Proverbs.

Galway:— Is namhaid an cheird gan a fogh-
luim, a trade not learned is an enemy. Ní'l
amadán ar bith gan a chiall féin, there is no
fool who has not his own kind of sense.
Líontar an sac lé póirínibh, a sack can be
filled even with poreens (small refuse pota-
toes). Is fearr leath ioná meath, one (sound)
half is better than a deceased whole (crop).
Tá 'ch euil fhear go lághach go dtéidh bó 'na
gharrdha, everyone is affable until a cow goes
into his garden. Té buailtear 'san mullach,
bidheann faitchíos air, the man struck in the
skull is (afterwards) afraid (cautious). Ní
h-iad na fir mhóra a bhaineas an foghmhar, it
is not the big men who reap all the harvest.
Tíoghbhas na píghne, a's dul i mudha na sgil-
linge, economy of a penny, loss of a shil-
ling (= penny wise, pound foolish). This
word, tíoghbhas, the older, tígheas, is still used
in that form in Munster; as ag déanamh an
tíghis, housekeeping. Níor dhúin Dia beárna
nach bhfoisgleochadh sé bearna, God never
closed a gap, that He would not open a gap.
Ní bhidheann feur na ceud-choda buidheach ná
díomhbuidheach, the man who gets the first
share is neither thankful (satisfied) or un-
thankful. Ag tuilleadh is ag trághadh, 'seadh
chaitheann sé an lá, flowing and ebbing, it
spends the day. Is mairg ghnidheas an t-olc,
's a bhidheas go bocht 'na dhiaidh, miserable is
he who does evil, and who is poor after it.
Is dána muc ioná gabhar, acht sháruigh bean
an diabhal, a pig is more impudent than a
goat, but a woman surpasses all. I bhfad
uainn an anachain, may evil keep away
from us.

Cork (Seandún):— Mol an óige a's
tiocfaidh sí, praise youth , and it will come
— a reproof to unkind people. Is mó croi-
ceann a chuireas an óige dhí, many a skin
does youth cast off. Ní thagann ciall rime
(roimhe) aois, sense comes not before full
age. Both proverbs mean that young
people will become wiser as they grow
older. Is luachmhar an nidh an óige, do'n té
chuireann í ar fóghnamh, a precious thing is
youth to him who puts it to good use. Is
olc a théidheann deireadh fir chnáide, a giber
ends badly; or, is olc an chríoch a bheireann

ar fhear cnáide, bad is the end which over-
takes the giber. Ní bhidheann triúg gan
adbhar, no occurrence (this word is not
known to me — Ed) is without a cause.
Tart ar bhruach srotha, thirst on the brink
of a stream = a desire about to be gratified.

Cork (Kingwilliamstown):— Ní'l sprid
(spioraid) ná púca gan fhios a chúise féin,
there is not a ghost or pooka that does not
know its own history. Bidheann duine ina
leanbh dhá uair, man is twice a child. Is
dóith le fear na buile gur ab é féin fear
na céille, the madman thinks that himself
is the sane man. Ní h-iad na mna deasa
chuireann pota ar fiuchadh, it is not beauty
(pretty women) boil the pot. Duine gan
dínnéir, beirt gan suipéir, one without
dinner is as bad as two without supper. Is
fearr an té chuireann aitinn ar cloidh ioná
an té churieann caisleán san gcoill, better
is he who plants whins ins a dyke, than
he who builds a castle in a wood.

West Clare:— Is trom í an chearc i bhfad,
at a distance a hen looks heavy (= hills are
green far away). Ní do'n abhras an cheud-
shnáithe, the first thread is not part of the
yarn. (Cp. the Connemara bheith aig iar-
raidh abhrais ar phuicide, looking for yarn on
a goat). Gach neach ag tochras ar a cheirtlín
fein, everyone is winding-in his own ball
(consulting for his own interests). Is beag
an mhaith an bhó an tan dhóirteas sí a cuid
bainne, little good is the cow when she
spills her milk. Is fearr súil le beul an
chuain, ioná súil le beul na h-uagha, it is
better to have hopes (of return of friends)
from the mouth of the sea, than from the
mouth of the grave. (Other versions, is
fearr súil le muir ioná súil le h-úir
(= clay); is fearr súil le glas (prison)
ioná súil le h-uaigh). Nuair a theidheann an
gabhar go h-ursain, ní h-áil leis go dtéidh
go h-altóir (= get an inch an take an ell),
lit., when the goat goes (= is allowed to go)
as far as the porch, he is not satisfied until
he goes up to altar (front seat). Is
minic do bhain bean slat do bhailfeadh í
féin, often did a woman pull a rod which
would beat herself. Is dána é an madradh
i ndoras a thighe féin, the dog is bold when
standing in the doorway of his own house.
Ní fearr Éire ioná a luach, nothing (lit., not
even Ireland) is better, worth more, than
its value. Ní fhanann muir le fear ualaigh,
the sea does not wait for a man with a cargo.
Iomarcaidh ban i dtigh gan abhras, nó iomar-
caidh capall i mbaile gan treabhaireacht, too
many women in a house without yarn
(household work), or (is the same as) too
many horses in a place without ploughing.
Ní feoil putóg, agus ní bainne bláthach, a
“pudding” is not meat, and buttermilk is
not (mere) milk. An uair rachair ag mar-
bhadh do mhathar, marbh í, age quod agis, lit.,
when you go to kill your mother, kill her.
Ní fearr iomarcaidh de'n léigheann ioná fá
n-a bhun, too much learning is not better
than too little (than under it). Two of
doubtful meaning:— is fearr suidhe i mbun
na cruaidhe ioná suidhe in a h-áit, cf. is
fearr suidhe 'na aice ioná suidhe 'na ionad.
Is beag an rud (or, is beag rud?) is buaine
ioná an duine.

