Béaloideas na nGlinntí agus an mac tíre fá dheireadh a bhí in Éirinn

[Tá mé fíorbhuíoch do Phobal an Chaistil as cead a thabhairt domh an t-ábhar seo a fhoilsiú. Is leo an chóipcheart i gcónaí]

Seo leabhrán de bhéaloideas Ghlinntí Aontroma, i nGaeilge na nGlinntí, foilisithe ag Pobal an Chaistil.

Ba é Séamus Ó Duillearga a bhailigh an t-ábhar.

Foilsíodh é den chéad uair in ...

Watson, Seosamh: "Séamus Ó Duilearga's Antrim Notebooks - I: Texts", Zeitschrift für Celtische Philologie 40 (1984) 74-117.
____: "Séamus Ó Duilearga's Antrim Notebooks - II: Language", Zeitschrift für Celtische Philologie 42 (1987) 138-218.
____: "Séamus Ó Duilearga's Co Antrim Notebooks", Éigse 20 (1984-5) 187-211.
____: "Seanchas Ghlinntí Aontrama - 1", An tUltach 66:1 (1/1989) 9-11.
____: "Béaloideas", An tUltach 66:10 (10/1989) 9-10.

Tá sé curtha in atheagar ag Seosamh Watson, nótaí le Ciarán Dunbar.

An áite a maraíodh an faolchú fo dheireadh a bhí in Éirinn

Seo scéal amháin den bhailiúchán nach bhfuil le fáil tríd an nasc thuas : 

1.     An mac tíre fá dheireadh a bhí in Éirinn

Mharbh siad an faolchú fá dheireadh a bhí in Éirinn in garraí m'athar, in áite a bheir siad Coill Uisneach air. Ársochaidh[i] mé an dóigh daoibh a fuair siad é amach. Bhí scrios 'gá dhéanamh ar na caoirigh agus [ar] na huain agus cha dtiocfadh leofa a fháil amach goidé bhí 'gá dhéanamh. Chuaigh buachaill de na comharsanaigh amach maidin amháin go moch agus bhí dhá mhadaidh leis. Thoisigh sé siar Sliabh Bearracháin[ii] ach chuaigh sé síos go Lag na Loch - sin áite idir cúl[iii] Chnoc Ramhar[iv] agus Lag na Loch - agus chonaic sé an beathach ag folach ins an fhraoch agus cíob fada a bhí ann. Sin an áite a bhí an fuaimheas aige.

Thill sé chun an bhaile agus deir sé do na comharsanaigh go bhfaca sé an faolchú. Chuaigh siad uilig go léir amach agus a chuile madra maith a bhí aca. Thug sé iad chun an áite a chonaic sé an beathach ag folach. Nuair a chuaigh siad chóir an áite d'éirigh sé. Thaispeáin an fear an áite dhóibh. Chonaic an mhuintir eile agus chonaic na madaidh a bhí leofa é. Chuir siad na madaidh air. Rith sé píosa maith amach chun an tsléibhe ach chonaic sé nach dtiocfadh leis na madaidh a fhágáil. Thiontaigh sé agus rinn sé ar son barr [na creige[v]].

Chuaigh sé go dtí barr na creige a bheir siad Binn Bhán air ach cha dtiocfadh leis [a] fháil síos ansin. Ansin, rith sé go dtí áite a bheir siad Coire air[vi] ach cha dtiocfadh leis fháil amach ón tsléibh. Bha na madaidh ins an taobh amach dhe ansin anuas go dtí Mala na bhFóidí, áite a bhí sé cothrom. Thill siad é agus chuir siad trasna Alt an Deiscirt é agus ansin go dtí Coill Uisneach. Bhí dhá gharraí ann agus bhí neart crainn móra ann. Léim sé thairis an bhalla agus na madaidh ag a sháil. Bhí sé dall leis an fallas agus chan fhaca sé cá áite an raibh[vii] sé ag dul agus bhuail sé a cheann ar chrann mór agus thuit sé agus ansin rinn na madaidh air agus stróic siad ón [a] mhullach go dtí a sháil. Chuala mise gurb é sin an faolchú fo dheireadh a bhí in Éirinn.

