A Annraoi,

Seo duit cúpla píosaí eile a bhfuair mé i gcúpla de mo chuid leabhair féin. Ins an chéad píosa, tuigim nach bhfuil an gheografaíocht i gceart ar fad, ach mura scéal é seo an chean a bhfuil tú ag cuartú, is iontach géarr é:

(ón leabhair ar a chuirtear 'Donegal - A Chronicle of the Twentieth Century' le John Jude Devenney as Rann na Feirste, lch. 18) -- Inver Bay Fishing Tragedy -- Christmas 1904 was a sad time in Inver fishing village as the people there mourned the tragic loss of seven local fisherman a mere fortnight before the celebration of Christmas. A small fishing boat perished in the bay on the 9th December 1904. It was believed that the vessel was overladen with a large herring catch. Among the victims was the skipper Peter Kennedy, who died alongside his seventeen year old son, Patrick. A fund was later set up to assist the relatives of the bereaved.

Agus ins an leabhar 'The Way It Was' le Paul Gannon, fuair mé an dánta thíos. Toisc go bhfuil an leabhar fán Chúige Connacht, níl mé ro-chinnte an bhfuil an dán ag labhairt fán ábhar ins an amhrán a luaigh tú, ach luaigh sé 'Inis Fraoil', agus shíl mé go raibh sé iontach tábhachtach ar chór ar bith. B'fhéidir go bhfuil an t-údar seo ag labhairt fán 'Cleggan Disaster':

The Lonely Rocks of Fraoil
le Mickey Walsh

Come all ye gallant seamen
Pray, to my song, give ear,
Concerning a brave fisherman
Who lived not far from here.
It being on the 2nd of October
The day being bright and clear
This fisherman named O'Malley
Set out for Inis Fraoil.

Aided by his two young songs,
He took the currch down;
With heart so light and spirits bright
He set out from Bun na hAbhainn.
The day being bright and sunny,
They quickly plied the oars
For t go and pull some crannach
As they often did before.

Across the deep blue ocean,
They pulled with might and main,
For to pull this precious seaweed
Which they'd sell to Mr. Kane.
They were only some hours at work
When the boys they got a fright,
For in from sea there came a fog
Which turned the day to night.

These boys, being only youngsters,
How must this brave man feel
As he stood in semi-darkness
On the lonely rocks of Fraoil.
The people on the mainland
They fell in deep dismay
And in the neighbouring houses
They all knelt down to pray.

They offered up the Rosary
As they often did before,
And they prayed to Him who stilled the waves:
Bring O'Malley safe to shore.
All praise be to his neighbors
And to his comrade Sean
Who kept the vigil by the fire
Til the day began to dawn.

Also to the local shopkeeper
Who supplied the fuel so dear,
Which helped to make the bonfire
Which was seen both far and near.
Likewise his wife and daughters -
Theirs was a sorry plight
As they watched out for their loved ones
All through that awful night.

No compass for to guide them
Or set their cuorse aright,
As they watched from that bleak island
All through that awful night.
With dangers all around them
Where the breakers, break and roar,
When many a gallant seamn
Went down, to rise no more.

And then the fog it lifted
On the lonely rock of Fraoil,
A light shone through the darkness
It shone out bright and clear.
Sometimes it seemed distant,
Sometimes it seemed near.
To know where the light came from
Those boys were at a loss;
How could they know it welcomed them
from the cliffs of Mullaghgloss.

It was nearly the next morning -
Just at the break of day -
The currach, it came skimming
Across the waters of the bay.
The cheer the neighbours gave him
Near brought the old cliffs down,
As O'Malley pulled his currach
Into dear old Bun na hAbhainn.

Now to conclude and finish -
I have no more to say -
Long life to all brave fishermen
Whose livelihood is on the sea;
Terrible hours of hardship they have to undergo,
For they must brave the deep and treacherous sea
In their frail and light canoes.