Duinnín in Áth na Lachan (tuilleadh)

Dineen in Duckford (continued)

• Chuir sí an leanbh ina sheasamh, ainneoin gur chaoin sé. Rug sí ar shlaitín a bhí ag tabhairt taca do chlumpa dahlia agus thosaigh sí ag greadadh tóin muice a bhí ag cogaint ar sciorta Nell agus Nell féin ag eascaine. ‘Ní baol duit,’ ar sise le Nell. ‘Tá Huirris macánta. Faigheann sí boladh beorach uait, sin uile.’
  Rug sí greim ar sciorta Nell agus tharraing sí amach as craos na muice é. Strac an sciorta.
  

  She made the child stand up, even though he was crying. She took a little rod that was supporting a clump of dahlias and she began beating the rear of a pig that was chewing on Nell’s skirt and Nell herself was cursing.

  ‘You are not in danger,’ she said to Nell. ‘Huirris is gentle. She smells beer on you, that’s all.’

  She grabbed Nell’s skirt and pulled it out of the pig’s mouth. The skirt was torn.

  slaitín	little rod, stick	f
  taca	prop, support	m
  greadadh	Beating, trouncing
  muc	pig	f gs muice
  cogaint	chewing	f
  sciorta	skirt	m
  eascaine	curse	f
  macánta	Childlike; gentle, meek, mild
  boladh	smell, scent	m
  craos	Gullet; maw	m
  strac = srac	pull, tear
  strac = stróic	tear, rend

• ‘Ó Nell, a chroí, go scuaba an diabhal an chráin mhuice sin,’ arsa Dora Doyle. ‘Cuir an slaitin sin ar ais sna delias, a Mhary, a chroi,’ ar sise leis an gcailin. ‘Dahlias,’ arsa an cailin go grod agus an tslat á raideadh síos aici. ‘Bella Prunty a chuir orainn delias a thabhairt orthu. Dahlias a thugadh Maim orthu.’‘Tar isteach sa pharlus, a chroi dhil,’ arsa Dora le Nell.

  
  ‘Tabharfaidh mé snáth agus snáthaid duit go gcuirfidh tú cupla greim sa sciorta sin agat, le nach mbeidh tú náirithe os comhair an tsaoil. Ar ndóigh, tá cráin Fayley nios measa na peata caorach.’
  

  ‘O Nell, my heart, may the devil sweep away that sow,’ said Dora Doyle. ‘Put that rod back in the delias, Mary, my dear,’ she said to the girl.

  ‘Dahlias,’ said the girl gruffly as she threw the rod down. ‘Bella Prunty made us call them delias. Mom called them Dahlias.’

  ‘Come into the parlor, dear heart,’ said Dora to Nell. ‘I’ll give you some thread and a needle to make a few stitches in that skirt you have, so that you will not be embarrassed in front of the world. Of course, Fayley’s sow is worse than a pet sheep.

  cráin mhuice	sow	f
  grod	Short, sudden; prompt, abrupt
  raideadh = radadh	Showering, pelting
  dil	Dear, beloved
  snáth	yarn, thread	m
  snáthaid	needle	f

• Bhí Nell faíoch le mallachtaí ach mealladh isteach sa pharlús i. Tugadh an snáth agus an tsnáthaid di agus braoinín lena croí a mhisniú. ‘’Bhfuil tú chun Deaidi a thabhairt ar ais chugainn?’ a d’fhiafraigh an cailín fionn den Duinníneach.‘Sin fidil ár nDeaidi thuas ar an lochta,’ arsa an buachaill beag a chaith an chloch. ‘Táimse ag tabhairt aire di go bhfillfidh sé.’

  
  ‘Padraig is ainm domsa,’ arsa an Duinníneach leis an gcailín óg, ‘an tAthair Padraig. Ba mhaith liom go gcuirfeadh sibhse sibh féin in aithne domssa.’
  

  Nell was cursing freely but was enticed into the parlor. She was given the thread and the needle and a little drop to encourage her heart.

