Minister.
I'm beaten. Here's half a crown for you for your cleverness, and when I come again you'll get another.
Gossoon.
Thank you. It's a pity that a fool like you doesn't come the way every day.
THE KEENING OF THE THREE MARYS.
PREFACE.
I got the following poem from a schoolmaster called O'Kearney, near Belmullet, in West Mayo, who told me that he had taken it down from the recitation of an old man in the neighbourhood. I got another version of it afterwards from Michael Mac Ruaidhri of Ballycastle, Co. Mayo, with quite a different "cur-fa" or refrain, namely ŏch Ōch agus ŏch ūch ān after the first two lines, and ŏch [)o]ch agus Ōch ŏn Ō after the next two. Spelt phonetically in English and giving gh the guttural value of ch in German, and oa the same sound as in English roach and oo the sound of oo in pool, it would run——
Let us go to the mountain
All early on the morrow,
Ugh oagh agus ugh oogh awn.
Hast thou seen my bright darling,
O Peter, good apostle,
Ugh ugh agus oagh on ó.