Lamentation
Caoineadh Sheáin Uí Shúilleabháin
De threabhchas Dhomhnaill Chaim Uí Shúilleabháin an fear atá á chaoineadh sa mharbhna. Bhí se ina chónaí le hais Loch Mochaoinleáin ar an dtaobh theas de Bhá Chinn Mara. Bádh an fear bocht Lá ‘le Michíl (29ú Meán Fómhair) agus é ag triall ar an bpátrún i mBaile an Sceilg. Bhí sé ar Thrá na hUíne agus é ag treasnú na habhann san áit ar a dtugtar an ‘Ferry’ nuair a rug an sruth air. Deirtear gur file de mhuintir Bhiorainn a cheap an marbhna seo. Tadhg Ó Murchú a bhailigh.
The man commemorated in this lament is said to have been a member of the Domhnall Cam branch of the O’Sullivan clan. He lived near Loch Mochaoinleáin on the southern side of the Kenmare River. The unfortuante man was drowned on the Inny Strand as he travelled to St. Michael’s Pattern in Baile an Sceilg. He attempted to cross the Inny river at the place known locally as ‘The Ferry’ but was swept away by a strong current. The lament is said to have been composed by a poet of the Biorainn clan. It was collected by Tadhg Ó Murchú.
The Caoining Women (E.Sigerson Clifford)
‘Women withe black shawls caoin
Mournful, piercing,
By Killelan the Sea
Sorrows unceasing.’
Caoineadh Thaidhg ach Domhnaill
Cumadh an caoineadh seo I gcuimhne Thaidhg ’ach Domhnaill, fear óg a mhair áit éigin i gcomharsanacht Chuan an Chaisleáin agus a báthadh go tragóideach. Tá an chuma ar an amhrán gurb é athair an fhir óig a chum an chuid is mó de agus é go mór fé bhrón. Tugann sé cuntas corraitheach dúinn ar an mbriseadh croí agus ar an suathadh aigne atá á fhulaingt aige. Do bhailigh Siobhán Ní Chonchúir, múinteoir scoile i gCuan an Chaisleáin, an leagan seo den amhrán i 1938. Séamus Ó Siocfhradha ó Chathair na Gaoithe Cathair Dónall a thug di é.
This lament commemorates the tragic loss of Tadhg ‘ach Domhnaill, a young man who lived somewhere near Sneem and Castlecove. The majority of the song seems to have been composed by the young man’s grief-stricken father and provides a powerful and moving description of his great loss. This version of the song was collected in 1938 by Siobhán Ní Chonchúir, a school-teacher in Castlecove. She attributes the song to Seámus Ó Siocfhradha, Cathair na Gaoithe, Caherdaniel.
Cumadh an marbhna seo uair éigin ag tús/lár an 19ú haois, tráth ar bádh muintir Dhubháin ó Dhairbhre go tragóideach. Bhí dhá bhád ag tabhairt aghaidh ar an Sceilg nuair a bhris an aimsir gan choinne. Séideadh ceann dos na báid, ar le Risteárd Ó Mathúna í, chomh fada le Ceann Trá ar an dtaobh eile de Bhá an Daingin. Sa bhád eile, bád Seán Spotswood, a bhí muintir Dhubháin. Briseadh ar na carraigeacha í fé bhun Cheann Bhré. Dúirt Máire Bean Thaidhg Pheaidí Uí Chrochúir, an bhean a thug an t-amhrán do Thadhg Ó Murchú i 1936, dúirt sí go raibh radharc ag a seanathair ar an dtragóid ar fad ó bharra Cheann Bhré. Nuair a d’fhill sé ar a thigh ar an gComhartha Beag bhí ceann an tí scuabtha chun siúil ag fórsa an ghála. Deir bailitheoir an amhráin, Tadhg Ó Murchú, gurb é Pádraig (nó Séamus) Bán Ó Loingsigh a chum an marbhna.
This lament was composed in the early/mid 19th century following the tragic drowning of the Devane family from a place called Claí na Cairte in Coarha Beg in Valentia. Two boats were on route from the island to Skellig Michael when a storm hit unexpectedly. One of the boats owned by Risteárd Ó Mathúna was blown across Dingle Bay to Ventry, while the other boat owned by Seán Spotswood and crewed by the Devanes perished on the rocks at Bray Head. Máire Bean Thaidhg Pheaidí Uí Chonchúir who lived in Crádh, from whom the song was collected in 1936, said that her grandfather witnessed the drowning, helpless atop Bray Head as the boat sank. He would later return to his house in Coarha Beg only to find that its roof had been lifted by the force of the storm. Tadhg Ó Murchú states that the lament was composed by Pádraig (or Séamus) Bán Ó Longsigh.
Ceann des na hamhráin is cáiliúla dar chum file mór Uíbh Ráthaigh Tomás Rua Ó Súilleabháin (1785-1848). Is minic a chloistear é á chasadh in Uíbh Ráthach fiú sa lágo fóill. Deintear cur síos ar dhíomá Thomáis Rua tar éis dó a chnuasach mór leabhar a chailliúint sa bhfarraige fhaid is a bhíodar á dtabhairt i mbád ó Chathair Dónall go dtín gClaladh nó Port Mhic Aoidh. Ta an leagan a chuirtear ar fáil anseo bunaithe ar thaifead a dhein Raidió na Gaeltachta le Eibhlín de Brún thart ar 1980. Tá suas le 9 véarsa eile sa bhunleagan a bhailigh Séamus Ó Fiannachta agus ata I gcló ina leabhar Amhráin Thomáis Rua, ach is gnáthaí ná castar ach an chéad dhá véarsa sa lá atá inniu ann.
Arguably Tomás Rua Ó Súilleabháin’s (1785-1848) most recognised composition, Amhrán na Leabhar is one of the few songs in the Irish language which can still be heard in Iveragh today. The song laments the loss of the poet’s vast collection of books as they were being transported by boat from Caherdaniel to Portmagee. The version provided here is based on a beautiful recording of Eibhlín de Brún made by Raidió na Gaeltachta c.1980 and can be found on the CD Maidin Bhog Álainn. The original song, collected and published by Séamus Ó Fiannachta in 1914, contains an additional nine verses, but nowadays, generally only the first two are sung.