Kerry. — Cúngrach tighe, cúngrach croidhe,
cúngrach bidh trí anacra móra; narrowness
of house, n. of hear, n. of food (some say
corcáin, no. of the pot for cooking), three
great evils. Níor mhothuigh an sáthach sámh an
t-ocrach riamh, the contented, well-fed man
never felt for the hungry man, cp., ní thui-
geann an sáthach an sreang. Ní féasta gan
róstadh, ní céastar go bpóstar, no feast is
without a roast piece, no real torment is ex-
perienced until marriage. Ní biadh bainne,
ní bainne bláthach; ní feoil putóg acht
déanaidh sásamh, they satisfy us. Is fearr
an mhaith a déantar 's a maoidhtear, ioná an
mhaith ná déantar agus ná maoidhtear, the
good that is done an boasted of, is better
than what is undone and unboasted of.

Doubtful:— ní maith leis na mnáibh deall-
mha (?) an bláthach.

Collected by Mr. Bushe —
Ní fhanann tuile, tráth, na glaodhach ó Dhia
le aoinneach, tide, time, or a call from God,
wait for no one.

Ní thig leis an ngobadán an dá thráigh
fhreasdail, the gubbadhaun (some shore
bird) cannot attend to the two strands at
once.

Tá an fear chomh cleasach agus chomh tlá
sin go gcuirfeadh sé cosa faoi chuileógaibh
(no cosa croinn faoi na cearcaibh), the man
is that “classical” (tricky) and that plausi-
ble, that he would put feet under flies
(Meath), or wooden legs under the hens
(Galway).

'Nuair a fáighte cú, ní fáighte fiadh, when
a hound is found, a deer is not forthcoming
(= fagh-tear).

An rud choinneoghas an fuacht amach, coin-
neóghaidh sé an teas, what keeps out the
cold will keep out the heat.

An fear nach n-iomchrann a chóta inn lá
breágh, ní bhidheann sé aige inn lá fliuch, ná
fuar, the man who does not carry his coat
on a fine day, is without it on a wet or cold
day.

Tá mé idir breac agus riabhach mar a
bhidheans na fraganna ins an bhfóghmhar, I am
between bracket and brown (grey?), as the
frogs are in harvest.

Ach maiseadh! Tá tú an-aisdeach, mar an
tsean-bhean a d'aithin a cuid salainn féin
ar bhrochán a comharsan, well, but you are
very clever, like the old woman who recog-
nized her own salt in her neighbour's gruel.

Duine ar bith a bhidheans a'magadh faoi
dhuine eile, bidheann a leath faoi fhéin, when
any one makes game of another, the half of
it tells against himself.

Is milis an faidhirín an tsláinte, agus is
searbh an rud a bheith gan í, health is a plea-
sant “fairing” (boon), and it is a bitter
thing to be without it.

Is mac duit do mhac go bpóstar é, acht is
inghean duit d'inghean go dteidhidh sí 'sa
gcré, your son is your son till he is married,
but your daughter is your daughter until
she goes to the grave.

Chomh gnaitheach le sean-bhean ar aonach,
as busy as an old woman at a fair.

Leith-phighinn cloch-bhuin puint, a halfpenny
is the foundation stone of a pound.

O'n Dochtúir Pádraig O'Róighin. “Is
maith liom a rádh go dtaitnigheann an t-Irish-
leabhar liom go righ-mhaith, agus nach bhfeud-
fain dhéanadh dá uireasbhaidh, ar chaoi ar bith,
anois. Cuirim cugat an 'Gníomh Grása
thar éis Béilidh' a bhí aig m'athair; ní fhacas
riamh in aon leabhar é, agus níor chualas ó
dhuine ar bith eile é. Tá an ghrása gearr
blasta mar leanas:— In ainm an Athar,
agus an Mhic, agus an Spioraid Naoimh.
Amén. Míle buidheachas dhuit, a Thighearna
Dé, an té thug an bheatha so dhuinn go
dtugaidh sé an bheatha shíorruidhe d'ar n-an-
mannaibh. Má's fearr atámuid andiu, go
mba seacht bhfearr a bhéidheas muid bliadhain
ó 'ndiu; ar gcuid agus ar ndaoine slán, i
ngrádh Dé agus i ngrádh na comhursan, i
dtrócaire agus i ngrásta, i saoghal agus i
sláite. Amén.”