Tuilleadh faoi Rónta /
More about Seals
More about Seals
Informant: Cáit Ní Shallachúir
Age: 40
Address: Dún Ibhir, Acaill, Co. Mayo
Collector: Tomás a’ Búrca, National Folklore Collection, UCD
Date of Recording: 14/09/1943
Reference:
NFC 914: 357
Thatching the roof of a booley house, 1941, Acaill, Co. Mayo [Séamus Ó Duilearga, National Folklore Collection, UCD]
Tuilleadh faoi Rónta
Chuala mé fhéin go minic nach bhfuil sé ceart na rónta a mharú de bhrí gur daoine iad atá faoi gheasa. Chuala mé fadó ó shoin nuair nach raibh an bia chomh fairsing in Acaill agus tá sé anois, chuala mé go mbíodh na daoine amuich ag marú na rónta agus dá dtabhairt abhaile agus dá n-ithe.
Chuala mé nach raibh lá dá maraíodh siad na rónta nach n-ardaíodh an stoirm agus an gálú agus nárbh fhéidir le héinne a dhul in aice na farraige go ceann i bhfad i ndéidh an lae sin. ’S fhearr ligean dófa.
More about Seals
I often heard that it is not right to kill seals because they are people under enchantment. I heard long ago that when food wasn’t as plentiful in Achill as it is now, I heard that people used to be out killing seals and bringing them home to eat them.
I heard that there was never a day when they would kill seals when the sea and gale wouldn’t rise and that no one could go near the sea until long after the day. Better to leave them alone.