Clár Bog Déil (1) (An)

 CLÁR BOG DÉIL [1], AN. AKA and see "Caiseal Mhumhan" (Cashel in Munster), "Cois na Brighde," "The Soft Deal Board," "The Bog-deal Board". Irish, Air. Ireland, Munster. F# Minor. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB. The air and song have been identified as a love song coming from Munster (where it is better known as "An Caiseal Mumhan"), though variants can be found throughout Ireland. The tune, according to Cowdery (1990), is the same as that of the Connemara version of "Roisin Dubh," the title coming from a different text (see note for "Roisin Dubh [1]"). The music appears in Poets and Poetry of Munster (1849), and Stanford/Petrie gives no less than six settings, according to Joyce. Paul de Grae explains: "Although the title could be understood as 'the soft deal board', it would be more correct to say "the bog deal board"--'bog' does mean 'soft' in Irish, but in this context it refers to 'bog deal', that is, deal (pine timber) which has been preserved in a bog. As was formerly the accepted pronunciation in England too, 'deal' is pronounced 'dale' in Hiberno-English, and the title is really half-Irish (an clár) and half-English (bog deal)." Bog deals were used as fuel, as was peat. Donal Hickey, writing in his book Stone Mad for Music (1999) says that before the lamp was perfected people in the Sliabh Luachra region of the Cork/Kerry border had only the light from the fire at night. A bog deal splinter was lit to do work around the house or to light themselves to bed. An Clár Bog Déil (Ulster version) Os inniu gan bó gan puntaí gan a' dhá phingin spré Leagainn fúm thú maidin drúchta le bánú 'n lae; Mo dhá lámh du/nta gan mé 'gus tú, a ghrá mo chléibh, I gCaiseal Mumhan 's gan a leabaí fu/inn ach an chlár bog déil. Bean solastach ní mholfaidh mé 's ní cháinfidh mé í, Bean dorcha ní ghlacfaidh mé go deo mar mhnaoi; Cha ní ná an babaí shantach ach mar gheall ar mhaoin, Ach pósfaidh mé mo stóirín 'sí grá mo chroí. Ná síl cé gurb íseal no uasal mé, Ná síl gur ins a díog adaí a fuarthas mé; Sín síos liom seal míosa 'gus cuartaí ann mé,  'S gheobhaidh tú scríofa in mo thaobh dheas gur an buachaill mé. Tá líofacht labhairt Gaeilge agus canúint mhaith chrua, Scríobhfaidh mé 'na dhiaidh sin le barr' mo pheann; Loch Éirne 'á shnámhfainn ar chúl mo cheann,  'S da dtéadh agam bean 'á bhré agadh bheadh an báire liom. Printed sources: Joyce (Old Irish Folk Music and Songs), 1909; No. 127. Roche Collection, 1927; vol. III, p. 10. Recorded sources: Claddagh CC9, Sean MacDonagh - "An Aill Bhain" (1971). Green Linnett GLCD 3090, Mairead Ni Nhaonaigh & Frankie Kennedy - "Ceol Aduaidh" (1983/1994. A Donegal version of the tune from the great Arranmore singer Róise na nAmhrán;). Olympic OL-6129, Seamus Ennis - "Irish Pipe and Tin Whistle Songs" (1976). Spin CD1001, Eoghan O'Sullivan, Gerry Harrington, Paul De Grae - "The Smoky Chimney" (1996. Learned from the singing of Gweedore fiddler and singer Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh). Finola O Siochru - "Searc Mo Cheibh." See also listings at: Jane Keefer's Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources, Alan Ng's Irishtune.info.

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