An Buachaill as Dún Átha /
The Boy from Doona
The Boy from Doona
Informant: Péigí Ní Shearcaigh
Age: 75
Address: Tullagh, Co. Donegal
Collector: Aodh Ó Dochartaigh, as part of The Schools’ Collection, National Folklore Collection, UCD
Date of Recording: 1937/38
Reference:
Currachs, Oileán Thoraí, 1977 [Séamas Mac Philib, National Folklore Collection, UCD]
An Buachaill as Dún Átha
Uair amháin, bhí buachaill as Dún Átha agus chuaigh sé síos na trá. Bhí grab leis ag cruinneadh leathaí. Nuair a chuaigh sé síos fríd na carraigeacha chonaic sé rón mór liath rua ina luí sa pholl ina chodladh. Chuir sé priocadh den ghrab fríd a thaobh agus tháinig an fhuil.
Leis sin, léim seanduine, fear mór ruaidh as an pholl. Lig an buachaill scread mór as agus rith sé ’na bhaile. Scairt an seanduine leis teacht ar ais agus nach mbainfeadh sé leis ach d’imigh an buachaill ’na bhaile. Thoisigh sé a d’insíodh [ag insint] cáide a d’éirigh dó agus thoisigh a mhuintir ag scalladóireacht air gan labhairt fá dtaobh de.
Dhá bhliain ina dhiaidh sin bhí an buachaill amuich ag iascaireacht. Tháinig stoirm mhór ortha agus b’éigin dófa dul isteach go hOileán Toraí. Nuair a chuaigh siad isteach tharrach na daoine uilig anuas ionsartha. Tháinig seanduine rua anuas ina ndiaidh agus bhí sé i gcónaí ag amharc ar an bhuachaill seo. D’fhiafraigh sé don bhuachaill ar aithnigh sé é agus dúirt an bhuachaill nár aithin.
“An bhfuil cuimhne agat ar lá in Inis Eoghain tá dhá bhliain ó shin,” arsa seisean, “a chur tú grab fríd thaobh an rón?”
Dúirt an bhuachaill go raibh. Dúirt an seanduine ansin gurb eisean a bhí sa rón sin. Ar a chloistin seo don bhuachaill dúirt sé nach gcreidfeadh seisean sin. Leis sin, thóg an seanduine a léine aníos de na thaobh.
“Rinneadh rón díom le seacht mbliana,” arsa seisean, “agus bheinn ann a choíche a beaga gur tharraing tusa mo chuid fola le hiarrann rinneadh sa cheárta.
The Boy from Doona
One day, there was a boy from Doona and he went down to the beach. He had a grab with him to collect seaweed. When he went down between the rocks, he saw a big russet and grey seal lying asleep in the hole. He pierced its side with the grab and the seal started to bleed.
When that happened, a big red-haired man leapt up from the hole. The boy let out a cry and ran home. The old man shouted at him to come back, that he wouldn’t hurt him, but the boy went off home. He started to tell what had happened and his family started scolding him, telling him not to talk about it.
Two years later, the boy was out fishing. A big storm came over them and they had to go into Tory Island. When they came in, all of the people came down towards them. An old red-haired man came down after them, and he was looking all the time at this boy. He asked the boy if he recognised him, and the boy said he didn’t.
“Do you remember a day in Inishowen two years ago,” he said, “when you put a grab in a seal’s side?”
The boy said that he did. The old man said then that he was that seal. When the boy heard this he said he wouldn’t believe it. The old man pulled up his shirt then.
“I was turned into a seal for seven years,” he said, “and I would be a seal still if you hadn’t drawn my blood with iron made in the forge.”