-amhrán seo. Tagann an t-amhrán go mór le traidisiún na hAislinge, áit a dtagann bean álainn – Caitín Ní Laoghaire sa chás seo - fé bhráid an fhile. Deintear a háilleacht a mholadh go hard ,mar aon lena dea-thréithe. Sa véarsa deiridh cuireann an bhean í féin in aithne don bhfile agus tugann cuireadh dó éalú ina teannta go Talamh an Éisc nó Meiriceá. Do thóg Tadhg Ó Murchú an t-amhrán seo sa bhliain 1936 ó Mhícheál ‘An Jugger’ Ó Conchúir, 73 blian d’aois, fear a raibh cónaí air i mBarra na dTinnimh,.
According to tradition this love song is said to have been composed by the poet Seán Ó Loingsigh, a poet who lived in the townland of Upper Tinnies on Valentia Island. The composition of the song draws heavily from the Ashling tradition, where a beautiful woman - Cáitín Ní Laoghaire in this case - appears as a vision before the poet. The poet describes the woman’s great beauty and lavishly praises her fine traits. In the final verse the vision introduces herself as Caitín Ní Laoghaire and invites the poet to elope with him to Newfoundland or America, from where they will never return. Tadhg Ó Murchú collected the song in 1936 from Mícheál ‘An Jugger’ Ó Conchúir who lived in Tinnies.