Transcript

Insa tseanaimsir fadó bhí fear ann a dtugadh siad Seoirse do Barra air. Chónaigh sé i gCaisleán an Bharra. Agus bhí bean i bparáiste Eanach Dhúin a dtugadh siad Craoibhín a Búrc uirthi. Fuair siad eolas ar a chéile agus pósadh iad. Agus bhí siad ríméadach go leor sa tsaol ansin go ceann scathaimh nó gur thoisigh luch mhór bhán ag imeacht as gach áit i ndiaidh Sheoirse do Barra. Bhí sé in imshníomh an-mhór ansin go maródh sí é. Agus fuair sé comhairle a ghoil thar sáile, é féin agus Craoibhín a Búrc, agus nach móide go leanfadh sí é.

Bhí go maith. Fuair sé é féin réidh agus d'imigh leis ar bhord loinge[1] nó go ndeachaigh sé go Meiriceá. Agus ní túisce a bhí siad amuigh ar thalamh Mheiriceá ná mar bhí an luch mhór bhán amuigh 'na ndiaidh. Ní rabh sé ag fáil suimreas[2], siúl oíche ná lae abhus ná thall ag an luch mhór bhán, a cheap amach go ngiorródh sí lena shaol.

Dúirt sé leis féin faoi dheireadh is faoi thiar go rabh sé chomh maith dhó thíocht abhailí agus gan a bheith in áit ar bith ag fáil bás, ach bás a fháil sa mbailí más é a bhí i ndán dó mar gheall uirthi.

Tháinig sé abhailí aríst agus níor stop sé ariamh go dtáinig sé aríst go Caisleán an Bharra. Agus nuair a tháinig bhí an luch ina dhiaidh as gach cearda. Ní túisce ná mar a bhíodh sé istigh ná amuigh an t-am a bhí an luch 'na dhiaidh.

Bhí sé lá amháin amuigh ag déanamh bróin ar a chuid talúna agus ní rabh a fhios aige céard a dhéanfadh sé. Tháinig easóg amach as múta agus d'ionsaigh sí an luch mhór bhán. Agus bhí sé ina chogadh acu an-fhada. D'imigh leis an easóg agus í buailtí sáraithe ag an luch bhán agus ní rabh a fhios aici céard a dhéanfadh sí. Thoisigh sí ag déanamh poll i múta chomh caol agus d'fhéad sí é. Agus nuair a fuair sí déantaí an poll sin, tháinig sí aríst ar ais agus chuir sí (iomaidh) aríst ar an luch bhán.

Bhí siad ag troid agus bhí sí dhá mealladh léithe nó go dtug sí í go dtí an múta. Agus nuair a bhí siad ag troid i mbun an mhúta fuaigh an easóg isteach insa bpoll. Agus b'áil leis an luch mhór bhán a ghoil 'na diaidh agus bhí sí ró-mhór. Ní rabh sí in ann a ghoil isteach insa bpoll a ndeachaigh an easóg ann. Tháinig an easóg thart timpeall dho léim ar an múta agus rug sí i dtaobh an chúil uirthi agus an leicinn agus tharraing sí a cuid fola agus d'fhága sí mín marbh í os comhair Sheoirse. Ní rabh fear ar bith ab áthasaí ná Seoirse agus bhí a bhean ní b'áthasaí ná sin. Dúirt siad go ndéanfadh siad caisleán ins an áit a(r) maraíodh an luch bhán le ríméad as ucht go rabh sí marbh. Rinne siad an caisleán agus sin é an chaoi ar baisteadh Caisleán an Bharra as Seoirse do Barra.

Translation

In the old times long ago there was a man who they used to call George Barry. He lived in Castlebar. And there was a woman in the parish of Annadown who they used to call Creeveen Burke. They got to know each other and they were married. And they were happy enough in life for a while until a big white mouse starting going everywhere after George Barry. He was very worried then that it would kill him. And he was advised to go overseas, himself and Creeveen Burke, and that it was unlikely that it would follow him.

All was well. He readied himself and he went aboard a ship and went to America. And no sooner were they out on American soil than the big white mouse was out after them. He was getting no rest, a night's or a day's walking here or there by the big white mouse (?), who intended(?) shorten his life.

He told himself in the end that he might as well go home and not to be dying anywhere, but to die at home if that was what was in store for him because of it.

He came home again and he never stopped until he came once again to Castlebar. And when he came the mouse was after him from every direction. He was no sooner in or out than the mouse was after him.

He was outside one day lamenting on his land and he didn't know what to do. A weasel came out from a mound and attacked the big white mouse. And they were warring for a very long time. The weasel went off having been defeated by the white mouse and did not know what it would do. It started making a hole in a mound as narrow as it could. And when she had made that hole, she came back again and she again competed with the white mouse.

They were fighting and it (the weasel) was drawing it (the mouse) along until it brought it to the mound. And when they were fighting at the bottom of the mound the weasel went into the hole. And the big white mouse wanted to go after it but it was too big. It was not able to go into the hole into which the weasel went. The weasel came around with a jump onto the mound and caught it by the backside and by the cheek and drew its blood and left it stone dead in front of George. There was no man happier than George and his wife was happier than that. They said that they would build a castle in the place where the white mouse was killed with joy that it was dead. They built the castle and that is why Castlebar was named after George Barry.

Footnotes

Commentary

This is an aetiological legend, explaining the origin of the placename of Castlebar, county Mayo. It is part of local lore concerning the characters of Seoirse de Barra (George Barry), and Craoibhín a Búrc (Creeveen Burke). There are a number of other stories from Mayo and Galway that concern these two, the most famous of which involves Seoirse being killed after being flung from the back of a supernatural steed known as an each uisce ('water horse'). According to the story, the place where his remains were found is called Leac Sheoirse, or Loughgeorge, county Galway, after a commemorative stone was supposedly erected there in his memory. The placename of Castlecreevy, county Galway, is said to have been named after Craoibhín a Búrc. See William Wilde, Lough Corrib (London, 1867), 77.