An Rón agus an Gasúr /
The Child and the Seal
The Child and the Seal
Informant: Éamonn Ó Ludhóg
Age: 62
Address: Mín Corrbhaic, Co. Donegal
Collector: Seán Ó hEochaidh, National Folklore Collection, UCD
Date of Recording: 25/08/1936
Reference:
Grey Seal [Image courtesy of the Irish Seal Sanctuary]
An Rón agus an Gasúr
Insan tsean-am bhí siad thiar i dTír na Lionna go han-mhór ag marú rónta. Bhí meas mór fá choinne an ola a bhíodh iontu. Bhíodh sé ag ’ul ann ’ach áit fá choinne piantaí agus leaghasarthaí.
Bhí fear amháin ann agus ní raibh aige ach gasúr beag trí mbliain agus ní raibh a mháthair fá bhaile, agus smaointigh sé an bhfaigheadh sé an rón. Chuaigh sé siar i gcúl Chró Sléibhe agus chuaigh sé isteach in uaigh ann, agus tháinig báite orthu. Chaill sé’n gasúr agus fuair sé fhéin ‘climbháilte’ [climb-áilte] aníos a’ t-ált.
Tháinig sé abhaile go brónach, agus a ghasúr caillte. Níor shamhail sé a dhul san áit go dtí bliain ón am sin, agus chuaigh sé go dtí go bhfaigheadh sé rón eile. Chuaigh sé isteach ins an uaigh tráthnóna deas ciúin, agus casadh sin leis rón, agus tharraing sé buille air lena marú. Scairt a ghasúr leis astoigh insan uaigh;
“Ó Daidí, ná marbh mo mháthair!”
Stop sé an buille agus d’amharc sé suas, agus chonaic sé’n gasúr astoigh insan uaigh, agus tháinig sé abhaile agus a’ gasúr leis tráthnóna, agus ní raibh an gasúr i dTeileann a bhí brannsánta dearg leis an ghasúr. Ón lá sin go dtí lá inniu ní raibh dúil acu aon rón a mharú sa tír sin.
The Child and the Seal
In past times the people of Tír na Lionna would always be killing seals. There was much respect for the oil in them, because it could go everywhere for pains and cures.
There was one man there and all he had was a young son of three years and the mother wasn’t around, and he thought that he would get a seal. He went around the back of Cró Sléibhe and he went into a cave there and it flooded. He lost the child and he climbed up the ravine.
He came home sadly, having lost his son. He didn’t think to go to the place until a year later, and he went to find another seal. He went into the cave one quiet afternoon and he came across a seal and raised his hand to kill it. His son shouted to him from inside the cave;
“Oh Daddy, don’t kill my mother!”
He stopped his blow and he looked up and saw his son inside the cave and he came home with his son that afternoon and there was no other boy in Teelin as sprightly as he. From that day on they were never interested in killing seals in that area.