{"id":602,"date":"2015-10-06T14:06:19","date_gmt":"2015-10-06T13:06:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.joeheaney.org\/ga\/an-raibh-tu-ar-an-gcarraig\/"},"modified":"2017-09-08T18:24:24","modified_gmt":"2017-09-08T17:24:24","slug":"an-raibh-tu-ar-an-gcarraig","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.joeheaney.org\/ga\/an-raibh-tu-ar-an-gcarraig\/","title":{"rendered":"An Raibh t\u00fa ar an gCarraig?"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 id=\"t:seinnteoirin1\">Play recording: An Raibh t\u00fa ar an gCarraig?<\/h2>\n<audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-602-1\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"https:\/\/www.joeheaney.org\/00-micil\/me\u00e1in\/an-raibh-tu-ar-an-gcarraig.mp3?_=1\" \/><source type=\"audio\/ogg\" src=\"https:\/\/www.joeheaney.org\/00-micil\/me\u00e1in\/an-raibh-tu-ar-an-gcarraig.ogg?_=1\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.joeheaney.org\/00-micil\/me\u00e1in\/an-raibh-tu-ar-an-gcarraig.mp3\">https:\/\/www.joeheaney.org\/00-micil\/me\u00e1in\/an-raibh-tu-ar-an-gcarraig.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n<div class=\"dmeite\">\n<p><span id=\"neasc-nocht-ceilth\" class=\"nmeite\">view \/ hide recording details [+\/-]<\/span><\/p>\n<ul id=\"clarMeiteashonrai\" class=\"meiteashonrai\">\n<li><span class=\"lipead-meiteashonrai\">Teideal <span class=\"lipead-meiteashonrai-bearla\">(Title)<\/span>:<\/span> An Raibh t\u00fa ar an gCarraig?<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"lipead-meiteashonrai\">Uimhir Chatal\u00f3ige Ollscoil Washington <span class=\"lipead-meiteashonrai-bearla\">(University of Washington Catalogue Number)<\/span>:<\/span> 841404.<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"lipead-meiteashonrai\">Uimhir Chnuasach Bh\u00e9aloideas \u00c9ireann <span class=\"lipead-meiteashonrai-bearla\">(National Folklore of Ireland Number)<\/span>:<\/span> none.<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"lipead-meiteashonrai\">Uimhir Roud <span class=\"lipead-meiteashonrai-bearla\">(Roud Number)<\/span>:<\/span> none.<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"lipead-meiteashonrai\">Uimhir Laws <span class=\"lipead-meiteashonrai-bearla\">(Laws Number)<\/span>:<\/span> none.<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"lipead-meiteashonrai\">Uimhir Child <span class=\"lipead-meiteashonrai-bearla\">(Child Number)<\/span>:<\/span> none.<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"lipead-meiteashonrai\">Cnuasach <span class=\"lipead-meiteashonrai-bearla\">(Collection)<\/span>:<\/span> Joe Heaney Collection, University of Washington, Seattle.<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"lipead-meiteashonrai\">Teanga na Cro\u00edmh\u00edre <span class=\"lipead-meiteashonrai-bearla\">(Core-Item Language)<\/span>:<\/span> Irish.<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"lipead-meiteashonrai\">Catag\u00f3ir <span class=\"lipead-meiteashonrai-bearla\">(Category)<\/span>:<\/span> song.<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"lipead-meiteashonrai\">Ainm an t\u00e9 a thug <span class=\"lipead-meiteashonrai-bearla\">(Name of Informant)<\/span>:<\/span> Joe Heaney.<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"lipead-meiteashonrai\">Ainm an t\u00e9 a th\u00f3g <span class=\"lipead-meiteashonrai-bearla\">(Name of Collector)<\/span>:<\/span> Joan Rabinowitz.<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"lipead-meiteashonrai\">D\u00e1ta an taifeadta <span class=\"lipead-meiteashonrai-bearla\">(Recording Date)<\/span>:<\/span> 09\/04\/1982.<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"lipead-meiteashonrai\">Su\u00edomh an taifeadta <span class=\"lipead-meiteashonrai-bearla\">(Recording Location)<\/span>:<\/span> University of Washington, United States of America.<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"lipead-meiteashonrai\">Oc\u00e1id an taifeadta <span class=\"lipead-meiteashonrai-bearla\">(Recording Occasion)<\/span>:<\/span> class.<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"lipead-meiteashonrai\">Daoine eile a bh\u00ed i l\u00e1thair <span class=\"lipead-meiteashonrai-bearla\">(Others present)<\/span>:<\/span> unavailable.<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"lipead-meiteashonrai\">St\u00e1das ch\u00f3ipcheart an taifeadta <span class=\"lipead-meiteashonrai-bearla\">(Recording copyright status)<\/span>:<\/span> unavailable.