  ‘Are you going to bring Daddy back to us?’ the blonde girl asked Dineen.

  ‘That’s our Dad’s fiddle up in the loft,’ said the little boy who threw the stone. ‘I am taking care of it until he returns’

  ‘My name is Patrick,’ Dineen said to the young girl, ‘Father Patrick. ‘I would like you to introduce yourselves to me.’

  faíoch	Loud, plaintive; Free, fluent; copious, profuse
  mallacht	curse	f
  mealladh	Beguilement, allurement, enticement; Deception; disappointment	m
  braoinín	little drop
  misniú	encouragement	m
  fidil	fiddle	f
  lochta	loft	m

• ‘Mise Mary Toole. Mo dhearthair Taimín Toole a chaith an [d.l. 164]
  chloch. Seo Joe, an báibín.’

  ‘Doyles an chuid eile againn,’ arsa garsún ceanndubh. ‘Mise Christy. Móirín agus Mal mo dheirfiúracha.’

  ‘Amachaigí libh anois, a leanaí,’ arsa Dora, ‘go dtabharfaidh mé braon tae do na comharsain agus don chuairteoir, an tAthair Oirmhinneach, ó Bhaile Atha Cliath.’

  
  Thug an tOirmhinneach faoi ndeara agus iad ag imeacht, go drogallach, go raibh Joe, an baibin, á iompar arís ag a dheirfiúr. Bhí uirthi seasamh, agus lámh ar chomhla an dorais aici, chun taom casachtaí a chur di.
  

  ‘I am Mary Toole. My brother Taimín Toole threw the stone. This is Joe, the baby’

  ‘The rest we have are Doyles,’ said the black haired boy. ‘I am Christy. Móirín and Mal my sisters.’

  ‘Out you go, children,’ said Dora, ‘that I will give a drop of tea to the neighbors and the visitor, the Reverend Father, from Dublin.’

  The Reverend noticed as they left, that Joe, the baby, was being carried again by his sister. She had to stand, with her hand on the doorleaf, to get over her coughing fit.

  Out you go!

  amachaigí		2 pl imp
  comharsa	neighbor	[var pl here?]
  Oirmhinneach	reverend
  drogallach	Reluctant, unwilling
  chomhla an dorais	leaf of the door
  taom	fit, paroxysm	m
  casachtach	Act of) coughing; cough	f gs casachtaí

• ‘Nior chuimhníos ar bhréag a insint don Sáirsint mar nár shileas go bhféadfaí rópa a shníomh as an bhfirinne agus é a chur thart ar mhuineál Fayley,’ arsa Dora go cráite.
  Bhi suíochán a fir, os comhair an teallaigh, tugtha aici don Duinníneach. Bhí Bill agus an gabha sa chlúid, í féin ar stóilín tríchosach, an tlú á imirt aici ar na fóda móna agus na lasracha ag léimrigh.
  

  ‘I wasn´t thinking of telling the Sergeant a lie because I didn’t think a rope could be spun from the truth and put around Fayley’s neck,’ Dora said with worry/concern.

  She had given her husband’s seat, in front of the fireplace, to Dineen. Bill and the blacksmith were in the corner, she herself on a three-legged stool, using tongs on the sods of turf and the leaping flames.

  rópa	rope	m
  sníomh	spin	v, m
  muineál	neck	m
  cráite	Agonized, tormented, grieved
  teallach	Fire-place, hearth	teallaigh
  clúid	nook, corner	f
  tlú	tongs	m
  fód	sod	m
  móin	turf, peat	f gs móna
  lasair	flame, blaze	f pl lasracha
  léim	jump, leaf, bound	v, f

