Seán Ó Caoimh
Collected from Máire Ní Loinsigh, An Rinn, Co. Phort Láirge, 1938. Preserved through the National Folklore Collection, UCD.
“Bhí fear den áit seo ⁊ ‘sé an ainm a bhí air ná Seán Ó Caoimh ⁊ bhí sé chun a bheith á phósadh le cailín óg - cailín deas is dócha - ⁊ fuair sí bás. Bhí sí ina leannán sí aige ansin ⁊ bhí sé ansin ag dul dtí Talamh an Éisc ⁊ d’imigh sé ⁊ chuaigh sé ar bord ⁊ an chéad oíche a bhí sé ann chonaiceadar ag teacht isteach ar bord an samhailt ⁊ d'insíodar don oifigeach é - don máta é ⁊ an tara hoíche ba é an cás céanna é ⁊ dúirt sé sin leis an captaen. Dúirt sé leo casadh thar n-ais go raibh eagla air go mbeadh díobháil éigin déanta ⁊ go mb’fhearr casadh. Do chasadar thar n-ais ⁊ chas Seán Ó Caoimh ⁊ d'imíodar go hEochaill ⁊ chaith sé a cheiste de ⁊ chuaigh sé go dtí Coill Bhaile Uí Tuimín.”
“There was a man from this place and the name on him was Seán Ó Caoimh and he was to be married to a young girl - a nice girl most likely - and she died. She was a phantom lover for him then and he was then going to Newfoundland, and he departed and he went aboard and, the first night that he was there, they saw coming up aboard the apparition and they told the officer about it - to the mate and the second night it was the same case and he said that to the captain. He said to them to turn back that he was afraid that some harm would be done and that it would be better to turn back. They turned around and Seán Ó Caoimh turned and they left, they departed for Eochaill and he put the mystery out of his mind and he went to the woods of Baile Uí Tuimín.”
Adapted from: “The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0259, Page 0116” by Dúchas © National Folklore Collection, UCD is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0.
