An Rón /
The Seal
The Seal
Informant: Siobhán Bean Uí Shúilleabháin
Age: Unknown
Address: Lios Póil, Cinn Aird, Co. Kerry
Collector: Bríd Ní Shúilleabháin, Siobhán’s daughter, National Folklore Collection, UCD
Date of Recording: October 1945
Reference:
NFC 1065: 641-642
Storm in Cuan an Daingin, 1947 [Caoimhín Ó Danachair, National Folklore Collection, UCD]
An Rón
Go dtí le déanaí do théadh na hiascairí ar an mbaile seo amach ag iascach gach oíche agus thugaidís an t-iasc go dtí an Daingean chun é a dhíol.
Oíche amháin bhíodar ag dul amach béal na carraige nuair a chualadar an gol agus an olagón thall in aice an Dúin. Chuadar sall ach ní fheacadar rud in aon chor. Ach ba gheárr gur ghluais chúcu fámaire mhór róin agus é ag gol go duairc*. Deirtear go ngoileann rón díreach ar nós duine. Ach b’é rud a chuir an scanradh ar fad orthu, do labhair an rón leo agus ar seisean;
“Mise Dónall, táimse ag lorg Tadhg is tá Tadhg im loirg-se.”
Bhí ceathrar acu sa naomhóg agus d’admhaigh gach duine acu gur labhair an rón na focail sin, i nGaelainn bhlasta leis. Nuair a thángadar isteach ar maidin bhí rón marbh ar an dtráigh. Is dócha gurbh in é Tadhg.
*[‘Suairc’ atá sa bhuntéacs ach is dócha gur ‘duairc’ atá i gceist ón gcomhthéacs.]
The Seal
Until recently, the fishermen in this town used to go out fishing every night, and they would go to Dingle to sell the fish.
One night they were going out by the mouth of the rock when they heard the crying and lamenting over next to An Dún. They went over, but didn’t see anything. But it wasn’t long before a huge big seal came towards them, crying morosely. It is said that the seal cries exactly like a person. But the thing that scared them the most was that the seal spoke to them, and he said;
“I’m Dónall, I’m looking for Tadhg and Tadhg is looking for me.”
There were four of them in the naomhóg and every one of them admitted that the seal spoke to them, in lovely Irish and all. When they came in in the morning there was a seal dead on the beach. That was probably Tadhg.