• ‘D’fhiafraigh an Sáirsint díom an bhfaca mé Bella Prunty an Satharn sin,’ ar sise. ‘D’insíos dé go bhfaca mé ag dul thar an teach s’againne í thart ar a trí agus a saicín siopa faoina hascaill. Chonaiceas í ag filleadh agus ábhar éigin sa tsaic aici ar ball. Nilim róchinnte cathain — buille faoi thuairim a dhéanann an clog – ach déarfainn go raibh sé thart ar a cúig mar bhíos tagtha isteach chun an tine a adhaint faoin gcorcán. Thuigeas ón stiúir a bhí fúithi go raibh braon istigh aici agus go mbeadh sí cantalach. Mar sin, thugas tae do na páistí anseo, lem scata féin, seachas iad a sheoladh abhaile, mar a bhí beartaithe. Bhí siad anseo i gcónaí nuair a tháinig Fayley ag cuardach Mrs. Prunty ar ball. Bhí Maoilín ag breith agus iad ag fanacht go bhfeicfidís an lao.
  

  ‘The Sergeant asked me if I had seen Bella Prunty that Saturday,’ she said. ‘I told her that I saw her pass our house at about three with her shopping bag in her driveway. I saw her a while later returning with something in her bag. I am not too sure when — the clocks strikes randomly — but I would say it was about five because I had come in to light the fire under the pot. I understood from the way she was moving that she had a drop inside her and that she would be irritable. So the children were given tea here, with my own crowd, rather than sending them home, according to plan. They were still here when Fayley came looking for Mrs. Prunty later. A cow was giving birth and they were waiting to see the calf.’

  saicín	Vesicle; little sack	m
  ascaill	armpit; recess; avenue	f
  ar ball	a while ago
  cathain	when
  buille	blow, stroke	m
  buille faoi thuairim	guess, random stroke
  adhaint	inflammation, ignition	f
  corcán	pot	m
  stiúir	rudder; direction, control; set, posture	f
  cantalach	Plaintive; peevish, querulous
  scata	Crowd; group, drove, pack	m
  cuardach	search	m
  Maoilín	Hornless cow; Dense, obtuse, person	f
  lao	calf	m

• ‘D’fhiafraigh an Sáirsint díom an bhfaca mé an Mangaire [d.l.165]
  Mantach an lá sin. Chonaiceas, ar ndóigh. Tháinig sé isteach anseo chugam agus cheannaíos iallacha bróg agus bioráin gruaige uaidh agus d’fhliuchas a bhéal. “Cathain ar imigh sé ón teach?” a d’fhiafraigh an Sáirsint diom agus é chomh práinneach lena bhfaca tú riamh. Ar ndóigh, níorbh fhéidir liomsa an nóiméad a thomhas amach dó. Oíche Shathairn a dhéanann Seán an clog a thochrais. Go luath i ndiaidh do[?] Bhella dul thar bráid a tháinig sé isteach ar chaoi ar bith. Shroichfeadh sé teach Toole i gceann ceathrú huaire an chloig ón áit seo. Tá rothar aige ach is ar mhaithe lena chuid stuif a iompar é; nil aon rothaíocht ann.’
  

  ‘The Sergeant asked me if I had seen the gap-toothed pedlar that day. I had, of course. He came in here to me and I bought a shoelace and a hairpin from him and gave him a drink. “When did he leave the house?” the Sergeant asked me with as much urgency as you ever saw. I could not guess the moment for him. Saturday night Sean winds the clock. It wasn’t long after Bella went past that he came in anyway. He would reach Toole’s house in a quarter of an hour from this place. He has a bicycle but it is for carrying his stuff; he does not ride it.’

  Mangaire	pedlar	m
  mantach	Gap-toothed; toothless
  iallacha	thonged, strapped, laced
  biorán	pin	m
  práinneach	urgent, pressing
  tomhas	measure; guess	m
  tochrais	wind	v
  bráid	neck; throat; target	f
  caoi	way, path	f
  Ar mhaithe le	for the good of, for the sake of
  rothaíocht	cycling

