SEAGHAN GABHA.

Trí fichid blíadhain ó shoin, nó asteach 's
amach leis, bhi céardcha agus áit-chomhnuigthe
gabha cois Trágha Abhann-na-séad le h-ais
Leasa-mhóir. So sroth do ruitheann trí ceann
de 's na gleanntaibh breádhtha atá ann so air
gach aon taobh de bhaile Naoimh Mochúda.
Ag á beul, sul do tháthuigheann sí le
h-Abhmhór, tá cnuasachd gairbhéil agus
ganimhe air a n-gairmtear “An Tráigh,”
agus is air bhruach na Trágha so do bhí
céardcha Sheaghain Ui Chreadáin.

Ní raibh morán áird air Sheaghan mar
chéardaighe, acht do bhí sé 'na chomharsa mhaith,
agus fé mhór-mheas 'na bhaile dúthchais féin,
agus leath 's muigh dhe. Do bhí duine muin-
teardha dhó 'na chomhnuighe i m-Barra-na-
bhánóige, dárab' ainim Seaghan O'Laoi, nó —
mar budh gnáthaighe glaodhach air — “Seaghan
na n-abhrán,” mar file budh h-eadh é. Bhí sé
féin agus Seaghan Gabha 'na sean-chomharsan-
aibh, agus budh mhinich i g-céardcha na Trágha
é 'na shuidhe air an d-teallach ag cur abhrán
dá dheuntús féin dá chroidhe.

Bhí an-dhúil i n-íasgaireachd aige, agus is
mó bradán agus breac do thraoch sé air
Abhainn-na-séad. Budh mhó contabhairt leis,*
do cuir sé é féin ann dá n-deasgadh, mar bhí
cosg air bhradáin do mharbhughadh le trádh, agus
is le trádh do mharbhuigheadh Seaghan O'Laoi iad
Acht níor chuaidh leis a g-cómhnuighe. Chum
sgeul gairid a dheunadh dhe — gabhadh fé dheire
é, agus cuireadh síos go príosún Phortlairge
é; agus fad a bhí sé ann so righne sé abhrán
air a dhuine muinteardha Seaghan Gabha.
Budh é so a ocáid. Lá dá raibh sé i g-
comhluadar le príosúnaighibh eile dubhairt
duine aca dán do righneadh air ghabha éigin
dá mholadh ós meodhain. Air a chríochnughadh
dhó righne Seaghan neimhnidh dhe a'rádh, go raibh
aige féin abhrán nár cosamhuil leis, air
chéardaighe nár bh' fhéidir a leithéid do fhághail
'sa dúithche. “Abair duinn é,” ar siad.
“Déarfad a mhárach,” ar Seaghan. Agus
fé mhaidin d'ar na márach bhí an t-abhrán so
deunta aige, agus dubhairt sé dhóibh é mar a
leannas:-

I.

Éistigheadh gach sár-fhear deagh-pháirteach
mear t-suairc
Go d-tabharfáidh mé dán díbh air rábaire gan
ghruaim
N-a bh-fuighfidhe 'na chéardcha gach áis d'á
m-beidheadh uait
Air bhruach gheal na trágha so láimh le Liosmór.
Na gúistighe a's na tarachair, an tádhal a's
an tuagh,
Siséil, iarainnidhe-plána, an t-saw bheag ni
mhór
Groibínighe a's sleághanta, carrán a's speal
shuairc,
Sgíuirse bréagh ráínne, a's grafán slachd-
mhar buan.

II.

Dheunfadh mo laoch-sa an mhéid sin gan tei-
mheal,
A's tuille n-ar mhéin liom do innsint gan
mhoill,
An guna 's a' gheur-shleagh, an bayonet 's a'
cloidheamh,
'Sna piostail do shéidfeadh na piléir as ár
rádharc.
Úirlis na saor so d'aon spaic gan teimheal,
Bileóga, pitséisidhe, ráipéir agus pikes,
Na deimhis a's na razors, gimléid agus pliers,
Lansaidhe fear Eireann 'na m-beidheadh blade
de gach size.

III.

