Leinster Football Songs.

The folk-poetry of Leinster holds a unique position
in possessing songs composed in commemoration of
local matches of the national game of iomáin. The
word iomáin in the north of Leinster and the adjoining
districts of Ulster signifies “football-play,” and iomáin
le camán is the term used there for “hurling”. No
doubt many will at once feel inclined to take exception
to this definition of iomáin, and will vigorously assert
that iomáin = hurling and iomáin le cois = football.
The veracity of such disputants, if any should arise,
could hardly be impugned, as it is by no means
unknown that the latter usage is the ordinary one.
Nevertheless, granting this, it does not in the least
alter the fact as stated above — viz., that in the north
of Leinster iomáin = football and iomáin le camán =
hurling, and this usage, localism though it be dubbed
by some, goes for to explain the genesis of football —
real native-born football, not foreign importations — in
Ireland. It is clear that in the north of Leinster at
least the game that was originally iomáin, hurling,
progressed finally into iomáin, football, through the
popular substitution, probably at some comparatively
recent period, but not within the last 300 years, of the
foot for the camán as the driving force. That, however,
the older form of the game, though no doubt rarely
played there, is still lived on in the north of Leinster, is
vouched for by the usage iomáin le camán, whilst the
restriction of iomáin per se to the sense of football
proves what has been said above as to the trend of
the popular form of the national game in that district.

Seo céad abhrán iomána díobh:

I. IOMÁIN LÉANA AN BHÁDHBHDHÚIN.

Fear dar bh'ainm Raodhmann Ua Murchadha do cheap
an t-abhrán so. Is amhlaidh do fuaras ó Eibhlín Ní
Anluain (d'á ngoirthear go coitcheann “Inghean
Pheadair Duibh”) é, cuairt d'á dtugas ar Druim-
mhullach le linn a bheith ag creanadh mo chod' laethanta
saoire i n-Uíbh Méith Mara. I n'-eis sgéal mo thuruis
a fhághail di, do chuir sí i n-amhail dom go raibh suas
le ceithre fichid abhrán aici, rud atá dí-chreidte, nach
mór. D'fhoghluim sí iad nuair bhí sí ina ghirrsigh ó n-a
h-athair Peadar Dubh Ua hAnluain. Mac deirbhshiúra
Raodhmainn Uí Mhurchadha bhí ann, agus im' thuairim-se, ag
cur gach aon rud' le n-a chéile, ceapadh an giota so
céad go leith bliadhain thiar ar a laighead. Tá corr-
ranna ag na sean-daoinibh cor ó bheith uilig i n-Uíbh
Méith agus bhí a lán aca le n-ar bh'fhéidir an léana féin
do thaisbeánadh domh. Bhí seanfhear ann dá fhichid
bliadhain ó shoin ar Thulaigh Ó Méith — Brian Mac
Thréanmhóir a ainm. Ba ghnáth leis an aos óg a ghríosadh
chum an abhráin a sgríobhadh síos sul má gcaillfidhe
i ndeireadh na dála é. Mar gheall ar an spéis mhóir
do bhí aige i dteanga a dhúithche, tá mórán annsin go
nuige so adeir gur bh'eisean do cheap “Léana a'
Bhádhbhdhúin.” 'Pé sgéal é, 'sé mo bharamhail féin go
bhfuil an ceart ag Eibhlín Ní Anluain.

Tá fad-luadh san abhrán ar Phádruig Ua hAnluain
nó mar gairmthear dó - “Paití an tSléibhe”. Duine
muinteardha do Eibhlín a bhí ann do réir a cainte féin.
Gaol i bhfad amach a bhí aca le n-a chéile, is dóithche.
Ní'l críoch an ghiota ró-shoiléir gan trácht beag ar an
bPaití so. Sgoth na n-iománaidhe agus togha na h-áit-
reibhe dob' eadh é, agus ní raibh each dá luaithe nó tarbh dá
láidre nach raibh sé caomhnach ar iad a shárughadh. Bhí a
chuid iomána chomh tréan sin gur tháinig teannadh
feirge ar an bhfuirinn bhí 'na h-aghaidh. Bhuail fear
de Mhuintir Chartaigh ina threo agus thug sé preab do'n

sgathfaire go claon. Ar charnán cloch 'seadh do thuit
sé síos go trom agus an uair rinneadh an t-iománaidhe
d'iomchur ar shiubhal, bhí sé dall amach. Ruaig sé
asteach 'sa' léana an ath-uair agus an daille agus an diúdán
ag cur go dian dúr air. Is annsin d'fhiafruigh sé
“cá h-áití an liathróid nó an báire?” Cibé ar bith,
bhí a fhios aca go sean-mhaith nach raibh sé innmheamhail
ar a thuilleadh iomána a dhéanadh. Do chuireadar
i gcéill dó go raibh cuma na droch-aimsire air agus
cuireadh cosg le n-a gcuid iomána. D'fhág an sgath-
faire an léana “gan sásadh” agus dob' é sin a iomáin
ba dhéidheanaighe. Sin rún an sgéil.

