AN GAOḊAL.
135
In the very center of Spain there are high emolu¬
ments and power of the Fianna (the Fianna have
high emoluments, etc), 10
Straight tree of the race of O'Donnell would get a
welcome there if he were on a journey,
The king and the queen and every high noble from
that back,
Dominick would be by their sides, and in a parlor
along with them would be entertained.
It is Dominick is the brave man who is the most
hospitable and the most handsome in the country,
Was not Deirdre [much mistaken who gave great
desire and liking too Naisi ;
If Queen Helen were now alive, who brought dire
destruction on the chiefs of Troy,
With the O'Donnell she would be, and without a
partner would Paris, son of Priam, be left.
NOTES.
1 The word Glashy, which occurs very often in
the names of townlands in Ireland under the forms
of Glashy, Glasha, Glaise, Glais means a stream,
or a valley through which a stream flows. There
is a townland of this name in Gweedore, and ano¬
ther near Glenties, some one of which is the Glashy
referred to in the song.
2. Fuileachtach properly means bloody; but by
a secondary application, it means spirited.
3. The primary signification of ceim is a step, a
pace ; hence its secondary meanings, degree, rank,
honour, renown, dignity.
4. We spread hospitality all round with the
fruits of the chase.
5. From this it would appear that this song was
composed about the time of the Spanish armada,
(5188).
6. I should be safe by being with Dominick Roe
7. Cruachan, now the village of Rathcroghan
in Roscommon, south-west of Elphin, where stood
the ancient palace of the kings of Connaught. It
is not clear how Ullan of Cruachan can be called
a Limerick man. He may have been born in Li¬
merick, and fostered at Cruachan.
8. This metaphor — comparing a warrior to a tree
or pillar — is common in Irish. In the Toruigh¬
eacht Dhiarmuda agus Ghrainne, in a description
of a goaling or hurling match between Cairbre Lif¬
feachair and the son of Lughaidh, it is said that
'the men of Cearna and the stout pillars of Teamhair
(that is, the strong warriors whe were the support
of Tara) arose on the side of Cairbre."
9. Crioch Fodhla, a name for Ireland, from
Crioch, a country, and Fodhla, a Tuatha de Dan¬
ann queen. “The fifth name was Crioch Fodhla,
from a queen of the Tuatha de Dananns, who was
called Fodhla.” —
Keating's Forus Feasa air Eirinn, edited by
Dr. Joyce, page 7.
10. Alluding to the number of Irish exiles who
joined the Spanish army, and attained posts of ho¬
nour therein.
O'Curry’s Lectures is now scarce and
worth ten dollars ; Hardiman's Mins¬
trels is worth fourteen dollars ; it will
be given in the Gael also, and both
will be finished in two years. No Irish
man should be without O'Curry.
P. A. DOUGHER'S INQUIRY OF
O'Donovan Rossa.
Ḋiarmuid Ui Ḋuinnioḃáin Rossa, ḃ-fuil
tú beo fós air an t-saoġal
Nó ḃ-feiceann tú 'n raṫ atá air Éire,
ċo dona 's ḃí sí ariaṁ;
Ḃ-fuil tú caoċ, boḃar is balḃ, nó ḃ-fuil
dóċus maiṫ agad go deo,
Nó ḃ-fuil do ċroiḋe briste smuaineaḋ
air d' oileán boċt báite faoi ċeo?
"'Sa ċara, le congnaṁ na ngrása, tá
mise beo fós air an t-saoġal,
Ní'l mé boḋar ná balḃ, is tá mo raḋ¬
arc ċo maiṫ is ḃí sé 'riaṁ;
Tá dóċus a g-coṁnuiḋe in mo Ṫiġear¬
na le m'oileán a ṡaora go fóill,
'S ní ḃéiḋ mo ċroiḋe briste scaṫaṁ
smuaine ná ag sileaḋ na ndeor.
O ṫárla gur ċuir tú 'n ċeist díom tá
freagra maiṫ agam le taḃairt,
Tá anró air Éirinn le bliaḋantaiḃ ó
ṫainic Seáġan Bull air a tóir;
Níor ḟág sé i lorg sa g-cruinne nár n¬
deárna sé diaḃáil don t-sórt,
'S ní ḃéiḋ an t-áḋ air an oileán ċoiḋċ'
go n-díbreoċar é 'maċ as a bport
Ní'l coḃair ḃeiṫ ag argúin no claṁsán
no caint leis an Sasanaċ fuar,
Tá i ċorp agus anam gan ċuinsíos, is
ċaill sé an creideaṁ fadó;
Le cúig-ċeud bliaḋain na ḋroċ ċoṁar¬
san is ní cóir ḃeiṫ aṁla níos mó,
'San léiġeas 's feárr do na bodaiġe 'n
púdar a ċur faoi na srón.
Tá na tiġearnaiġe sásta mar támuid
's deir siad m-b'ḟeárr leigin daoḃ
Go ḃ-fuair siad a d-talaṁ a's áras
faoi Ċrumuil na bliaḋanta fadó;
Aċt bíḋid siad mar atá le na ḃaraṁ¬
uil ní ṫepfimid orlaċ go deo,
Nó go m-béiḋ sásaḋ arís ag clann Ġrái¬
ne fa Luimniġ 's Aċraim a ḃróin."
Sa Ḋiarmuid anois tá mé sásta gus
cinte go ḃ-fuil tú air an t-soaġal
Troid leis a náṁaid a g-coṁnuiḋe ċo
dána 'gus ḃí tú ariaṁ;
Dá m beiṫ clann Éireann alig air d'intin
leis a g-congnaṁ tá 'gainn le fáġ'l,
'Sgeárr go mbeiṫ 'n t-oileán faoi ṡaoir¬
se 's buaiḋ le Sean Éirinn go bráċ.
