Corpas

<L 550>
SÉAMUS MHAC CUARTA.

Is dóigh liom gurab é seo an file ar a dtugthar ó 
Thoirinis go Bóinn “Dall Mhac Cuarta”.  Tá a chuid
filidheachta go háluinn, agus tá a lán de thíos i leabhraibh
lámh.  Is ró-bheag de do cuireadh i gcló riamh.  Ceapaim
gurab é an dán d'á chuid is mó ar a bhfuil eolus i
dtuaisceart agus i n-iarthar na hÉireann araon “Caoin-
Róise,” agus is iongantach ar cuireadh de spéis ann agus é
comh cruaidh sin nach dtuigeann lucht a ráidhte féin é.
Deir Éamonn O Raghailligh gur i gCriamhthan i gCondae
Lughmhaighe do rugadh agus do tógadh Séamus Mhac Cuarta.
Seo mar do sgríobh Mac Uí Argadáin 'na thaoibh:
“James Courtney of Louth, author of several sweet,
elegiac and pastoral pieces, and many superior epigrams
abounding with wit and agreeable raillery, who died
early in the last century.”  A Laighneacha an chroidhe,
bíodh bród oraibh as bhar mbárr-fhilidh féin.  Do léigheas
féin cuid mhór d'ar chum sé, agus adeirim-se gur deacair 
é do shárughadh.  

Do baineadh beagáinín dá bhfuil 'nár ndéidh, go
mór-mhór XII, as leagan do bhí ag Séamus Ó Dubhdáil
i bhFearnmhuigh ar an amhrán, acht do bhí an t-amhrán so
agus “Iomáin Léanadha an Bhádhbhdhúin” curtha thríd a
chéile aige.

IOMÁIN NA BÓINNE.

Séamus MacCuarta, cct.

Sliocht duanaire Niocláis Uí Cheatharnaigh.

I.
Budh aigeantach croidheamhail mo mhacnaidh 'teacht aníos
Ar a hochtmhadh lá fichead de Octóber;
Dá mbéidhinn-se le n-a dtaoibh, dob' fhogus damh-sa fíon
I n-a chasg 'fhághail ó'n rígh tráthnóna.
Béidh cuimhne ag an sgaoith sin ó'n Anaigh go síorraidhe
Ar na curadhaibh nár claoidheadh leis an phónar,
Mar bhí an balla 'g dul thríodtha mar ealta le gaoith
Ag seabhcaibh glana líomhtha na Bóinne.

II.
Bárr buaidhe agus béasa gach uair ó na céadtaibh
Le buachaillíbh tréana na Bóinne,
'S mar bhuaileadh dháréag aca a nguailne le chéile
Anuas ar an léanaidh le heólus.
Mo ghruagaigh a shéidfeadh mar ruagadh na n-éanlaith
Na sluaighte le léathróid as órdughadh;
Budh dual sin ó fhréimh do na suairc-fhearaibh tréithe,
Bheith i n-uachtar ar phéiciollaibh an phónair.

III.
Is uasal 's is Gaedhealach, is buadhach 's is tréitheach
Mo ghruagaidh do-ghní réabadh ar shlóightibh,
A bhuaileas an léathróid go huachtar na léanadha,
Ag cur suas ortha déanadh an fhoghmhair.
Béidh suaimhneas an sgéil-se ua'n uair seo le féadhmadh,
'Gá uaimniughadh 's gá léigheadh do rígh Seoirse;
Tiucfaidh suadh-lucht is Bhénus ar cuairt is le féirín
Chuige buachaillí béim-ghasta Bóinne.

IV.
Bhí Sol agus Lúna agus Mars leo 'gá gcumhdach,
Agus Mercurí ag siubhal le mo pháisdíbh;
Bhí Iupiter ar gcúl leo, agus Bhénus ar lúth leo,
Ná sé plánaidí cunganta agus Sáturn; 
Bhí teisd agus cliú leo, is meisneach ua Lúcás,
Ag greasacht 's ag dúsacht an bháire,
Lem' ghaisgidhibh budh lúthmhar ag seasamh go súgach,
Ag leagadh lucht búta 'gus prácáis.

