Transcript

Bhí fear uair ann agus bhí ceathair dearthár aige. Agus dúirt sé lena mháthair, "Bhuel, a mháthair," a deir sé, "tá ormsa... Níl a ndótháin talún anseo againn, agus tá ormsa," a deir sé, "ghoil amach go Meireacá agus mo bheatha a shaothrú."

"Déan sin, a mhac," a deir sí.

D'imigh leis agus d'íoc sé a phaisinéireacht dhá phunt deich scilleacha. Ós ru-... D'im-... D'fhága sé as ród na Gaillimhe. Agus dhá mhí bhí sé ar an long nó go ndeachaigh sé amach go Meireacá. Fuair sé obair ar (ráillibh). Gortaíodh é. A chos agus a láimh. Scríobh sé abhaile acub gur gortaíodh é.

"Té-... Teag abhaile, a mhac," a deir a mháthair leis.

"Tháin-... Déanfad sin," a deir sé.

Tháinig sé abhaile agus fáilte mhór roimhe. Mar bhí a fhios acub go maith go rabh an t-airgead aige.

"Tá sin agam," a deir sé "trí chéad agus... trí chéad go leith punt."

Agus tháinig sé abhaile. Agus gearr a bhí sé sa mbaile nuair a buaileadh tinn é. Chuaigh sé isteach san eospidéal. Agus ní íocfadh sé muintir an eospidéil ar é a choinneáil agus tugadh abhaile aríst é insa mbaile, an áit... chéad áit a bhfaca sé solas an lae. Agus nuair a chuaigh siadsan... Ní rabh sé... Cuireadh fios... Bhí sé chomh tinn agus (gur) cuireadh fios ar an dochtúr agus ar an sagart.

Dúirt an dochtúr leis, "Níl i bhfad le maireachtáil agat," a deir sé, "ach ceithre lá."

Ach go dtí na cheithre lá go dtí an noiméad cailleadh é. Ach shul má cailleadh é, "Tá an bás ormsa," a deir sé. "Agus má tá," a deir sé, "cuiridh go (fiontach) mé. Ná sparáilidh airgead orm," a deir sé, "tobac ná píopaí ná snaoisín," a deir sé. "Agus tugaidh a ndo-... ndóthain (dho) na daoine," a deir sé, "dho na daoine atá thimpeall orm," a deir sé, "ar a tórramh agus cuiridh tórramh mhaith orm," a deir sé, "agus cuiridh go (fiontach) mé le mo chuid airgid féin."

Cuireadh sin air. Fuair siad naoi ngallún fuisce beatha. Agus bhí an tsochraide agus an tórramh. Agus shul má d'fhága siad an chor ar bith insa tsráid bhí go leor leor acub sínte. Mar d'ól siad an stuif sin. Agus bhí sé... Stuif... Fuisce beatha biteáilte a bhí ann. Agus cailleadh léir mar bhí siad ag goil soir ar éigean... Ins an am sin, séard a bhíodh siad á n-iompar ar a nguaillí. Agus san aimsir (ghile) chaitheadh siad é a ligean anuas ar an mbóthar agus é a thóigeál suas aríst. Ach thug siad síos go dtí an reilig é agus d'fhága siad ag an reilig é ar bhealach eicínt. Ach sílimse, leis an insea-... an fhírinne a inseacht, nár cuireadh é go dtí an chéad lá... lá arna mháireach... cuireadh go dtí an chéad lá arna mháireach é.

Ach sin é an chaoi a ndeachaigh an créatúr sin agus a chuid airgid. Agus nuair a chuid-... Gach a rabh dho airgead ansin aige bhí sé ag a dheirfiúr agus bhí sé ag a chuid deartháireachaí agus bhí sé ag chuile dhuine acub. Ach sin é anois an chaoi an... sin é an chaoi a ndeachaigh airgead an chréatúir sin. Agus ní íocfadh sé a bhealach istigh san eospidéal.

Translation

There once was a man and he had four brothers. And he said to his mother, "Well, mother," he said, "I must... We don't have enough land here, and I must," he said, "go out to America to earn my living."

"Do that, son," she said.

He went off and he paid he passage of two pounds and ten shillings. He left from Galway anchorage. And for two months he was on board the ship until he reached America. He got work on the railroads(?). He got injured. His leg and his hand. He wrote home to say that he had been injured.

"Come home, son," said his mother to him.

"I'll do that," he said.

He came home and was warmly welcomed. Because they knew well that he had the money.

"I have," he said, "three hundred and... three hundred and fifty pounds."

And he came home. And he wasn't long at home when he was struck ill. He went into the hospital. And he would not pay the people in the hospital for his keep and he was brought home again, where he first saw the light of day. And when they went... He was so sick that the doctor and the priest were sent for.

The doctor said to him, "You have not long to live," he said. "Only four days."

Well, in four days to the minute, he died. But before he died, "I am nearing death," he said. "And if I am," he said, "bury me lavishly(?). Do not spare money on me," he said, "tobacco or pipes or snuff," he said. "And give plenty to the people," he said, "to the people who are around me, "he said, "at the wake and wake me well," he said, "and bury me lavishly(?) with my own money."

That was done for him. They got nine gallons of whiskey. And the funeral and the wake went ahead. And before they had even left to go out onto the street many of them were lying down. Because they drank that stuff. And it was... It was strong whiskey. And (...) as they were just about going eastwards... (?) At that time, they were carrying him on their shoulders. And at the (...) time they would have to let him down on the road and lift him up again. But they brought him down to the graveyard and they left him in the graveyard somehow. But I think, to tell the truth, that he wasn't buried until the next day... the following day... buried until the next day.

And that is how that creature went and his money. And when his... And all the money he had then, his sister had it and his brothers had it and every one of them had it. But that now is the way... that's the way that creature's money went. And he would not pay his way inside in the hospital.

Commentary

This may be related to an international folktale, ATU 1305 The miser and his gold. It is a miscellaneous type, but one variant involves a miser who is gravely ill, and even on his deathbed looks for ways to save money. It has a very wide but sparse global distribution. Versions appear in relatively few countries worldwide, but can be found from Ireland to China. See Hans Jorg Uther, The types of international folktales: a classification and bibliography (3 vols, Helsinki, 2004). The theme is found in very early stories, such as the sixth-century B.C. collection of fables by the Greek author Aesop. See Karl Halm, Fabulae Aesopicae collectae (Leipzig, 1852), 198. Such narratives have been recorded in many parts of Ireland, but not in very large numbers. They were catalogued as 1305 Stories about misers in Seán Ó Súilleabháin and Rieder Th. Christiansen, The types of the Irish folktale (Helsinki, 1968).