IOMÁIL LÉANA AN BHÁDHDHÚIN.

I.
Bhí sé feara déaga de sgathfairíbh Ó Mhéith,
'S iad ag iomáil ar léana an Bhádhbhdhúin,
O mhullaigh an mheadhóin lae go dtí tuitim dubh na
gréine
Char chuir siad ar a'n taobh an báire;
Bhí dhá bhuinneán barramhail leitheadach a buineadh leis
an léathróid
Ag imtheacht mar bheadh gaoth chruaidh Mhárta ann,
'S ní'l a'n rígh-bhean faoi'n ghréin d'a bhfeicfeadh ortha
a radharcadh
Nach dtuitfeadh i n-a'n sméideadh i ngrádh leo.

II.
Bhí óigfhear fearamhail stuamach de dh'aicme Stíobháin
Ruaidh ann —
Ba sgathfánta mo ghruagach ar léana;
Bhí mac an tighe so thuas ann, 's nuair rachadh an dís 'un
tuatacht',
Ar a dheas nó ar a chlí go mbuaileadh se an léathróid;
Nuair a thógtaoi an balla uabhtha, leanadh dís fear
fhuadaigh,
'S an balla a bheith uabhtha do'n réim sin,
Nár dheas 's nár shuailceach bheith ar chnoc na Tulcha an
uair sin
Ag amharc ar mo chuid buachaill 'gá dtraenáil?

III.
Bhí óigfhear Cloinne Néill ann budh chóir bheith i dtús
sa' sgéal so
Budh chlisde bhuailfeadh an léathróid i mbéal báire;
Bhí Sár Mac Cuairt' ar léim ann bhuaileadh boc i n-am
féadhma
'S a rachadh amach cúl éigin le rása;
Bhí dís de Mhuintir Mhéarlaigh ann chomh clisde leis na
héanlaith
'S an balla leo 'sna béinní i n-áirde;
Bhí dís eile ag teacht 'na n-aghaidh chomh ro-chlisde leis
an léathróid
De mhaith agus dtí thaogha Mhuintir' Ágáin;
Bhí an Conghalach fuair céim ann ó Chabhán go Loch Éirne,
Agus a rachadh amach cúl éigin le rása;
Bhí an Dubhthaigheach leis fhéin ann go sgathfánta i mbéal
éigin,
Agus chan gheobhfá a dhá léithid go Bail' Ágáin.

IV.
Anois is mian liom trácht ar an iomáil seo mar thárla
Aige sgathfairíbh na háite mar chualais;
Bhí fios aca go ro-lán ar ár gcuid fear anois gan
áireamh,
Nár heagmhadh insa' láthair iad an uair sin;
Ach' mur'b é chomh mall is tá sé, rachainn a chois trágha,
Mé féin agus mo chuid páisdí go huaibhreach,
An áit a bhíonns gach ainnir álainn le maorthaibh geala
's fáinní,
I ndéidh theacht' i ngrádh mo chuid buachaill.

V.
Ar chuala sibh an sgéal a heagmhadh chugainn go déanach,
Gur theastaigh Paití an tSléibhe ó n-a pháirtigh?
Char dhruid sé sé lá déag i ndéidh iomála ar an léana,
Nuair a buineadh ag an éag uainn gan spás é;
B'é an mac geanamhail tréitheach le carantas agus le
méin mhaith,
Fearamhaileacht, féile 's áille;
Bhí grádh na mban go léir air, bhí aobh an laig 's an
tréin leis,
Ba sgathfán ban agus maighdean ar an tsráid é.

VI.
Nuair a thainic sé isteach 'sa' léana, thlig sé de 'na
léinidh,
Agus thug sé an réim ó'n Bhádhbhdhún;
Nuair a thainic sé 'sa' léana, d'fhiafruigh sé go neamh-
chlaonaidhe,
“Cá háití an léathróid nó an báire?”
Labhair siad amach le saighdibh gan casbháil le n-a chéile,
Mar heagmhadh lá fearthanna 'gus báislighe.
“Cuir feasda de bhar gcuid téamadh, agus a dh'aindeoin
an méad tá i n-Éirinn,
Chan fhágaim an léana gan sásadh!”

CEATHRAMHA EILE.