V.
Thainic Síol Uidhir séanmhar de laochraidh Loch' Éirne
Nach gclaoidhfidhe le céadtaibh 'gár dtárrtháil;
Agus trí mic i n-éinfheacht de fhíor-fhuil na Raghailleach,
'Na suidhe go ró-spéiseamhail 'san mbáire;
Faoiteach na féile 'bhfuil míonach na nGaedheal ionn, 
'Sé ríogh-mharcach réimeamhail na bpátrún;
Agus Séamus mo thréan-fhear O hAonaigh le héifeacht,
Ag sgaoileadh 's ag réabadh lucht prácáis.

VI.
Thainic MacCléirigh óg ionn a leagfadh na slóighte,
Mar Shamson ag strócadh na luamhain,
Nó mar Hercules i gcomhrac le fathach na Cremóna
Nó mar Hector nó Tróilus i nguasacht;
Mar Chadmus ag strócadh na ndreagan le cródhacht,
Nó Atlas an eoluis i n-uaigneas;
Is mar sin a bhí Seoirse agus macraidh na Bóinne
Ag cur balla ar lucht próib agus uathbháis.

VII.
Gach cumas de'r hórduigheadh ag curadhaibh 's ag óig-
fhearaibh,
Le hinneoin 's le hórdaibh 'gá lámhach,
Le hiomáin, le tógbháil, le teannas go treorach,
Le hiomardas gródh, nó le báire,
Le céill is le foghnamh, le léimneach gan leónadh,
Le léigheann in gach eólus is áirde,
Tá an fhéile 's an chródhacht ó phéiciollaibh an phónair
Le spéir-mhacaibh Bóinne 's Bhail' Shláinge!

VIII.
Is iad seabhaic chaoin-áille na bhfairce-se Bhail' Shláinge
Ariamh nár thuill náire do'n uaisle,
<L 551>
A bhrisfeadh gach sár-bhuidhean de' gcruinneochadh le
báire
I n-a gceann gan cháirde na huaire.
B'aoibhinn an lá-sin a bheith i bhFionnabhair ar na hárdaibh
Ag amharc ar rása na mbuachaill,
'S ní'l ríogain de'n Ádhamhchloinn do-chífeadh mo pháisdí
Nach líonfadh i ngrádh leo an uair-sin!

IX.
A bhuachaillí, má chí sibh an tAilíneach go síorraidhe
Ag cur gill as lucht gípis nó prácáis,
Tógaidh gan sgís chum na hAnaighe fá dhaoirse é,
'S ná bíodh se in bhar líontaibh mar námhaid;
Gé gur deacair linn an saoi sin a chur i gcreapall
nó i bpríosún,
Acht munab é gur chlaon sé do Ghálltacht; 
Acht má chailleamaid le daoi e, atá goibhne 'sa tír-se
D'oibridhibh an fhir chéadna bheas láimh linn.

X.
Atá amadán bocht bréan chois na hAnaighe mar léice,
Gan bhaisdeadh, gan chéadfadha, gan náire,
Gan fios aige cia féin de gheinealach Shíl Éabha,
Cia haca de shliocht Chaín é, nó Cháiphais,
De bhrúidibh Lútérius nó Iúdas na bréige,
Lúcifer, Bhélsibuib, nó Chároin, 
Rinn an nua-litir sgléipe gan mhúnadh gan bhéasa,
Gé gur umhluigh 'na dhéidh sin mar sglábhaidhe.

XI.
Má's beag leo a bhfuaradar i bhFionnabhair ar an
uair-sin 
De imirt ó bhuachaillíbh Bóinne,
Cruinnigheadh na sluaighte fá'n Anaigh le buabhall
Ó Theamhair go cuan Bhaile Uí Mhórnáin.
Tugadh taisbeánadh uatha, má's toil leo an bualadh,
'S bíodh an tAilíneach leo suas fá Fheil Ióseph;
Béidh mo mhacnaidh-se i n-uachtar, 'gá gcárnadh 'na
gcruachaibh
Chum an Mhuilinn, ar cuairt chum na Róistighe.

