corey finds

the fair-haired priest:
curfá:
Má bhíonn tú liom, bí liom os comhair lán an tí
Má bhíonn tú liom, bí liom de ló geal is oidhche
Má bhíonn tú liom, bí liom gach ordlach de do chroidhe
'Sé mo lean le fonn, nach liom Dé Domhnaigh thú mar mhnaoi

Dhá mbéadh spré ag an gcat nach deas mar a phógfaí a bhéal
Mura mbeadh nach fada ó bhaile a sheolfaí é
Tá iníon na caillighe gioblaighe casta pósta ó aréir
'S tá mo chailín ag baile 's gan duine aici a phógfadh a béal

'S cén cat mara a chas in san áit seo mé?
Nach iomaigh cailín a d'fhága mé i mo dhiaidh
Mar gheall ar throid 's ar bhruíon 's ar rud éicint nárbh fhíor
Muise, óinseach cailligh, 's iníon aici a bhí gan chiall

'S chuirfinn, threabhfainn, 's chraithfinn an síol go domhain sa gcré
'S sheolfainn na beithígh sna páirceanna 's airde a fhásann féar,
Chuirfinn crúidhthe ar an each ba dheise 's ba lúfaire a shiubhail riamh féar,
Ach d'éalochadh bean le fear nach ndéanfadh é sin féin.

If you're with me, be with me in front of all the people in the house
If you're with me, be with me all day and all night
If you're with me, be with me every inch of your heart
I's my great sadness that you aren't mine on Sunday as my wife

If the cat had a dowry, how nicely his mouth would be kissed
And if he didn't, it's a long way from home he'd be driven
The twisted, wretched witch's daughter is married since last night
And my girl's at home with no one to kiss her mouth

And what dead cat (misfortune) that directed me to this place?
There's many a girl in the village that I left behind
Because of a fight and a quarrel and something that wasn't even true
Musha, a silly hag and her daughter that had no sense

I'd plough and plant the seed deep in the soil
And I'd drive the cows to the fields where the tallest grass grows
I'd shoe a horse that was the nicest and fastest ever
And a woman would elope with a man who wouldn't even do that


and the pictures i chose for the "3 pics of Galway, Sligo, and Clare" category were ones that we took on our last trip. just fyi.

this is the "fake ruin" at the point at the cliffs of moher in clare.



then a photo of Sligo Abbey in Sligo City, County Sligo. you can't see it in this picture, but the doorways are all really, *really* short, even for the time, because they turned the ruined abbey into the city graveyard and then built up the soil when they ran out of room. neat, huh?

this last is a picture of a "good irish road" about a ten-minute walk from Galway Bay.





LOUGH ERNE by Dick Gaughan:

I am a rambling Irishman
In Ulster I was born in
And many's the happy hour I spent
By the banks of sweet Lough Erne
For to live poor I could not endure
Like others of my station
To America I sailed away
And left this Irish nation

The night before we went on board
I spent it with my darling
For four o'clock in the afternoon
Till the break of day next morning
But when that we were going to part
We fell in each other's arms
And you may be sure and very sure
That it wounded both our charms

But the first night that we spent on board
I deamed about my Nancy
I dreamed I held her in my arms
And well she pleased my fancy
But when I woke out of my dreams
And I found my bosom empty
Well you may be sure and very sure
That I lay discontented

And when we arrived on the other side
We were both stout and healthy
We cast our anchor in the bay
Going down to Philadelphia
Let every lad link with his lass
Blue jacket and white trousers
And let every lass link with her lad
Blue petticoat and white flounces