GREANN NA GAEDHILGE.

AN POITÍN.

Cúradh ar an bpoitín seo!
Is mairg nach nglacann e!
Is iomdha croidhe tartach a thóigeann sé.
Chan fhuil o'n rígh go dtí an bacach
Nár mhian a bheith i n-' aice,
'S ní'l dhá mhéad a thaithighe nach móide a
spéis.

Tagra.

The above is only a fragment — half a stanza —
of a song that is current in Co. Meath. It was obtained
from Peter McDonagh, a native of Mullagh Theamhrach,
or, in English, Somerville, a place situate on the
Nanny River, close to where it is crossed by the road
from Dublin to Slane. Cúradh ar, bad 'cess to. Is
marg nach nglacann e, woe to him who doesn't take it.
This construction of is mairg with direct relative is
classical usage. Tartach, thirsty = tarthmar; many
adjectives in -mhar in the South ar found to corres-
pond to others in the North ending in -ach. A thóigeann
= do thógann = thógas, rel. form. Ní'l dhá mhéad, &c.,
the more he is used to it, the greater is his appetite for
it (but constructed with two negatives). For móide we
also find mó-sa-chách and amhlaidh is mó in this locution.
The last half line is not only excellent Irish phrasing,
but could well be used as a warning in favour of tem-
perance.