Freagra ó'n Anaigh (?).
XII.
Má chuir sibh an báire go Fionnabhair an lá-sin,
Ní'l sgannail nó náire nach bhfuair sibh;
Bhí bhar mbrístí in bhar láimh libh i mbuinneán dul' i
gcnáimh,
Ag dul i bhfolach ar sgáth i dtor luachra.
An mhuc a bheidheadh an lá-sin ar fhaithche ghlais an
phátrúin,
Nár thruimide go bráthach a hualach
A bhfuigheadh sí de phrácás, de fhraochógaibh, de phrátaíbh,
Ag imtheacht insna háltáin ar uaigneas.

Tagra.

I.  Macnaidh, “sons,” young men composing the
team = Mid. Ir. maicne; the pronunciation is mac-a-
naidh.  Ar a hochtmhadh, &c., this is James Dowdall's 
reading; I have adopted it, as I think it better
grammar than O'Kearney's ar an t-ochtmhadh, &c.  It 
seems, however, that there is something to be said for
the latter; many, from observation of the spoken
Irish, especially of Connacht, have endeavoured to
formulate a rule that ochtmhadh is never used without
the t-.  Rígh: I take this and rígh Seoirse of III.  and
Seoirse of VI. to be references to the same person — 
namely, the captain of the Boyne team; perhaps his
surname is also contained in the first line of VI., his
full name in that case being Seoirse Mac Cléirigh
(this surname is now probably represented by Clarke).
Sgaoith, dat. of sgaoth, s.f., a host, band, &c., nom.
plur. sgaoithte; a word much used by the poets of
Meath and Oriel.  An Anaigh (perhaps an older form
was An Anach), the Nanny river in the eastern part of
Meath; it rises east of Navan and flows into Drogheda
Bay, about half-way between the Boyne and Delvin
Rivers and parallel to them, and in the final part of its
course is the boundary between the baronies of Upper 
and Lower Duleek.  The valley through which it
flows is of great scenic beauty.  Pónar, gen. pónair,
II., beans, here used as a term of contempt for the
nanny men, who were probably, as compared with the 
natives of Lower Meath, more affected by English
customs; so, in Co. Wexford, the natives of the Eng-
lish (Strongbownian) settled baronies of Forth and 
Bargy were called by the other Wexford-men  “beany-
bags.”  Meighphoner ( = Magh phónair), a townland in
S. Armagh, shows the same form of the word.  Balla
= Eng. ball, and léathróid appear to be used indiffer-
ently in N. Leinster.  Thríodtha (hree'-thoo, free'-thoo)
= tríotha, through them; the -d- may reflect the -d
of thríd.

II. Léanaidh, s.f. gen. léanadha, III.; these are the
MS. forms, and it is clear that léana should have
been so edited in the last song.  Léanaidh, it would 
seem, was the term applied to the ground on which
the football matches were played.  Eolus, skill in the 
game.  Mo ghruagaigh, my heroes, also in III., the
poet's complimentary allusion to his team, which he
also calls mo pháisdí in IV. and VIII.  Cf. mo ghruagach
and mo chuid páisdí of Bavan song.  A shéidfeadh, that
would sweep away, or drive out of their way.  Péicioll-
aibh, dat.pl. conceited persons, coxcombs; cf. péacalach,
péacach, conceited, Méarthóg Ghuill in An Claidheamh
Soluis of May 5 1900, and no doubt péacóg, a pea-
cock or pea-hen, is also an allied word.  O'R., has
péac, a long tail, and péic, s.f. a great tail, and
péiciollach, tailed, having a tail, of which the former
occurs in the Co. Donegal phrase, i ndeireadh na péice
(= sgríbe, cúise, dála, &c.).

III. Ag cur suas ortha, rendering them unable to,
&c.  The two words after ag cur destroy its governing
power.  Ua'n = ó'n.  'Gá uaimniughadh, being practised
as poetry, or played on the harp; the MS. has uaimh-
niughadh, improperly, I think.  Suadh-lucht, the MS.
reading is righ-lucht.