[Is dócha gurab as amhrán eile so, acht má's eadh, tá
sí ag baint do'n ádhbhar chéadna, agus féadfaidhe gurab
iad an taobh eile do chum í, ag gabháil a leithsgéil.
Ní hag Eibhlín Ní Anluain do fuaras í:

Bhí fiche fear aníos as íochtar 'chois trágha
Bhí connsughadh mór ar Larry ann, mar chuaidh sé uainn
ar sáile:

Bhí an chúis go maith go léir aca
Go dtainic Paití an tSléibhe,
Thug sé an balla leis insna béinní i n-áirde.

F. an I.]

Tagra

I. [Déaga = déag; some have sé fheara (har'-ee)
déaga in the song]. Iomáil, not iomáin, is the local
form [the former is the common form, but some still
say iomáin.]. [Ó Méith = Omeath is now the form for
all cases, but the correct older forms are Uí Mhéith
Mhara, nom., and Ó or Ua Méith Mhara, gen., and Uíbh &c.,
dat. Léana: rather léanaidh as pronounced. Mullaigh:
this is always the dat. case in the North. Go dtí, &c.:
go cromadh dubh na gréine is a variant]. Leitheadach,
straight and well-proportioned. [a buineadh, &c., who

were trained to or expert a the game]. Léathróid:
sic “liathróid” i gcanamhaint Ó Méith; sontar mar
“leuroid” é, cf. níos fhéarr = níos fearr. [Dá
bhf.o.a r., who would see their appearance (?)]. Sméid-
eadh, “smile” according to the singer; usually “a nod
or wink.”

II.
De dh'aicme for d'aicme. Sgathfánta, active,
hearty, spruce. Gruagach, a clever man, mo ghruagach,
“my hero.” Mac an tighe so thuas, son of O'Murphy
who composed the song. Tuatacht, “charging” in
football, getting into holds [Nelly Hanson explained
tuatacht by ciotacht, as one would naturally expect;
her sister considered it here = “collision”]. Leanadh:
leanfadh (?), but probably the habitual past. Fuadach,
“robbing,” snatching the ball and then running away
with it. Nár dheas: also nár bh'aoibhinn. Suailceach,
cheery, pleasant. Cnoc na Tulcha = Tulach Ó Méith,
Tullaghomeath or Tullagh, the hill overlooking Bavan
meadow. Amharc: also dearcaint. Traenáil, “hurl-
ing,” from English “training.”

III.
[Budh chliste bhuailfeadh an léathróid, who would
most expertly strike the ball. I mbéal báire, at goal:
cf. béal an doruis — e.g., buaileas béal an doruis
amach, T.Dh. & Gh., i mbéal an chuain &c.] Sár: an
bhfuil baint ar bith ag an ainm so leis an ainm
“Samhairle”? [“Sál” (Sául?) atá ag daoinibh eile
annso]. [Boc, a “puck” in the game of iomáin, in
Leath Mhogha poc. I n-am féadhma, in time of need,
or when it was wanted. 'S a rachadh amach cúl éigin
le rása, and who would go out a hard defence with a
race — i.e., who would quickly get out of a tight corner
by a good defence of it; the use of cúl éigin here
is similar to that of dorus in Chuaidh sé amach an dorus,
and of bealach in Bhí mé féin ag tarrainnt air aniar
an bealach mór, D'amhairc mé soir bealach an chnuic ar
ais, and of currach in Gheárr mé anall an currach atá
eidir an sgoil agus an bealach mór (Feis Thamhnaigh
Mhullaigh, Jan. No.); cúl, custody, guard, defence
O'R., cúl báire, goal-keeper, a secondary sense from
cúl = the back of anything]; éigin is gen. of éigean,
straits, difficulty, harship. Muintir Mhéarlaigh, the
Marleys; Marley is a common surname in Omeath,
and found also in Donegal. Clisde: aliter gasda.
'Sna béinní, “at a very quick rate”; do chualas i
nGleann Fhoichle Muintire Luinigh i gConndae Thíre
Eoghain “Tá na ba ag imtheacht insna béinní = the cows
are running wild.” “Reachtáil insna béinní = running
for life and death;” [”Rith 'sna béinní, sin go racha
tú chomh gasda is thig leat,” Eibhlín Ní Anluain].
Taogha = togha. An Conghalach, Connolly; he was a
famous hurler who had carried off the prizes from
Mid-Ulster. 'S a rachadh, &c.: this half-line, according
to Nelly Hanlon, occurs twice. [I mbéal éigin, at the
point of stress, or where the danger to the defence was
imminent; see remarks on i mbéal báire and cúl
éigin above]. Gheobhfá = gheobhthá; I have set down the
word as I heard it; in Ulster I have always heard -fá
in 2nd sing. of conditional. Léithid for leithéid. Bail'
Ágáin (= O'Hagan's town?), Ballagan, a townland, the
extreme eastern point of Cuailnge, near Greenmore and
Carlingford.

