Donacha an Rón agus Tadhg /
Donacha the Seal and Tadhg
Donacha the Seal and Tadhg
Informant: Tomás a’ Cearailt
Age: 72
Address: Márthain, Corca Dhuibhne, Co. Kerry
Collector: Seósamh Ó Dálaigh, National Folklore Collection, UCD
Date of Recording: 09/03/1938
Reference:
Tomás Mac Gearailt being recorded by Seosamh Ó Dálaigh. [Tomás Ó Muircheartaigh]
Donacha an Rón agus Tadhg
’Sea bhí fear eile i mbaile an Rathnaigh do mhuintir Uallacháin agus do bhíodh sé ag marú róinte. Do mharaibh sé rón thiar lá i bPoll Phádraig i gCúl Doracha agus ní mharaibh sé chuige é ach do rug sé air agus do thug sé leis abhaile é agus é ina bheathaigh. ’Sea do cheangail sé do chos an bhoird é le téadán agus do bhí sé aige ansan lá nó dhó. ’Sea fé cheann dhá lae do tháinig rón thíos fé bhun na dtithe agus;
“Donacha ’tá bhuaimse [uaimse], Donacha ’tá bhuaimse,” aige.
’Sea tháinig bean nó fear isteach ina thigh seo ach go háirithe.
“Nach ait an rón atá thíos,” a deir sí. “Tá na haon bhéic aige is – ‘Donacha ’thá bhuaimse, Donacha ’thá bhuaimse,’ aige.”
“Á!” arsa an rón a bhí ceangailte. “Tadhg athá ’m lorgsa, Tadhg athá ’m lorgsa.”
Ní dhéan an fear ansan ach é scaoileadh.
“By gorr, más é,” a deir sé, “ ’migh ort chuige.”
Do scaoil sé leis [agus] d’imigh sé amach an doras agus do rug an dá rón b’rróg ar a chéile is do bhuaileadar siar chun Charraig an Mheáin is d’fhágadar ansan iad. Sin é mar thit sé ‘mach orthusan.
Donacha the Seal and Tadhg
Yes, there was a man in Baile an Rathnaigh from the Uallacháin family and he used to be killing seals. He killed a seal over in Poll Phádraig in Cúl Dorcha and he didn’t actually kill him but he caught him and took him home with the seal still alive. Yes, he tied him to the leg of the table with a bit of rope and he had him there for a day or two. After two days, a seal came up by the end of the houses, saying;
“I’m looking for Donacha, I’m looking for Donacha.”
A man or a woman came into this house anyway;
“Isn’t the seal down there strange?” she said. “He’s shouting everything, and he’s shouting – ‘I’m looking for Donacha, I’m looking for Donacha’.”
“Aw!” said the seal that was tied up, “Tadhg is looking for me, Tadhg is looking for me.”
The man could only but release him then.
“By Gorr, if it is,” he said, “go on out to him.”
He released him and he went out the door and the two seals hugged each other and off they went to Carraig an Mheáin and they left them there. And that’s what happened to them.