Cur Síos ar Róinte /
Description of Seals
Description of Seals
Informant: Pádhraic Mac an Iomaire
Age: Unknown
Address: Carna, Co. Galway
Collector: Liam Mac Coisdealbha, National Folklore Collection, UCD
Date of Recording: 1935
Reference:
Pádhraic Mac an Iomaire, Carna [National Folklore Collection, UCD]
Cur Síos ar Róinte
Insan am fadó, tímpeall agus dhá scór blianta ó shin ann nó leathchéad bliain, bhíodh daoine uaisle a dhul thart i mbáid timpeall na gcóstaí seo Chonamara ag marú róinte insa’ samhradh agus sa bhfómhar, nuair a bhíodh an aimsir breá agus an fharraige cineálta.
Agus ar na carraigreachaí fiáine seo, ar na Sceirdí agus ar charraigreachaí Cheann Léime agus carraigreachaí go leor eile timpeall na gcóstaí bíonn na róinte ar na carraigreachaí ann, agus níl mórán coithís [coimhthíos] ar bith iontu. Tá fear gunna in ann a thíocht i bhfoisceacht fiche slat díobh nó mar sin sula gcorróidh siad chor ar bith nuair atá siad thuas ina luí ar na carraigreachaí laethantaí gréine. Agus tá cuid acu an-mhór; tá cuid acu timpeall agus cúig céad déag meáchan nó mar sin, agus níos lú.
Ach bhí ceannach mhór ar an gcraiceann insan am sin fadó. Bhídís dhá marú agus ag baint an chraiceann díobh agus dhá dhíol, agus bhíodh éadaí dhá dhéana’ de agus rudaí áithrid eile, agus daoine dá chaithe’ ina bháscótaí – daoine uaisle. Ach níl aon bhluích [glaoch] anois ar na craicne – na róinte – ar a’ mbealach sin mar bhí insan am sin. Ach tá an Conservative Party, tá siad ag tabhairt deich scilleacha ar smut an róin anois, mar ceapann siad go bhfuil sé ag ídiú agus ag marú go leor don iasc geal. Agus is maith leo gach ar féidir a mharú do na róinte agus iad a chur go leathtaobh – é a dhéana’ leothu.
Description of Seals
Long ago, around 40 or 50 years ago, the upper class used to go around the Connemara coasts in boats, killing seals in the summer and autumn, when the weather would be fine and the sea would be kind.
There are always many seals on these wild rocks, on The Skerds and on the rocks of Slyne Head and many other rocks around the coasts, and they are not in the least bit shy. A gunman can come within 20 yards of them, or thereabouts, before they move at all when they are lying on the rocks on sunny days. And some of them are very large; some of them are around 15 hundredweight, or thereabouts, and less.
But there was a large demand for the skin in those days. They would be killing them and taking the skins from them and selling them, and clothing and other things were made from it, and people would wear them as waistcoats – the upper class would. But there’s no demand now for the skins – sealskins – in the same way there was in those days. But the Conservative Party are giving 10 shillings on a bit of seal now, because they think that they are consuming and killing the white-fish. And they like to kill as many seals as possible and put them aside- they like to do that with them.