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>Now, I was talking about Queen Anne, and I think Queen Anne was the most hated queen that ever lived, especially by the Irish, as she enforced the Penal Code that was started in 1695 during William&#8217;s reign<sup class=\"tagairt-n\u00f3ta-bun-leathanaigh\">1<\/sup>. And when he died, everybody thought when he died, well, something good will come, but [indistinct] from the frying pan into the fire, when Queen Anne came into power.<\/p>\n<p>Now, there&#8217;s an awful lot of &#8216;don&#8217;ts&#8217; &#8211; things you couldn&#8217;t do, I mean, everything &#8211; you couldn&#8217;t do anything, really. So, I may as well concentrate on one sort, the priests, the clergy couldn&#8217;t say Mass in the churches; the teachers couldn&#8217;t teach school in the schools; the people, if they were heard speaking Irish, they were beheaded<sup class=\"tagairt-n\u00f3ta-bun-leathanaigh\">2<\/sup>. But there was another thing: the people &#8211; as I said before, religion kept their sanity during that terrible period. And all the other crowd wanted, &#8216;Change your religion, and we&#8217;ll have you.&#8217; Even the protestants was against some of the rules enforced by the other, Orange crowd that was installed by William in the north.<\/p>\n<p>However, the people went out to the mountains, and they put slabs of stone, fixed them up and made an altar out of them to say Mass. And that is where the song came from, An raibh t\u00fa ar an gcarraig? or &#8216;Were you at the rock?&#8217; Now, the people had code words to say, &#8216;Were you at Mass?&#8217; &#8211; &#8216;An raibh t\u00fa ag<sup class=\"tagairt-n\u00f3ta-bun-leathanaigh\">3<\/sup> an gcarraig?&#8217; &#8211; that means, &#8216;Were you at Mass?&#8217; And anybody listening to them wouldn&#8217;t know what they were talking about. They couldn&#8217;t say, &#8216;Were you at Mass?&#8217; &#8211; &#8216;Were you at the rock?&#8217;.<\/p>\n<p>Now this song was always in Irish, but I&#8217;m translating you what it&#8217;s about before I sing it for you. And there&#8217;s only two verses &#8211; there never was more &#8211; a question and answer. An raibh t\u00fa ar an gcarraig, n\u00f3 an bhfaca t\u00fa f\u00e9in mo ghr\u00e1? &#8216;Were you at the rock, and did you see my love?&#8217; which was the Mass he was talking about. An bhfaca t\u00fa gile, is finne agus sc\u00e9imh na mn\u00e1? &#8216;Did you see the beautiful face of the woman?&#8217; He&#8217;s talking about the statue of the Blessed Virgin. An bhfaca t\u00fa an t-ubhal ba deise is ba ghlaise bl\u00e1th? &#8216;Did you see the apple-&#8216; It&#8217;s the chalice he was talking about. N\u00f3 an bhfaca t\u00fa mo Valentine, n\u00f3 an bhfuil s\u00ed dh\u00e1 claoi mar at\u00e1id a r\u00e1? The &#8216;Valentine&#8217; he meant, the whole Catholic faith, or&hellip; the Church, &#8216;is it still prosecuted as it was?&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>An raibh t\u00fa ar an gcarraig, n\u00f3 an bhfaca t\u00fa f\u00e9in mo ghr\u00e1?<br \/>\nN\u00f3 an bhfaca t\u00fa gile &#8216;s finne agus sc\u00e9imh na mn\u00e1?<br \/>\nN\u00f3 an bhfaca t\u00fa an t-ubhal ba deise is ba ghlaise bl\u00e1th?<br \/>\nN\u00f3 an bhfaca t\u00fa mo Valentine, n\u00f3 an bhfuil s\u00ed dh\u00e1 claoi mar t\u00e1id a r\u00e1?<\/p>\n<p>\u00d3, bh\u00ed m\u00e9 ar an gcarraig, agus chonaic m\u00e9 f\u00e9in do ghr\u00e1<br \/>\nIs chonaic m\u00e9 gile, finne agus sc\u00e9imh na mn\u00e1<br \/>\nAgus chonaic m\u00e9 an t-ubhal ba deise is ba ghlaise bl\u00e1th<br \/>\nIs chonaic m\u00e9 do Valentineis t\u00e1 s\u00ed dh\u00e1 claoi mar t\u00e1id a r\u00e1.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"t:aistriuchan\">Translation<\/h2>\n<p>Were you at the rock? Did you see my love?<br \/>\nDid you see the brightness, and fairness, and beauty of the woman?<br \/>\nDid you see the apple that is loveliest and freshest of blossom?<br \/>\nDid you see my Valentine &#8211; and is she still being persecuted as they say?<\/p>\n<p>I was at the rock, and I saw your love<br \/>\nI saw the brightness, the fairness, the beauty of the woman<br \/>\nAnd I saw the apple that is the loveliest and freshest of blossom<br \/>\nAnd I saw your Valentine &#8211; and she is still being persecuted as they say.<\/p>\n<div class=\"n\u00f3ta\u00ed-bun-leathanaigh\">\n<h2 id=\"t:notai\">Notes<\/h2>\n<p class=\"n\u00f3ta-bun-leathanaigh\">1. Joe is referring to the period of the Penal Laws in Ireland, instituted following the accession of William of Orange (William III) to the English throne.