IV. Ua = ó, from.  Ag greasacht, exciting, en-
couraging, hastening.  Dúsacht = dúiseacht, dúsgadh,
rousing, stirring up.  Báire here appears to be applied
generally to the game, as it sometimes is in Munster. 
Gaisgidhibh, dat. pl. of gaisge?  But perhaps we should
read ghaisgidhigh = ghaisgidheachaibh.  Ag seasamh, making
a good stand, playing stoutly.  Búta (MS. bút), either
for bútais, gen. pl. of bútais, a boot, or for bútaidh,
gen. of bútadh, boot, gain.  Prácáis, gen. of prácás,
champ, olla podrida, hotch-potch.  O'R., also has  “a
meal of raw oatmeal and buttermilk;”  “perhaps these
were the chief ingredients.

V. Síol Uidhir, MS. has síol-ghuidhir.  'Na suidhe,
in position, or standing.  'San mbáire, at the goal.
Faoiteach, White.  Míonach, breed, blood = Fr. O'Leary's
<L 552>
mianach, Mion-chaint, p. 14.  James Dowdall had the 
third line as follows:— 

Fíteach na féile, aon-sreath sruth Gaedhealach,
Ríogh-bharraidhe aereach na bpátrún.

O hAonaigh, anglicised Heany, Hainey, Heeny, Heney,
and Bird.

VI. Luamhain (gen.pl.), rope, bond: this is a con-
jectural emendation, in order to restore the requisite
assonance; the MS. has leomhantaidhe = lions.  Próib
= gen. of a word prób, disgrace, reproach, indecorum,
from Lat. probrum?  Cf. O'R's.  prábach, disorderly,
indecorous, prábar, s.m. the rabble, prábaire, a
worthless fellow, and perhaps also his práib, práibin,
but these are given as s.f. Uathbháis, gen. of uathbhás,
terror; it may be, however, that the true sense is 
“lamentation,” as uathbhás is so understood in Co.
Monaghan — e.g. 'sé bhearadh uathbhás fá mo chás.

VII. Le hiomardas gródh, by leverage, by the con-
test or effort of levers?  Gródh, s.m. a crowbar, an
iron lever, O'R.  Spéir-mhacaibh = macaibh spéireamhla:
cailín spéireamhail was always a favourite expression
of the Meath people for “a pretty girl,” whereas
cailín deas =  “a nice girl.”  So the universal poetic
word spéirbhean is simply = bean spéireamhail, a 
pretty woman.  Also spéir, stáid, and stuaidh are
poetic abbreviations of spéirbhean, stáidbhean, and
stuaidhbhean.  Bail'Shláinge, Slane in Co. Meath.

VIII. Fairce (gen.pl.) district, especially ecclesi-
astical district = fairche, diocese, parish, church boun-
daries, O'R., who also gives “fairce, extent.”  Fionn-
abhair, Fennor, a townland and parish near Slane, but
on the opposite (southern) side of the Boyne, the scene
of the football match.  The MS. has here Fionnmuir,
and in XII. Fionnmhair.  The colloquial form now
used in Meath is Fionnair and in English Finner.
The older name was Finnabhair Abha.  Ádhamhchloinn:
this word appears to be peculiar to the poetry of the 
district to which the song belongs; it is frequently
pronounced as if spelt Áfloinn, and is then very
puzzling to one who hears it for the first time.

IX. An tAilíneach, Allen, no doubt one of the family
from whom Allenstown (in the Elizabethan Fiants
Alleynestowne, Alenston, Allenston), five miles north-
west of Navan, Co. Meath, is named.  It is clear that
this Allen, being a native of Lower Meath, was ex-
pected to take the part of the Boyne men, but pre-
ferred to side with the Nanny team.  Ag cur gill as,
betting on.  Gípis = giblets, offal?  The Eng. cockles,
ruacán, has been borrowed into Irish at Omeath as
cocais.  Similarly giblets might be expected to change
to gípis, the medial l dropped in each case being a 
strong point of agreement.  Sgís, weariness, gen.
sgísi, now sgíste (commonly used as nom. also).  In
bhar líontaibh, sgéal.  Chúige Mumhan, 10, y.
Creapall, fetters; i gcreapall, i gceangal, i ngéibheann,
&c., are synonyms.  Gálltacht, the Anglo-Irish or
Palesmen (taken collectively as a race, with a refer-
ence to their customs, influence, &c.).  Whilst Gae-
dhealtacht is now accurately enough translated by
Gaeldom, there is no single English word to express
the idea of Gálltacht.  Cf.  gabháilt le Gálltacht,
"going with foreigners," An Cromán Gránda, Fews
(Armagh) song taken down by Mr. John Hannon, of
Crossmaglen.  Both Gaedheal and Gall have always
been so inherently definite in meaning that they can
dispense with the definite article, the best-known
instance being Cogadh Gaedheal re Gallaibh.

