REVIEW. "Lays and Legends of the North of Ireland."

Te Aroha News, Volume II, Issue 71, 11 October 1884, Page 5

REVIEW. "Lays and Legends of the North of Ireland."

By "Cruck-a-Leaghan" and "Slieve Gallion." London : Houlston & Sons.

A neat little volume of poems bearing the above title has just been published, and we have pleasure in acknowledging receipt of a copy. In one of the writers, "Cruck-a-Leaghan," we recognise Mr Dugald MacFaclyen, of Glasgow, an author not unknown to lovers of poetry even in New Zealand, as several of his effusions have been published in our columns. One in the present volume, "Milesiua McGarrity," is a pleasant bit of humorous verse, which has also been introduced to New Zealand readers. The "Lays and Legends " are folk-lore tales of the North ot Ireland peasantry, and are told in the raciest verse and the pureet vernacular. "Ingoldsby with an Irish brogue" would describe, in a single phrase, the matter and the form into which it is cast ; and if there is but little of Ingoldsby wit about these legends, there is much genuine humour, while they are aho replete with character sketches which are true to the life. What could be better than the fallowing part of the description of a "wake," taken from "The Kaylie," the longest poem in the book :— Well, whin they had feasted an* smoked, at thelasteit Was twelve b' the wag-at thc-wall and the sun, Whin up till their feet all they jumped, in a state all Ay illigant grief, luke the shot ay a gun. An 1 straight at the quarlin 1 an' cursin' an 1 snarlin' They wint— in a second's less time than at wanst ; Some gulder'd an' bawled for potheen, an some called for . " The songs he had sung, an 1 the jigs he had danced !" Not carin' a qusiclc for piper or music. They welted the flure with a hearty goodwill Loud chorus'd with laughter, till sunset an' after, An' divil a man ay them hadn't his fill. Well, they stapped an' they stayed, an' they longer delayed, [shame ; Till they couldn't go home till the mormn' for Each one of thim knowin' himself till be coin' Whilst othois wir comin', wid blacken his name. So that they sat down contint (for they didn't pay rint). An' busied thimselves at the smooth an' the rough ; Some sittin', some lyin', some cuttin 1 , some dryin' _ Big rowls ay tobackey for Bmokin 1 and snuff. The "Kaylie" (meaning gossip, from caxllecula— old wives' tales), describes a gathering of country folk to gossip and spin wonderful yarns, and is most ingeniously constructed throughout. The other principal "lays" are, "The Curse of Drumfad" and "The Legend of the Goolden Rock ;" shorter pieces being "Cahir Roe," "Donegal Doggerel," and "Legend of Lough Columbkille." The latter tells how St. Columbkille worsted an irreverent fisherman who disturbed him at his devotions by "plowterin" in the lake for fish. The story goes — The Saint was so vexed that he thocht on a plan As to how he'd get redd ay thia bothersome man ; For afore he'd be bate he'd reduce the supply Ay the flBh— or, what's worse, make tbe well become dry. For h^ knew that the haythen— whose namo was McGurk, An' who wasn't a Christian no more nor a Turk— Wid bother him less if he scarcened the trout. So says Columb : " The divil a much more he'll gii out!" So next day when McGurk came along at his aise, With hid ass an' his creels, sor, as proud as you plaise ; For to hould all the flsh in, the Samt says, says he: " Shure you won't need a couple of creels for the three!" "What three?" says McGurk. "Well," says Columb, says he— "The three trout you'll ketch, for you'll only kutch throe. An' roind. when you've got them, you re foolish to stay, For the sorra a wan more you will ketch for the day ! ' Of course it turns out just as the indignant saint had said. McGurk next day, determined to do better, got up before the sun, and going off to the lough *' ketclad his three trout by a quarter to nine." But though he began with the song ay the lark, An' wandered an' waded till long after dark. Till the divil a line or a styme could hf see, When his day's work was done, he had only tuk three ! So the holy man was left undisturbed at his orisons, for of course McGurk betook himself to more profitable waters. We could multiply extracts from this clever little collection, but space forbids, and we can only recommend JN orth of Ireland people to get a copy of a book which will recall vividly the scenes and associations of old, and provide pleasant reading for a leisure hour.