Dheunfadh sé an geata de'n bh-fásion budh
núaidhe,
An glas a's an boulta, an cno a's an sgriobha,
Banda roth' cairte, 's an t-ax'tree umhal,
An washer, an linchpin, ag cur a' fhuirionn
chum siubhail.
Úirlis chúipéara a's fear dheunta na m-bróg,
Steel do'n m-búistéir, cleabhér a's miodóg,
An drill do'n chuireuladóir, snathad gheur
agus cró,
Piocóid bharra-chaol, ding treun a's an t-
ord.

IV.

De'n iarann 's é a dheunfadh an céachta gan
teimheal,
'Na m-beidheadh iarlis, tóin-ríasta ná fiar-
thach i ngréim,
Hamhlaidhe, clár-sgéithe, cross-béam agus
cuing,
An más, soc, 's a' coltar, 's gan dobht' an
bheul-ding.
Cob-yoke air bhoulta, an slabhradh air a'
sgloin,
An t-slúasad 's a' píce air a m-bídheann an
dá ladhar,
An trádh chum na h-éisg so do thraochadh air
a' linn,
Steel do'n slat phumpa, agus anncoir' do'n
loing.

V.

Dheunfadh mo scafaire tairnge 's crúdh,
Agus machine de'n bh-fásion a ghlanfadh
armhar,
Lúbán do'n charra, fearsad a's ughaim,
Na glais a's na thaithstill, a' raca 's a' comb.
Fire-shovel, poker, croch, trólthach a's tlúgh,
An fleshfork ná fiarthach, a's gan breug an
sciomóir,
Beulmhach, crob shrianta, 's do'n diallait
stiaróip,
Na spuir fé na roulers, agus trompa chum
ceóil.

VI.

Agus róistín 's é dheunfadh, fork, sgian agus
spiúan,
Bior shlachdmhar neuta, 's gan breug na
briogúin,
An jack a's a slabhradh chum iompoighth' air
sgriobha,
Na fenders dá áilleachd, agus grátaidhe an
phárlúis.
Casúr dá neutacht, líoghan a's ceap-ord,
Fly-hook le h-aghaidh 'n iasgaire, 's a' dubhan
le h-aghaidh 'n drógha,
Siosúr, méaracáin, snáthada, agus tairngidhe
na m-bróg,
An trús a's an brannradh, a's lansa 'n chuis-
leór'.

* leis, here means also, as well.

éistigheadh, rectê éisteadh.

Deagh-pháirteach. Another version gives, ciúin, páirteach,
deagh-shuairc.

T-suairc. The T is expletive, as there is no reason for
eclipsis.

rábaire, a litigious, bullying fellow, according to O'Reilly;
it means here a fine active fellow.

N-a bh-fuighfidhe, conditional pass. of Faghaim, generally
written bh-Fuighthidhe; the N in N-A is merely euphonic.

áis (not in Dicts.) any useful article.

Trágha, gen. of Tráigh, a strand.

gúistighe, gouges, or semi-cylindrical chisels.

tarachair, plur. of tarachar, an auger.

tádhal, a cooper's adze.

tuagh, a hatchet.

siséal, a chisel; gen. siséil, pl. id.

iarainnidhe-plána, a carpenter's plane-irons.

groibínighe (not in Dicts.), ordinary turf spades, which
have not the wing or side cutter.

sleághanta, turf spades with a wing or side cutter at right
angles to the blade.

sgiúirse bréagh ráinne, literally, a fine scourge of a
spade, or as one might say, “a dashing fine spade.”
Sgiúirse mná is a common saying, and means a
dashing woman.

grafán, a grubbing axe.

teimheal, a fault or blemish (O'Reilly explains this word
by “shadow,” “shade,” &c.).

úirlis, tools, implements of any trade.

spaic (not in Dicts.); another version gives spairp. Might
the word be speac, a bar?

bileoga, billhooks. Sometimes corrupted into mileóga.

pitséiridhe, axes for felling trees.

deimhis, plur. of deimheas, a pair of shears.

gimléid, plur. of gimléud, a gimlet.

umhal, pliant; that works smoothly.

fuirionn, the entire yoke.

fear dheunta na m-bróg, literally, of the men of (the)
making of the shoes. Deunta being the gen. of
the verbal noun deunadh. This is a very common
form of expression. Cf. Cailín deas crúidhte na
m-bó. Bean caointe.