X. This stanza appears to allude to the person who
sent the letter of challenge on the part fo the Nanny
men.  Léice, a clown, a boorish person.  Cia féin for
cia hé féin?  Sgléipe, gen. of sgléip, ostentation, con-
ceit; a synonym of it is stráic; both words are used 
in the north of Leinster and in Ulster.  Gé gur umh-
luigh: MS. has Gé gur'b éigean dó umhlughadh, making
the line too long. 

XI. Le buabhall, by call of bugle; buabhall (in
Farney sometimes pronounced buaghall) esp. = french-
horn, whilst galltrompa = trumpet.  O Theamhair go
cuan Bhaile Uí Mhórnáin, from Tara to the haven of
Morningtom, describes accurately enough the extent of
the territory through which the Nanny flows, compris-
ing the baronies of Skreen, Upper Duleek and Lower
Duleek.  Mornington, in spite of its Saxon appearance,
is merely an inaccurate anglicisation of Baile Uí
Mhórnáin (= O'Mórnáin's town), in accordance with a 
barbarous practice that obtained in Co. Meath.  The
cuan or haven referred to is a narrow inlet in the 
townland of Mornington, and just within the mouth of
the Boyne; the village of Mornington is about one
mile to the west of this.  An bualadh, i.e., bualadh an
bháire, the football-match.  Suas = (motion from the 
speaker to the destination) up, to the south: this
clearly points to the Allen mentioned having been a 
native of Lower Meath, or at least of some district to
the north of Upper Meath.  'Gá gcárnadh, making
heaps of; this word is a favourite one for describing a
thorough beating or defeat given to a party.  Chum an
Mhuilinn, to the Mill, i.e., Chum Muilinn na Róistighe,
to the Mill of the Roche in the vale of the Naul, on the 
Meath side of the Delving River.  Ar Cuairt, &c.:
supply dóibh in this clause; the sense is:  “on a visit
to The Roche,” Na Róistighe is gen. of An Róisteach = 
The Roche, the ordinary name of the valley of the 
Naul, on the borders of Meath and Dublin counties.
The Delvin River is commonly called The River of the 
Roche = Abhainn na Róistighe, and Muileann na Róis-
tighe was certainly the original of The Mill of The Roche.
O'Kearney has “chum an Róistighe”; this is evidently
an error that arose through his mistaking 'un na for
'un a', whilst his ear was a correct guide to him as
regards -ighe of Róistighe.

XII. This stanza, which is not in O'Kearney's copy,
is the last in James Dowdall's version.  As far as can
be judged, it appears to have been composed for the 
Nanny men, in answer to Séamus Mac Cuarta.  A
few alterations have been made, so as to bring it into
better conformity with the metre.  Fionnabhair:
Fionntruing as heard; I take it to be a corruption of
Fionnabhair, as there is no such townland-name trace-
able.  I mbuinneán, “in danger”; I do not know if I
have spelt this correctly; all I can say is that it gives
the sound I heard.  Ar fhaithche ghlais: ar ghraoin fhéir,
Jas. Dowdall.  Nár thruimide: nár thruime, Jas. D.
A bhfuigheadh sí: le méid a bhfuigheadh sí, Jas. D. Áltán
= a moderate height or elevation, is much used in Meath
and Oriel; árdán may be considered a synonym of it.

Seosamh Laoide.
Historical Irish Corpus
1600 - 1926

Leinster Football Songs.

Search Texts

Historical Irish Corpus1600 - 1926

Leinster Football Songs.

Search Texts

Historical Irish Corpus
1600 - 1926