This stanza contains two extra lines, which, perhaps,
were added later, so as to include the names of the players
originally omitted.

IV.
Aige (= ag): agus ar also. Chualais = chualas,
chuala, I heard. [Nár heagmhadh insa' láthair iad,
that they didn't happen to be present, or on the spot
(.i. “nach rabh siad le fághail,” Eibhlín Ní Anluain);
this form a (= do) heagmhadh (heG'-oow) is an instance
of the wonderful tenacity of ancient literary words in
dialect: a heagmhadh is the perfect passive of a modern
form eagaimh, 3 sing. perf. = Mid. Ir. eccaim, also
ecmaic, “happened to be, met,” e.g. — ecmaic aroli fer
chucca, “Passions and Homilies,” 929; ecmaic tra in
t-Ebraide bui is-in-tig hic ól lenda lá n-oen and, ib.74;
ecmaic tra fe cundail craibdech o'n Antuaig for áigi-
decht dochumm Shiluestair co Róim, ib. 283; do eccaimh
cobhlach friu, F.M. ann. 1588. It is a very common
colloquialism in Cuailnge, as might, indeed, be inferred
from its occurring three times in this song (see V. and
VI.) Colloquial examples used by Nelly Hanlon are —
“Char heagmhadh damh bheith 'stigh, I didn't happen to be
in;” “mar heagmhadh againne, that come (= happened)
to us.” Mid. Ir. also had ecmaing = eccaim, and ecmong,
ecmoc, “occurrence”.] Ach' mur'b é = acht munab é;
also a' bé = (?) acht gurab é. The poet has enumerated
the heroes from the mountain district — O'Neills,
O'Hagans, Marleys, &c.; time, he says, does not per-
mit of giving in detail the names of those who came
up to Bavan from the shore below. Go huaibhreach,
merrily; tá uaibhir (uabhar?) ionnat, you are a merry
chap. Maorthaibh (mör-hi) = méaraibh?

V.
[Sgéal, put for sgéile, grief, woe. A heagmhadh
chugainn, that happened to us; this is exactly the con-
struction we find in two of the Mid. Irish examples
quoted about.] Go déanach, sadly; “deunach, sad,”
O'R., not go déidheanach [this is doubtful, as the
following phrases from Nelly Hanlon show - “Chuala
me go déidheanach (nó deireannach) e,” where go d. =
le goirid; “tá sí 'sa' déidheanach .i. nuair a bheas sí
'fhághail bháis.”] Gur theastaigh, &c.: I attempted to
treat this word as theastuigh ó, “be wanting from,”
but she would not hear of it; she translated the
expression as “he died off from his friends.” Her
father, she said, was wont to remark, speaking of a
death, “Theastaigh an fear sin fá dheireadh,” he died
at last. I would compare the old word, so often
found in the Annals of the Four Masters, testa, he
died. Char dhruid se, he didn't last [cf. the Donegal
phrase, Níor dhruid sé an bhliadhain amach go bhfuair sé
bás.] Buineadh for buaineadh (baineadh, beanadh): this
appears to be a true passive usage, the agent being
expressed by ag an éag. Carantas, cf. carantach,
kind, O'R. Fearamhaileacht; tá ceithre
siollaidhe 'sa bhfocal so. Aobh, also aoibh, love, cheer-
fulness, courtesy, pleasant disposition, &c., a very
usual word in Cuailnge and the adjoining districts,
Mid. Ir. aeb, form, beauty; tá aobh gach a'n dhuine leis
is the commonest use. (Sgáthfán, cynosure; O'R. has
“sgathán, a mirror, a gazing-stock;” as sgathfánta,
II and III., is certainly from sgathfán, and related in
sense to sgathfaire, it would appear that even the
latter is of kindred origin; cf. 'Sí sgathán na Fódhla
an mhaighdean of an Armagh song.]

VI.
Thlig = theilg. ['Na léinidh, perhaps a léinidh.]
Réim: I have substituted for “sway.” Go neamhchlaon-
aidhe, undeceitfully. Báislighe, gen. of báisleach = báis-
teach, heavy rain. [Téamadh (perhaps téamfadh), tricks,
fun, humbugging, funny discourses, spinning yarns,
e.g., ag iarraidh téamfaidh (taem-why), making fun
(Co. Down song), and in the song, Nansaí bheag óg, the
opening line runs at Omeath, Nuair a bhí mise óg,
gheobhainn cuideachta ban óg, agus d'ársachainn dóbhtha
téamadh (but in Co. Monaghan go leór téamfaidh); it
may be the dat. plur. form of “tédhm, teadhm, a theme,”
O'R., with meaning altered through localism].

[C.E. — Connsughadh, want. Ar sáile = thar sáile.]

Séamus Ua Ceallaigh.

Tuath na bhFál, Béalfeirsde.