Óró, mo Bháidín

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  • Teideal (Title): Óró, mo Bháidín.
  • Uimhir Chatalóige Ollscoil Washington (University of Washington Catalogue Number): 781502.
  • Uimhir Chnuasach Bhéaloideas Éireann (National Folklore of Ireland Number): none.
  • Uimhir Roud (Roud Number): none.
  • Uimhir Laws (Laws Number): none.
  • Uimhir Child (Child Number): none.
  • Cnuasach (Collection): Joe Heaney Collection, University of Washington, Seattle.
  • Teanga na Croímhíre (Core-Item Language): Irish.
  • Catagóir (Category): song.
  • Ainm an té a thug (Name of Informant): Joe Heaney.
  • Ainm an té a thóg (Name of Collector): Esther Warkov.
  • Dáta an taifeadta (Recording Date): 01/03/1978.
  • Suíomh an taifeadta (Recording Location): University of Washington, United States of America.
  • Ocáid an taifeadta (Recording Occasion): interview.
  • Daoine eile a bhí i láthair (Others present): unavailable.
  • Stádas chóipcheart an taifeadta (Recording copyright status): unavailable.

When I was growing up – I may as well use that word, while I’m around … we had sailing boats, and currachs. Now a currach is made of wood in my side of the country; they’re made of canvas in other parts of the country. Three oars – two oars each1. And you row-we often rowed a race; and as you row, you can either lilt a song, or sing a few words of a song; but when you’re too tired, you can’t even do it. The woman at home rocking the cradle does it. She talks about the boat out on the bay, because the boat is the only source of income they have. And if the man catches enough fish, they’ll have something going to bed that night, and they might [be] able [to] get a few shillings for selling some of the fish…

Óró, mo bháidín amuigh ar an gcuan, óró, mo bháidín
Fágaidh na maidí is téigh muid chun siúil, óró, mo bháidín
Óró, mo churachaín-ó, óró, mo bháidín2.

Is álainn an lá é amuigh ar a gcuan, óró, mo bháidín
Ag tarraingt, ag tarraingt, ag tarraingt go buan, óró, mo bháidín
Óró, mo churachaín-ó, óró, mo bháidín.

[Beidh lá an éisc a’inn anois ag an teach, óró, mo bháidín
Beidh lá an éisc a’inn inniu ag an teach, óró, mo bháidín
Óró, mo churachaín-ó, óró, mo bháidín.

Tá an t-iasc ins an mbaile is tá muid ag teacht, óró, mo bháidín
Tá an caladh go ciúin is muide isteach, óró, mo bháidín
Óró, mo churachaín-ó, óró, mo bháidín.]3

Translation

Oh, my little boat out on the harbour, oh my little boat,
Leave the oars and let’s float, oh my little boat;
Oh my little currach, oh my little boat.

It’s a beautiful day out on the harbour, oh my little boat,
Pulling, pulling, pulling steadily, oh my little boat;
Oh my little currach, oh my little boat.

[This will be a day of fish at home, oh my little boat,
Today will be a day of fish at home, oh my little boat,
Oh my little currach, oh my little boat.

The fish is at home and we’re coming, oh my little boat,
The shore is quite and we’ve landed, oh my little boat
Oh my little currach, oh my little boat.]

Notes

1. Presumably Joe means three oarsmen, with two oars apiece.

2. It’s curious that Joe varies the structure of this song from one performance to another. If – as here – he intends to follow-up with ‘The Queen of Conamara,’ he normally only sings two verses of ‘Óró, mo bháidín.’ On other occasions he adds a fourth stanza by turning the second line of the first stanza into a stanza of its own, thus:
Fágaidh na maidí is téigh muid chun siúil, óró, mo bháidín
Tarraingidh, is tarraingidh, is tarraingidh go buan, óró, mo bháidín
Óró, mo churachaín-ó, óró, mo bháidín.
And on at least one occasion (UW84-39.1), he eliminated the second line of each stanza, using the refrain line to complete the air:
Óró, mo bháidín amuigh ar an gcuan, óró, mo bháidín
Óró, mo churachaín-ó, óró, mo bháidín.

3. These stanzas are included in other performances.

As in this instance, Joe often combined this song with ‘The Queen of Conamara,’ an English-language song about a Galway hooker; text and notes for that song are given elsewhere. I do not for a moment believe that ‘The Queen of Conamara’ was widely sung in Conamara, but Joe found it useful to include a song in English alongside the one in Irish to illustrate his remarks about boats and fishing. There are, of course, many songs in Irish about the Galway hookers; see Ríonach uí Ógáin, ‘In Aghaidh Farraige agus Feothain’: Amhráin Mholta Bád ó Chonamara’ in Ruairí Ó hUiginn (ed.) Foinn agus Fonnadóirí, Léachtaí Choilm Cille 29 (1999), 37-66.

This song was recorded while Joe was Artist in Residence at University of Washington.