• ‘Bhi Fayley sa bhaile nuair a shroich an mangaire an teach,’ arsa an Constábla Bill. ‘Níl ceachtar acu in ann a rá linn go cruinn cén t-am a bhí ann.’ ‘Ar tháinig Toole isteach, a Dora, agus é ar a shli go Baile na gCreabhar ar thóir Bella?’ a d’fhiafraigh an Duinníneach.
  ‘Tháinig,’ arsa Dora, ‘nuair a bhíomar i mbun an eadartha — thart ar a seacht, an tráth seo bliana. Dúras go gcuideoinn leis Mrs. Prunty a thabhairt abhaile da mbeadh sí sa siopa agus taom uirthi. Shileas go mb’fhéidir gur tháinig tart arís uirthi nuair a shroich sí baile. Ni raibh sí ann, ar ndóigh. Tháinig Fayley isteach anseo aris, ar a shlí abhaile, chun na páistí a thabhairt leis.’
  

  ‘Fayley was at home when the pedlar arrived at the house,’ said Constable Bill. ‘Neither of them can tell us exactly what time it was.’

  ‘Did Toole come in, Dora, on his way to Baile na gCreabhar/Creavertown in search of Bella?’ asked Dineen.

  ‘He came,’ said Dora, when we were engaged in milking — about seven, this time of year. I told him I would help him bring Mrs. Prunty home if she was in the shop and had a seizure. I think that maybe she was thirsty again when she got home. She wasn’t there, of course. Fayley came in here again, on his way home, to bring the children with him.’

  ceachtar	Either, one or other of two
  Níl ceachtar	neither
  cruinn	round; exact, accurate
  linn	Space of time, period; pool, pond; with us	f
  tóir	Pursuit, chase; hunt, search; pursuing party	f
  eadra	(Late morning) milking-time; Spell of morning grazing (before milking) Late morning, noon; Interval, idle spell; long spell (of talk, etc.)	m var gseadartha
  tráth	Hour; time, occasion; day, period	m
  taom	fit, paroxysm	m
  tart	thirst	m

• Tháinig Nell aniar as an bparlús, an tsnáthaid á beartú ar nós scine aici agus í ag tabhairt dúshlán an chomhluadair.‘Cén t-iontas go dtiocfadh taomanna ar bhean a mhair ar chrústaí aráin agus í ag obair ó dhubh go dubh?’
  ‘Suigh síos anseo agus biodh cupan tae agat, a Nell, a chuid,’ arsa Dora, agus í ag éirí. ‘Cuir gráinne siúicre ann, mar is cinnte gur bhain an peata muice sin preab asat.’
  

  Nell came out of the parlor, brandishing the needle like a knife as she challenged the company.

  ‘How surprising is it that a woman who lived on crusts of bread while working from dawn to dusk would have seizures?’

  ‘Sit down here and have a cup of tea, Nell, my dear,’ said Dora, as she rose. ‘Put a grain of sugar in it, as that pet pig certainly startled you. ‘

  dúshlán	challenge
  beartaigh	brandish, poie
  gráinne	grain	m
  preab	start, bound

• Ghlac Nell an tae uaithi ach sheas sí ar an taobh eile den [d.l. 166]
  chistin uathu, cois fuinneoige. Choinnigh sí lúidín na deasóige san aer agus an muigín á ardú aici.

  ”B’é[?] go bhfuil lúidín tinn agat, a Nell?’ arsa an Duinníneach.

  ‘Mo chroi atá tinn,’ arsa Nell.

  
  ‘Ar ndóigh, a Athair,’ arsa Dora, ‘is mar sin a bheirtear ar chupáin i mBaile Atha Cliath, i measc na n-uasal. Bella Prunty an créatúr, a chuir ar an eolas muid. Dearmadaim féin na leideanna beaga a thug sí duinn, ach tá an-chuimhne ag Nell dá leithéid.’
  

  Nell took the tea from her but stood on the other side of the kitchen from them, by a window. She held the little finger of the right hand in the air as she raised the mug.

  ‘Would your little finger be sore?’ said Dineen.

  ‘My heart is sore,’ Nell said.

