Darkest Discoveries Donegal

Ó oíche is lá a smaoitim ar chuid sléibhte Dhún na nGall

An fraoch ag fás go líonmhar agus an t-éan ar bharr na mbeann,

Sé ar ball a bheidh mise ag seoladh tharr uisce gharbh dhomhain

Le feicél arís an tírín atá mílte fada uaim.

Insím díbh radharc aoibhinn a ba mhaith lion scríobh le peann,

‘s é sin ó Chnoc a Diarraigh go hard os cionn an Ghleann,

Is iomaidh tráthnóna samhraidh a chaith mé ar a bharr,

Ba dheas a d’amharc an Mhucais i bhfad sior os cionn Ghaoth Dobhair.

Is deas an áit sa tsamhradh go h-ard ar bharr an tsliabh,

Ag breathnú amach ar Thoraigh, ar Gola ‘s Inis Fraoich,

Ó sin go hUaigh ‘s Arainn Mór ar bhadaí dul faoi sheol

Tá sin ar radharc go h-aoibhinn is chonaic mé go fóill.

Is cuimhneach lion na gleanntáin ‘s beidh siad liom go brath

Nuair a smaoitim ar mo óige ar an ard os cionn na trá,

Crónan caoin an bharra agus na héanacha ar gach crann

‘s mé mo shuí ar chnoc an Mhurlaigh ag amharc anonn ar Bhun na mBeann.

Ach insím díbh radharc eile agus briseann sé mo choí,

Sé sin ó Chnoc a’ Diarraigh ag amharc amach ar Inis Fraoich,

Ag coimhéad ar loing ag seoladh go tapaidh siar ó Uaigh

Tabhairt cailíní óga na héireann amach an Oileán úir.

Tá gleanntáin deas in éireann agus sléibhte tá go leor,

Agus coillte glasa fasta ag fás le taobh an ród,

Ach níl sé i dTír Chonaill níos aoibhinn nó níos fearr,

Ná an áit i lár an Ghleann sin bhfuil an cuileann glas ag fás.

Mar tógadh mé ar an ghleann seo – sé an áit is fearr liom ann,

Ach nuair a tháinig an Samhradh b’éigin damh a chaitheadh as mo cheann,

Mar bhí mé bocht i néirinn, d’fhág mise le na linn,

Gan súil le pilleadh arís go mbeadh an duilléir de na crainn.

D’fhág mise an baile i néirinn san bhlian naoí déag fíche trí,

Ba sin ag tús an tSamhraidh ar an seisiú lá den mhí,

Ach bhí mé óg as éirinn agus níor éirigh le mo shiúl

D’fhág sin mé fada ón tírín ar chaith mé tús mo shaoil.

An lá sin a d’fhág mé an baile is orm a bhí an chuaigh,

Da mbeadh mo phocaí follamh, sé chaitheann é a shiúl,

Ach bhí mé ar bord an oíche sin ag seoladh síos Moville,

Ba dheas a d’amharc Tír Chonaill isteach ó bharr na dtonn.

Ba dheas an tráthnóna samhraidh é ag fágáil dúinn an ché,

An ghrian ag soillsiú go glórmhar agus gan scamall ins an spéir,

Do chluinfeá an chuach ag scáirtí agus na héanacha ceol go binn

‘S mé ag fágail mo dhiaidh Tír Chonaill a raibh agam grá agus cionn.

Is anois ag críochnú an amhrán, tógam suas mo cheann,

Mo chroí lan den bhuaireadh agus mo shúile druid le cuaidh,

Ach beidh an lá ag geallú a mbeidh mise ar mo shaille,

Le cuairt a thabhairt ar an tírín ann ar chaith mé tús mo shaoil.

le Johnny Ó Dubhthaigh ©  

From an article that appeared in the Derry People in March 1909

Its History and Traditions

Place Names Explained

By the Late John Sweeney, Inspector of National Schools.

________

On Mullaghderg strand a countryman found, on the morning of Sunday, 29^th September, 1844, the body of Gregory Cuffe Martin, who, with his wife, was drowned in Sligo river on the night of the 14^th August previous. It will be remembered that Mr. Martin represented for some time the borough of Sligo in Parliament. At Mullaghderg House (which, by the way is now a ruin), and at a distance from Srughan-na-(n) Amhlar, the road is interrupted by sand banks which renders the passage difficult for wheeled vehicles. It is understood here that Srughan na (n) amhlar, which literally means little stream of the deaf and dumb, signifies the rivulet of lunatics, a name, as it is said, it owes to the desire insane persons had heretofore of bathing in the waters and sleeping on its banks. After passing Mullaghderg house, the route through the sands lies, for a part of the way, along the margin of a deep lough in which many travelling this track by night get immersed either by falling or walking into it, and several unfortunate persons have thus got drowned here.

On leaving the sand path at Mullaghduff (black height) there is a rock called Carrigacota, through which a little girl, who was herding near it, is said to have been carried off by the fairies. Her shoulders were happed with a petticoat, which her abductors could not appriate, as there was an amulet sewed in it, so it was left on the rock to whose name is has thus contributed.

Bordering on Mullaghduff is Collhame (hazel tree path) from coll, the hazel, and kein, a path is the station of St Duagh. Anagary strand intervene here, and causes another breach in the road, which is the postal road into the Rosses.

ANAGRY

Anagry is a little village in which there are a few pretty shops, two public houses, a constabulary barracks, and a National school.In it are the remains of a large Danish fort, around which was astrongly enclosed bawn or fal. This rath being one of the principal stations on the direct route between the Rosses and Northern Tryconnell, it is mixed up with the stories of the people. Anagry, i.e., Ath-na-Geordh, means the ford of the cattle. And hore it may be noticed Anagry strand intervenes here, and nomenclature of the country is the word cattle, under the various forms of bo (cow), tarran (bull), damh (ox), colpa (heifer), gowae or laugh (calf), and so on.

Between Anagry and Meenaleck tourists meet with annoyance from which I hope they are exempt in other parts of Ireland. Crowds of half-naked urchins, boys and girls, follow every decently clad stranger observed to pass, whether on foot or by vehicle, clamouring, screeching, and soliciting in the most pitiable tones, “Gentlemen, give me a penny.” Lately I passed this way, and I freely used my whip about the legs of the young rascals when the whines were changed into howls of defiance and challenges to alight from my car. There is no poverty here, and I hope these disgraceful scenes are not attributed to the contiguity of the Gweedore Hotel, which has done so much to draw public attention towards North Donegal. But, however, this may be, the nuisance should be put down. The constabulary are prompt enough in some places to haul up the destitute, for asking alms, but here, within a gun-shot of a police station, is allowed to proceed without check a system of begging most annoying to respectable travellers, and demoralising and degrading to the young people pursuing it. I hone the Royal Irish Constabulary of Anagry will devote a little of the idle time that appears to hang heavily on them to the abating of this very intolerable nuisance. Three hours in one week will stamp it out entirely.

The townlands about Anagry are so suggestive of the explanations of topographical names elsewhere that I think it will be interesting and useful to mention them with their meanings. Runnafarsta (Ford point), Runamonu (peat point), Lough na-(n) Arrau, from Anran or fauran, a spring or a pool, into which cattle run for cooling themselves. A portion of this lough is shallow along the margin, and cattle use it-as a fauran. Derrynamanshir-Doire-na-(m) beann-s-ur (the oakwood of the peaks and heath); Meenacreeve (the plain of the branchy tree); Mienanakerra (the plain of the napper or fuller); Meendernasloe (the plain of the hosts), and Loughanure lake of the yew tree).

with kind permission from Irish Newspaper Archive