Tadhg athá bhuamsa /
I'm looking for Tadhg
Informant: Peats Dhónail (Pádraig Ó Cíobáin)
Age: 81
Address: Baile na nGall, Corca Dhuibhne, Co. Kerry
Collector: Seósamh Ó Dálaigh, National Folklore Collection, UCD
Date of Recording: September 1942
Reference:

NFC 834: 116

Peats Dhónaill Ó Cíobháin, Dún Chaoin, 1946 [Séamus Ó Duilearga, National Folklore Collection, UCD]

Tadhg athá bhuamsa

Do bhí fear a bhí uair i nDún Chaoin, ’sea do chuala-sa, do bhí an fear agus bhí iascairí maithe i nDún Chaoin an uair sin agus bhíodar fadó. Do bhíodh sé gach oíche a’ d’iarraidh rud éiginiteach a thabhairt chun a’ tí leis, go mbeadh rud éiginteach aige le tabhairt dtí an dtigh. Théadh sé ’un tráigh agus théadh sé in ach aon áit.

Ach an oíche seo do bhuail rón óg leis agus do rug sé ar an rón óg agus d’íosfadh rón óg tú chomh maith le rón críonna ach do dhein sé é féin a chosaint air. Thug sé leis go dtí an tigh é agus do bhí a bhéal fáiscithe suas aige sa tslí is ná féadfadh sé breith air. ’Sé áit gur shocraigh sé an rón thíos fé’n leabaidh a bhí ’ge [aige] sa tseomairín agus dúirt sé lena muíntir tí go mbéarfadh sé ’un Daingean amáireach é agus go ndéanfadh sé airgead ar an rón óg, ach dúirt muintir a’ tí leis go b’amhla’ d’íosfadh sé iad agus [é] a scaoileadh an doras amach.

         “Ní dhéanfadh,” arsa é sin.

 Níorbh fhada do gur tháinig rón go dtí an doras chuige agus;

         “Tadhg athá bhuam-sa [uaimse],” arsa an rón a bhí amu’, “Tadhg athá bhuam-sa.”

 Ní raibh sé a’ tabhairt aon tor air go dtáinig ceann eile agus líon timpeall a’ tí do róinte agus an chéad cheann a tháinig i gcónaí dúirt sé gurbh é Tadhg a bhí bhuaidh [uaidh] féinig.

“Och h-anam ’on Diabhail,” arsa fear Dhún Chaoin, arsa é sin, “ní dh’fhanfaidh ceann san áit agaibh,” arsa é sin, “ná tiocfaidh,” a’ bhreith ar a’ rón óg a bhí fén leabaidh is á chaitheamh [amach].

         “Sin é in ainm a’ Díabhail agaibh é,” arsa é sin.

D’imíodar is d’fhágadar ansan é. Ó Pheaid Óg mhuise [a chuala sé an scéal].

 

I'm looking for Tadhg

There was a man who was once in Dunquin, yes, I heard that there was a man, and there were good fishermen in Dunquin in those days, as good as they were long ago. He used to be looking every night for something to bring home to the house, so he’d have something to bring home. He’d go to the strand and he’d go everywhere.

But this one night he came across a young seal and he caught the young seal. A young seal could bite you just as well as an old seal could, but he protected himself from it. He took it with him to the house and he had its mouth squeezed tightly so that he could not catch a hold of him. He set the seal under the bed that he had in the little room and he told his family that he would take it to Dingle the next day, and that he would get money for the young seal. But the household said that it would bite them and to let it out the door. 

         “I won’t,” he said.

         It wasn’t long until a seal came to the door, saying;

         “I’m looking for Tadhg,” said the seal outside, “I’m looking for Tadhg.”

He didn’t take any notice until another came and surrounded the house with seals and the first one who came was still saying that it was Tadhg he was looking for.

“By God,” said the man from Dunquin, “not one of you will stay here,” he said, grabbing the young seal from under the bed and throwing him out. 

         “Here he is, in the name of God,” he said.

They left and left him there then. He heard the story from Peaid Óg.