Transcript

In ainm an Athar is an Mhic is an Spioraid Naoimh. Áiméan.
Teagasc Críosta an Chonnachtaigh.
Cé a chruthaigh thú? Chruthaigh an tAthair mé.
Goidé an cruthú a thug sé ort? Rinne sé ar an chuma agus ar an déanamh leis féin mé.
Cé a cheannaigh thú? Cheannaigh an Mac mé.
Goidé an ceannacht a thug sé ort? A chuid fola agus feola a strócadh ar chrann na croiche, é a chéasadh ar mo shon.
Cé a thug tiolacaidh[1] dhuid? An Spiorad Naomh.
Goidé na tiolacaidh a thug sé dhuid? Na cúig céadfha[2] corporala: blas, boladh, mothú, amharc agus éisteacht, lúth mo chosa agus mo lámha. An Spiorad Naomh a bheannaigh mé, ' thug ó laige go neart mé agus ' thug cumhacht domh ar ainspiorad na láimhe clí.
Cén fáth a n-abrann tú Áiméan? Ag iarraidh ar Dhia an ní sin a dúirt muid a bheith déanta go maith in ainm Dé.
Cé hé d'athair? Tá, Dia.
Cé hí do mháthair? Tá, an Eaglais.
Goidé a bheir an Eaglais mar mháthair agad? Mar is í do bhaist mé.
Goidé a ní baisteadh dhuid? Ní[3] sé Críostaí dhomh.
Goidé an rud Críostaí? An té a aidíos[4], chreidíos[5] agus choimhlíonas dligheadh Dé go hiomlán.
Cén comhartha Críostaí atá ort? Comhartha na cara Críosta ina ndéanaim mé féin a choiscreacadh.
Cá mhéad uair a ndéan tú tú féin a choiscreacadh? Gach uile uair agus gach uile am. Níl am áiridhe agam leis ach go speisialta ag luí agus ag éirí domh. Bíonn sé ina scáth dídin eadar muid féin agus anchumhachtaí an diabhail.
Cé ar beag duid sin a rá do[6] bhriathra béil agus gan do lámh a chorrú leis? Nuair a chuirim mo lámh ar mo cheann, cuiridh[7] sé i gcuimhne domh gur thuas atá an tAthair trócaireach, an chéad phearsa den Tríonóid. Nuair a chuirim mo lámh ar mo bhroinn, aidím agus creidím gur ghlac Mac Dé colann daonna, go dteachaigh[8] sé i mbroinn na hÓighe ag sábháil an chineadh daoiní a bhí ag goil go hifreann.
Cá fhad a bhí siad ag goil go hifreann? Corradh agus ceithre mhíle bliain.
Nuair a chuirim mo lámh ar mo ghualainn deas agus ar mo ghualainn clí, aidím agus creidím gur eadar an tAthair agus an Mac a(r) tháinig agus a dtiocfaidh.
Goidé an comhartha nach trí déithe iad sin, mar 'tá an tAthair, an Mac agus an Spiorad Naomh? Ní iontaí é ná go bhfuil an siocán agus an sneachta agus leac oighreoige agus gan iontu ach aon uisce amháin.

Translation

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Connachtman's Catechism.
Who created you? The Father created me.
How did he create you? He made me in his own likeness and design.
Who redeemed you? The Son redeemed me.
How did he redeem you? By his blood and flesh which was torn on the cross, by being crucified for me.
Who gave you graces? The Holy Spirit.
What graces did he give you? The five corporal senses: taste, smell, touch, sight and hearing, the use of my legs and arms. It was the Holy Spirit that blessed me, brought me from weakness to strength and gave me power over the evil spirit of the sinister side.
Why do you say Amen? To ask God that what we have said be done well in the name of God.
Who is your father? God.
Who is your mother? The church.
What makes the Church your mother? Because it is she who baptised me.
What does baptism do for you? It makes me a Christian.
What is a Christian? One who accepts, believes and fulfils God's law fully.
What is the Christian sign you have? The sign of the cross of Christ with which I bless myself.
How many times do you bless yourself? At any time. I don't have a particular time for it but especially when I go to bed and get up. It is a shield between us and the evil powers of the devil.
Is it enough to say that with words without moving your hand as well? When I put my hand on my head, it reminds me that the merciful Father is above, the first person of the Trinity. When I put my hand on my breast, I accept and believe that the Son of God became human, that he went into the womb of the Virgin to save mankind which was going to hell.
How long were they going to hell for? Over four thousand years.
When I put my hand on my right shoulder and on my left shoulder, I accept and believe that all that has come and will come is between the Father and the Son.
What is the sign that they are not three Gods, namely the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit? It is no more surprising than the fact that frost and snow and ice are each the same water.

Footnotes

Commentary

This is an example of a Christian catechism, likely recited from memory, although undoubtedly based upon a printed version. These catechisms began to be published in Irish in the sixteenth century, and many copies survive into modern times. There was a Presbyterian catechism written by Seon Carsuel, under the title Foirm na n-urrnaidheadh (Edinburgh, 1567) and an Anglican version by Seán Ó Cearnaigh, entitled Aibidil Gaoidheilge agus caiticiosma (Dublin, 1571). Bonaventure O'Hussey published An teagasg Críosdaidhe (Antwerp, 1611), which was based on counter-reformation examples issued by Jesuit scholars in continental Europe. See Róise Ní Bhaoill, Ulster Gaelic voices: bailiúchán Doegen 1931 (Belfast, 2010), 135. An Irish-language Church of Ireland catechism was published in 1722 by the Bishop of Down and Connor, Dr Francis Hutchinson, for the people of Rathlin Island, under the title Tegask Kreesdee, eayhon, leahinn as ionoloma do gagh oole yhuine, sul raghas for laiv esbic: a Kristian katekism, etc. See Séamus Ua Casaide, 'Some Irish publications in Ulster', Ulster Journal of Archaeology 16:2/3 (1910), 97-100: 97. An early Catholic example of a catechism published in Ulster Irish is Michael O'Reilly's An teagask Creestye, agus paidreagha na mainne agus an tranona (Dundalk, 1793).

This item is transcribed also in Ní Bhaoill, Ulster Gaelic voices, 134-7. Another version of this from the same speaker appears in An tUltach 11:4 (1934), 6.