  ‘Of course, Father,’ said Dora, ‘that is how cups are held in Dublin, among the gentry. Bella Prunty, the poor thing, let us know that. I forget the little hints she gave us, but Nell has a very good memory of such things.’

  lúidín	little finger	m
  deasóg	Right hand; right fist	f
  leid	Hint, inkling; prompt; pointer, clue	f

• ‘Nuair a d’fhill Bella ar Áth na Lachan, bhí Fayley Toole roimpi. Maraigh sé í,’ arsa Nell. ‘Imímis,’ arsa Bill.
  Chuala an Duinníneach an gabha ag réiteach le Dora go gcuirfi na Tooles óga chuig a theach siúd go ceann[?] cupla lá. Comhar na gcomharsan, ar seisean leis féin. Ní chloífear Éire agus daoine ag tacú le chéile.
  

  ‘When Bella returned to Duckford, Fayley Toole was there before her. He killed her,’ said Nell.

  ‘Let’s go,’ said Bill.

  Dineen overheard the blacksmith arranging with Dora that the young Tooles would be sent to his house for a few days. Cooperation of the neighbors, he said to himself. Ireland will not be subdued if people support each other.

  imigh	go away, leave	1st pers pl imp imímis
  Comhar	Combined work, mutual assistance; co-operation, partnership	m
  tacú	support

• Ní raibh sa bhóithrin ach cosán feasta. Anseo agus ansiúd, shín dris ramhar dheilgneach isteach ann. Bhog an Duinníneach na cinn ar an taobh deas mar chomaoin ar Nell agus thug an gabha sleais[?] de chorrán, a bhí a sheachadadh aige, do na cinn ar clé, le nach mbacfaidís an láir.
  ‘Inis dom i dtaobh an mhangaire seo,” arsa an Duinníneach le Bill.
  

  The little road was only a path from here on. Here and there, a thick thorny bramble stretched into it. Dineen moved those on the right side as consideration for Nell and the blacksmith gave the ones on the left a slash of a sickle, which he had to deliver, to those on the left, so that they would not hinder the mare.

  ‘Tell me about this pedlar,’ said Dineen to Bill.

  cosán	path; Footway, track	m
  feasta	From now on, henceforth; (with neg.) no more, not any more
  Anseo agus ansiúd	Here and there
  dris	Bramble, briar	f
  deilgneach	Thorny, prickly; barbed
  comaoin	Favour, obligation	f
  sleaic	Slack, slackness	f
  corrán	Hook, sickle	m
  bac	balk, hinder
  láir	mare	f

• ‘An Mangaire Mantach a bheirimid air mar go bhfuil séanas idir na fiacla tosaigh aige a ndéanann sé feadaíl trithi. Tagann sé ó Bhaile Atha Cliath ar an traein. Uair sa mhí, tagann sé sa treo seo. Tá a chuirsa féin leagtha amach aige. Ceannaíonn na mná tí mangaisíní uaidh agus cloiseann siad béadán na tíre uaidh. Fágann sé seanrothar, nach bhfuil boinn rubair faoi a thuilleadh, san Inbhear Mor. Brúnn sé roimhe é agus cás lán de ghiuirléidi air. A fhianaise siúd is tábhachtaí do chás an Stait, [d.l. 167]
  ach níl aon choimhlint idir a scéal siúd agus scéal Fayley.
  

  We call him the gap-toothed pedlar because he has a gap between his front teeth that he whistles through. He comes from Dublin by train. Once a month, he comes through here. He has set his own course. The women of the houses buy nick-nacks from him and they listen to the gossip of the country from him. He leaves an old bicycle, which no longer has rubber tires on it, in Invermor. He pushes it in front of him with a case of articles. That testimony of his is important to the State’s case, but there is no conflict between that story of his and Fayley’s story.

  séanas	Gap between upper front teeth	m
  feadaíl	(Act of) whistling	f
  cúrsa	Course; Onward journey, career; round, circuit	m
  béadán	gossip; slander	m
  bonn	sole	m
  Brúigh	press; push, shove	pres Brúnn
  giuirléid	Implement; Articles (of dress, of furniture), knick-knacks, personal belongings.	f
  coimhlint	Race, contest; rivalry, competition	f

Notaí Faoi Scéal