<\/p>\n<p>The primary objective of this legislation was not so much to convert the population from Catholicism &#8211; that effort got underway only following the Famine in the mid-nineteenth century &#8211; but rather to ensure that the concentration of wealth and power was in protestant hands. The laws sought to limit the power of the clergy; religious orders and bishops were forbidden, and new churches had to be built of wood (instead of stone) away from main roads, thus making them harder to get to. Priests had to obtain a license from local magistrates before being allowed to preach.<\/p>\n<p>Popular beliefs about this period of Irish history, however, maintain that the public celebration of the Mass was proscribed and the Catholic priesthood actively persecuted &#8211; and as enforcement of the Penal Laws was largely left to local authorities, this may have been the case in some places. As a consequence, the practice of saying Mass outdoors in remote locations became widespread. To this day, people all over Ireland know the location of Mass Rocks in their locality, and in some cases these are still sites for annual celebrations of the Mass, and keep alive the memory of the difficulties faced by generations of Roman Catholics.<\/p>\n<p>Joe may be correct in asserting his community&#8217;s understanding of this song as referring to the celebration of Mass during Penal times; apparently this idea was perpetuated when the song was taught in schools. S\u00e9amas Ennis, who often played it as a slow air on the pipes, apparently also believed that the song was allegorical. Nonetheless, it seems likely that the poem was originally composed as a love song. In Nua-Dhuanaire I (Dublin 1971), Breand\u00e1n \u00d3 Buachalla includes five verses &#8211; including the two given here &#8211; and refers to John O&#8217;Daly&#8217;s attribution of the poem, in Poets and Poetry of Munster (Dublin 1849), to a Tyrone poet named Dominic \u00d3 Mong\u00e1in, who was supposed to have composed the verses for Eliza Blacker, who lived in Carrick, Co. Armagh, at the beginning of the eighteenth century. See also Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 Con Cheanainn, &#8216;Roinnt Seanchais faoi Amhr\u00e1in Chonnacht&#8217; in \u00c1ine N\u00ed Chonghaile (ed.), Deile: Iris Mhuintir Chonamara i mBaile \u00c1tha Cliath (1998), p. 1.<\/p>\n<p class=\"n\u00f3ta-bun-leathanaigh\">2. While it&#8217;s true that the authorities executed or transported many people for what would today be considered trifling reasons, the assertion that they summarily beheaded people for speaking Irish is questionable; at least until reliable historical evidence is found.<\/p>\n<p>Another law enacted at this time &#8211; and repealed only in 1782 &#8211; declared that &#8216;No person of the popish religion shall publicly or in private houses teach school, or instruct youth in learning within this realm.&#8217; This restriction gave rise to the so-called &#8216;hedge-schools,&#8217; where travelling school-masters undertook to teach children whose parents were able to pay.<\/p>\n<p class=\"n\u00f3ta-bun-leathanaigh\">3. Joe&#8217;s own vernacular Irish for &#8216;at the rock&#8217; would be <i class=\"cor-cainte-teangan-eile\">ag an gcarraig<\/i>. The song uses the form <i class=\"cor-cainte-teangan-eile\">ar an gcarraig<\/i>, however (&#8216;on the rock)&#8217;.<\/p>\n<p>Additional remarks taken from UW 812901. Interview recorded by Fredric Lieberman, University of Washington, in 1981 or earlier.<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"templates\/template-full-width.php","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-602","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-amhrain","category-amhrain-i-ngaeilge"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.joeheaney.org\/ga\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/602","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.joeheaney.org\/ga\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.joeheaney.org\/ga\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.joeheaney.org\/ga\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.joeheaney.org\/ga\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=602"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.joeheaney.org\/ga\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/602\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2045,"href":"https:\/\/www.joeheaney.org\/ga\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/602\/revisions\/2045"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.joeheaney.org\/ga\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=602"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.joeheaney.org\/ga\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=602"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.joeheaney.org\/ga\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=602"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}