Séamas Mac Amhlaidh, Bun na hAbhna, 1920

FOCLÓIR

folach : folú

cíob : cíb, ‘course mountain grass’

fuaimheas : brocais

thill sé : d’fhill sé

thill siad é : thiontaigh siad é

fallás : allas

thuit sé : thit sé

fo dheireadh : faoi dheireadh (i. deireanach)

---

[i] Ársaidh

[ii] Bearrchaid

[iii] Cúl

[iv] Cnámhaire

[v] an chreig

[vi] aire

[vii] robh

Samples of Rathlin Irish, Upper End

Samples of Rathlin Gaelic from conversation of Bella McKenna (nee McCurdy) with Liam Mac Carráin (Belfast)

The Rathlin Irish (upper end) comes first, followed by Standard Irish, followed by English.

This is upper end Rathlin Irish, it was recorded very late in the 70s. 

It represents the latter stages of late Rathlin Irish, however considerable material has been recorded from a semi-native speaker after this date. 

The speaker in these samples died in the mid-80s, having lived most of her life in Belfast.

One should note, that one occasions she corrects herself, from a Donegal type pronunciation to the Rathlin one. 

I understand that she actually attended Irish classes in Belfast, learning some Rosses Irish, which was in vogue among Belfast Irish speakers at the time.

That may seem surprising to readers but one should remind one's self that the Gaelic League sent a speaker from the Rosses to teach Irish in Rathlin and that native speakers in the Glens of Irish often mixed Donegal Irish with their native dialect having been exposed to it in Gaelic League classes. 

A full description, short off of a phonetical transcription is to be found in Irish ...

Dunbar, Ciarán, "Guthanna Reachrainn, guthanna Uladh", An tUltach 82:2 (2/2005) 14-16

and in English (and slightly revised)  ...

Dunbar, Ciarán, "Some Phrases of Rathlin Irish", The Glynns 35 (2007) 65 - 74.

Hit the Rathlin Irish (the first one to listen) 

(Note that item 1. & 25 lack a sound sample)

1. [tá] brón orm anois

[tá] brón orm anois

I [am] sorry now

2. An bhfeil a fhios aghad[1] caidé tá mé a’ rá?

An bhfuil a fhios agat cad é tá mé ag rá?

Do you know what I am saying?

3. An rabh a fhios aghadsa? [2]

An rabh a fhios agatsa?

Do you know?

4. Bhá bachaill[3] eileag[4] anseo

Bhí buachaill eile anseo

There was another boy here

5. Bhá ceann ruadh[5], ceann ruadh … dearg ar m’athair

Bhí ceann rua, ceann rua …. dearg ar m’athair

My father had a red (ginger) head [of hair] a red head ….red.

6. Bhá[6] mé ar mire

Bhí mé ar mire

I was mad

7. Bhá sean-saighdiúir ansin
      Bhí sean-saighdiúir ansin
      There was an old soldier there

8. ‘Bhfeil[7] mé deas?[8][9]

      An bhfuil mé críochnaithe?

      Am I finished?

9. ‘Bhfeil fhios aghad air Danny Diffin?

      An bhfuil fhios agat air Danny Diffin?

      Do you know Danny Diffin?

10. ‘rabh go leor Gaelg agham?

      An raibh go leor Gaeilge agam?

      Did I have enough Irish?

11. ‘Chan fheil’ sin an fhocal a bhá ag na daoine ar Reachraidh

      ‘chan fheil’ sin an fhocal a bhí ag na daoine in Reachlainn

      ‘chan fheil’ that is the word the people had in Rathlin

12. chan fheil fhios agham rud air bith timpeall air [10] sin

      Níl fhios agam rud ar bith fán ait sin

      I don’t know anything about that place

13. Chan fheil fhios agham air an airm [11] atá ar loch

      Níl a fhios agam fán ainm atá ar loch

      I don’t know the word for loch

14. Chan fheil cuimhin … chan fheil mórán Gaedhilg, Gaedhilg, Gaedhlilg agham anois.

      Níl cuimhin …Níl mórán Gaeilge, Gaeilge, Gaeilge agam     anois.

