An tAgent Múrlach agus Seán Usae
Mhair Seán Usae is a mháthair ar fheirm bheag sa Drom Caor i
bparóisde na Dromada. Baintreach ab ea í agus cuireadh as seilbh í
nuair nár fhéad sí an cíos d’íoc. Chuaigh sí féin is a mac chun cónaí i
dtigín beag ar thaobh an bhóthair i gCíll a’ Ghoirtín.
Níor leor don Mhúrlach iad do chur as seilbh, chuaigh sé isteach sa
gháirdín agus réab sé na gais phrátaí a bhí ag teacht aníos. Bhí na
daoine an uair sin ag brath go mór ar na prátáí agus nuair a chuala
Seán an scéal do cháin sé an tAgent go géar.
I
A Mhúrlaigh bháin, ná faighead-sa bás,
Go bhfeicfead i ngátar síl thú.
An t-ábhairín prátaí bhí curtha ‘gem mháthair,
Gur ghrafais ón mbán aníos iad.
Gan sagart na bráthair i láthair do bháis
Ach tú damnaithe i láthair Íosa.
II
Ní fear é lá an Earraigh is ní fear é lá an Fhómhair,
Is ní gréasaí maithe tapaidh é, a thrimeódh an bhróg.
Ach mac árachtaí fill dhéanfadh gníomh ar na comharsain
A réabadh an síol is é aníos tré’s na fódaibh.
Nuair a chuala Janey, iníon Mhúrlaigh an scéal do ghearán sí Seán leis
an sagart agus an seanmóin le linn an Aifrinn i Séipéal Mháistir
Gaoithe do thagair an sagart do dhroch-theanga Sheáin. Ach níor chuir
sin aon chorrabhuais ar Sheán. Tar éis Aifrinn sheas sé i lár an phobail
agus chúm sé bhéarsa eile do Janey.
Do ghearán sí siúd leis an sagart mé
Is cad do bhí ‘á bhárr ag Janey?
Cuirfead-sa arís fé lámh Easpaig iad
“Fear a’ bhéil stracaithe” is Kaver.”
Beirt dearthár Janey – “fear a’ bhéil stracaithe” is Kaver.
Séamas Ó Súilleabháin, Clochbhuaile a d’inis dá gharmhac Mícheál.
The Agent Morley and Seán Usae
During the National Folkmore Collection 1935 – 1938 the following was
taken down from Glenmore National School from James O’Sullivan of
Cloughvoola, a fisherman on Waterville Lake and a noted storyteller
both in Gaelic and English:
Seán Usae’s mother, a widow, was unable to pay the rent and she and her
family were evicted from their holding in Dromkare. They went to live in a
little house below the road in Killogorteen. In case the Usaes returned,
unknown to Morley the agent, to dig the garden, he went and tore up the
growing stalks. In those days families depended mainly on the potato crop
and the loss of the garden was a disaster for the Usae family. No wonder
then that Seán castigated Morley and his likes in the following verses.
I
“Fair” Morley that I may not die
Till I see you in want of seed.
The handful of potatoes my mother planted
You tore them up from the roots.
Nor priest nor monk at your deathbed be
But you damned in the sight of Jesus.
II
No man is he for a day in Spring,
Nor man for a harvest morn,
Nor shoemaker deft and skilled in trade
To dry the soaking shoe.
But the limb of the devil
Who would wrong the neighbour
And tear up the shoots
“Just starting to grow.”
When Morley’s daughter Jane heard the satire, she complained Seán to
the priest.
The priest in turn censured Seán during the Sunday sermon in
Mastergeehy Church.
If he did, he didn’t silence Seán. After Mass Seán stood before the
people and spoke another verse in satire, this time on Jane and her two
brothers.