Mar scuabadh an Róisteach amach ins na farraigí ’s mar a bádh é. /
How Roche was stolen out to sea and how he was drowned
Informant: Beartlí Mac Donncha
Age: 82
Address: Slyne Head, Co. Galway
Collector: Seán Ó Flannagáin, National Folklore Collection, UCD
Date of Recording: 1939
Reference:

NFC 615: 298-301

Seaweed Gathering, Co. Galway [Domhnall Ó Cearbhaill, National Folklore Collection, UCD]

Mar scuabadh an Róisteach amach ins na farraigí ’s mar a bádh é.

Bhí beirt driotháir do na Róiste thiar i gCeann Léime os cionn dhá scór bliain ó shoin – is maith is cuimhneach liom an t-am, ’s bhíodar amuigh ar an gcladach a baint feamainne lá earraigh le haghaidh fataí a chur. Bhreathnaigh fear acu taobh thiar dhó ar an gcladach ’s chonaic sé an rón óg . D’fhuagair sé ar an driotháir eile é a mharú. Thug an driotháir eile clár báid lena bhualadh.
            
            “Ná buail mé, a Pheaitsín,” a deir an rón óg.
 
Rug Peaitsín ar an rón óg agus leag sé ar thile an bháid é ’s thug sé chun chala’ é. Dúirt Peaitsín leis an driotháir eile é a mharú. Mhara’. Lá arna mháireach tháinig a’ seanrón ag iarraidh a mac ar an Róisteach agus í ag caoineachán. Bhí sí ag tíocht ’s ag imeacht go ceann seachtaine ar an gcaoi sin.

Ghabh an bheirt driotháir amach lá eile go gearr ina dhiaidh sin ag baint fheamainne ’s d’éirigh an seanrón as an bhfarraige ’s shíl sí an Róisteach a thabhairt amach ar a bhfarraige as an mbád. Rug an fear eile ar an halmadóir ’s fuaidh an Róisteach i lár an bháid an chaoi nach bhfeicfeadh an rón é. Thángadar abhaile slán sábhailte an lá san.

Ghabh an Róisteach amach lá eile ’s bhí farraige mhór ann ’s chonaic sé an tsail mhór adhmaid ag tíocht i dtír san oíche. Tháinig an tsail ar bhullán mhór carraige ’s ní raibh an Róisteach sách gar di len í a thabairt chun cala’. D’aimsi’ se téad báid ’s cheangla sé don tsail í amuigh ar an gcarraig ’s bhí sé a dhul dhá tarraingt ina dhiaidh isteach an t-am a rith an rón mór isteach ina dhiaidh.

Rug sí air ’s d’árda’ sí chun béala é amach ar na farraigí agus a lámha in áirde aige ’s é ag screadaíl. Ní fhéadfaí aon bhlas a dhéana’ len é a shábháilt. Thiar i gCeann Léime a d’éirigh an scéal sin. Fear do bhunú na háite an Róisteach. Tá a bhunú fós ánn. Chonaic mé féin an Róisteach ag bá.

How Roche was stolen out to sea and how he was drowned

There were two brothers called Roche out in Slyne Head more than forty years ago – it is well I remember the time they were out on the shore gathering seaweed for planting potatoes one spring day. One of them looked behind him and saw the young seal. He called out to the other brother to kill it. The other brother took up the tiller to strike him.

“Don’t strike me Peaitsín,” said the young seal.

Peaitsín grabbed the young seal and he put him in the boat and he took him to the harbour. Peaitsín told his brother to kill the seal. He did. The next day the old seal came to Roche crying, looking for her son. She was coming and going in that way for a week.

The two brothers went out soon after that to gather seaweed and the old seal came out of the sea and tried to take Roche from the boat into the sea. The other man grabbed the tiller, and Roche went to the centre of the boat so that the seal wouldn’t see him. They came home safe and sound that day.

Roche went out another day and the sea was running high, and he saw a large wooden beam coming ashore in the night. The beam came to a large stone and Roche wasn’t close enough to it to take it into the harbour. He found a boat rope and he tied it to the beam out on the rock and he was going to pull it after him when the big seal ran in after him.

She grabbed him and took him up in her mouth to the sea and his hands were in the air and he was shouting. Nothing could be done to save him. That happened over in Slyne Head. Roche was from there, and his family is still there. I saw him drown myself.