Miodóg, a butcher's knife.

cuireuladóir, a quarry man.

snáthad gheur, literally, a sharp needle; an instrument
used by the quarry man.

iarlis, side-plate of the plough? (doubtful — see note at
foot.)

tóin-ríasta, sole-plate of ditto.

ná fiarthach, that would not turn or twist; rectê, nach bh-
fiarfadh.

hamhlaidhe, evidently a Gaelicism for handles. It is ap-
plied only to the handles of the plough.

clár-sgéithe, mould-board of the plough.

cuing, the swingle tree.

más, that part of the plough on which the soc is held.

soc, the ploughshare.

sgloin (not in Dicts.), a swivel; the iron loop that is
mounted on each end of the swingle-tree.

píce, a pitch-fork.

an dá ladhar, the numeral dá, two, “takes both the
article and the noun in the singular number.” (School
Ir. Gram., Joyce, p.105).

trádh, a fishing spear.

na h-éisg, acc. plur. object of do thraochadh. “A noun
or a pronoun, which is the object of a transitive verb
in the inf. mood, often precedes the verb, and in this
case it is in the accusative.” (School Ir. Gram.,
p. 112.)

Steel do'n slat phumpa. This is obscure. What is meant
by a steel for a pump-rod? Another version gives
“Steel-mill,” &c., but that is equally unintelligible.
Could it refer to the plunger of a pump?

crúdh, a horse-shoe.

lúbán do'n charra. The carra was the common car or
cart of the country some years ago. It was somewhat
like a small dray, but very low, and had a rail on both
sides and at the back: the side-rails sloped down to
the level of the shaft as they approached the front,
where there was no rail. The wheels of this primi-
tive conveyance were made fast to the axle, which
was of timber, and turned with them. Lúbán was the
name for the iron bands or loops in which the axle
turned, one of which was fixed at each side and bolted
to the shaft.

fearsad, a spindle.

ughaim, cart-drafts, or chain traces.

taithstill, plur. of taithstiall, a hackle, or instrument for
hackling flax. From táith and stiall (see Foley's
Dict. at word “hackle.”) The people pronounce this
word with an aspiration, in all cases, as if it began
with h instead of t.

croch, the pot-rack, or iron bar that holds the pot-hooks.

trólthach, a pair of pot-hooks. Drolthach and drol are
used in Kerry with the same meaning (see the latter
word in O'Reilly's Dict.)

sciomóir, a skimmer.

beulmhach, a bridle bit.

crob, the curb chain of a bridle.

róistín, a gridiron.

bior, a spit to roast meat on.

briogúin, small iron skewers.

dá áilleachd, though beautiful, however beautiful. A
peculiar idiom (see School Ir. Gram., p. 124, No.
22, and O'Donovan's Gram., p. 303. See also “Gaelic
Journal,” No. 23, p. 338.

dá neutachd, however neat.

lioghan, a trowel.

ceap-ord, a small sledge.

le h-aghaid, for, signifying purpose.

drógha, a fishing-line.

trús. Can this be a “truss” used in cases of hernia?

Trus, meaning a girdle or a girt, is found in O'Reilly.

brannradh, a tripod or stand used to support the griddle
over the gríosach, or burning embers.

cuisleóra, gen. of cuisleóir, a surgeon.

NOTE. — Iarlis. This word seems to have a generic
signification, and is used to mean appendages to anything.
It means here some appendage of the plough, and very
likely the side-plate, for they say, “Cuir air iarlis é,”
when they mean to turn the plough with the side-plate
down. Tá iarlis aca ann: Tá sé mar iarlis agat, are
expressions used with reference to one who is a useless
member in the family; as it were, an appendage, a
follower, or hanger-on.

SEAGHAN GABHA.

Eistigheadh gach sár-fhear deagh-
pháirteach meart t-suairc, go d-tabharfaidh me
dán díbh air rábaire gan ghruaim, N-a
bh-fuighfidhe 'na chéardcha gach áis d'á m-beidheadh
uait, Air bhruach gheal na trágha so
láimh le liosmór. Na gúistighe a's na tarachair, an
tádhal a's an tuagh, Siréil, iarainnídhe plána, an
t-saw bheag nó mór, Groibínighe a's
sleághanta, carrán a's speal shuairc, Sgi-
úirse breágh ráinne, a's grafán slachdmhar buan.