     [I] don’t remember …I don’t have much Irish ….now.

15. Chan fheil cuimhin agham … chan fheil cuimhin agham

    Ní cuimhin liom … nl cuimhin liom

    I don’t remember

16. Claigeann [12]

      Cloigeann

      Cleggan (skull shaped hill?[13]

17. Chan fheil 'fhios agam 'nois

     Níl a fhios agam anois

     I don’t know now

18. Cnoc an Tairbh

     Cnoc an Tairbh

     ‘The bull’s hill’

19. Rugadh mé ansin ins an taigh, bhá … an airm a bhá air Lartach[14] Aoibhinn ‘Joyful plain’

      Rugadh mé ansin ins an teach, bhí … an t-ainm a bhí air     Lartach Aoibhinn

       I was born there in the house,

20. I mo chónaí ansin

      I mo chónaí ansin

      Living there

21. Sin an ait a bhá mise

     Sin an ait a bhí mise

     That’s were i was

22. Rachadh[15] mé ansiúd is anseo

     Rachadh mé ansiúd is anseo

     I used to go here and there

23. Teacht aríst

     Teacht arís

     Coming again

24. Tá a fhios aigesean cá huair a gheobhaidh mé bás

     Tá a fhios aigesean cá huair a gheobhaidh mé bás

     He knows when i will die

25. na páistean [16]

na páistí

the children

na macan

na mic

the sons

na rudan

na rudaí

the things

cosan

cosa

Big Mary has big feet

míosan

míosa

months

25. ‘bhfeil blas na Béarla air

An bhfuil blas na mBéarla air

Does it have an English ‘blas’

26. The Hail Mary recited in Rathlin Irish.

---

[1] This ‘g’ is always aspirated in Rathlin. i.e agham (pron. a’m) aghad (pron. a’d)

[2] See footnote 1.

[3] This word appears to be a confusion of the Scottish Gaelic word word ‘bachlach’and the Standard Irish ‘buachaill’. Holmer records Bachlach as the Rathlin form (HOLMER, N.M., The Irish language in Rathlin Island, Co. Antrim, (Royal Irish Academy [Hodges Figgis], Dublin 1942) whilst Wagner records ‘bachaill’. (WAGNER, H., Ó BAOILL C., Linguistic Atlas and Survey of Irish Dialects IV, (Royal Irish Academy Dublin 1969) p16)

[4] This form was also recorded by Holmer ibid p190.

[5] ‘dh’ at the end of a word normally pronounced like a ‘g’ in Late Rathlin Irish.

[6] ‘bhá’ is always the word used in Rathlin where standard Irish has ‘bhí’. ‘bhá’ also occurred in Irish of the Glens along side ‘bhí’. ‘bhá’ is considered Scottish Gaelic.

[7] Where standard Irish has ‘bhfuil’, East Ulster (including Rathlin), Scottish Gaelic and Manx have ‘Bhfeil’.

[8] Literal meaning is ‘am I nice?’

[9] A distinguishing feature of East Ulster Irish (including Rathlin), North Donegal Dialects Scottish Gaelic and Manx is the pronunciation of ‘ea’ as ‘e’ (i.e. d´es) whereas in most of Ireland it is pronounced as an ‘a’ sound (i.e. d´as)

[10] ‘timpeall air’ (about that) is a Rathlin Idiom which can also be found in Islay Gaelic – see footnote 26.

[11] This pronunciation of the word ‘ainm’ as ‘arm/airm’ was also to be found in Farney Irish. Ó SEARCAIGH, S., Foghraidheacht Ghaedhilg an Tuaiscirt (Brún agus Ó Nualláin, Baile Átha Claith 1925) pp.182-183

[12] Rathlin place-name.

[13] See Place-Names of Northern Ireland, Co Antrim II, (The Institute of Irish Studies, QUB) p299.

[14] This is an example of metathesis, the standard Irish word being Latrach normally meaning a piece of rough scrubby ground. See footnote 5.

[15] pronounced as ‘rachag’ in late Rathlin Irish.

[16] the plural constructed in Rathlin Irish by simply adding ‘an’ or ‘ean’. For example, taigh (house) taigheán (houses)