This book here teaches the Conamara dialect:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Learning-Irish- ... 0300064624

Yeah, Benjamin, I'm going to use that book, a friend sent it to me.

Thanks for all your interesting and helpful answers on the thread, I'm going to try and learn a lot and see if I can share my progress (and doubts, of course there will be many doubts) with you.








This is a gift for you for helping me out. It's a recording I captured from RTÉ Radio program The Bloom of Youth a while back. It's a beautiful Connemara song (ÓCAM AN PHRÍOSÚIN (Tomás Ó Lochlainn)) beautifully sung by a young Connemara (I think) seán nos singer, Sile Ní Scannlain. Link here: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/24660524/Sile%20N%C3%AD%20Scannlain%20-%20%C3%93CAM%20AN%20PHR%C3%8DOS%C3%9AIN.mp3. I have three more recordings of her if anyone wants them.

Lyrics + info:

ÓCAM AN PHRÍOSÚIN
Tomás Ó Lochlainn (Tam Neaine Choilm)

Molaim sú an ghráin eorna go deo deo 'gus a choíche
Nach mairg nach mbíonn tóir ar Rí Seoirse ar a dhéanamh
Seán Ford a bheith ina ghiúistis, is chomhairleodh na daoine
Mar is chuir mise ag foghlaim le ócam a spíonadh

Is randa dideloram 'sé ócam an phríosúin
Go bhfága sú an ghráin eorna na hÓglaigh dá spíonadh

Is nach mise a bhíonn go brónach gach Domhnach is lá saoire,
'mo sheasamh amuigh sa ghairdín, istigh i bhfáinne is mé ag gabhail timpeall
Go dtagann ó mo shúile sruth deor nuair a smaoinim
Gur olc an obair Domhnaigh bheith i gcónaí ar an gcaoi seo

Is randa dideloram 'sé ócam an phríosúin
Go bhfága sú an ghráin eorna na hÓglaigh dá spíonadh

Is osclaíodh dom an stór a raibh ócam thar maoil ann
Is thug mé lán mo ghabhlach liom, mo dhóthain go ceann míosa,
Is nach mise a bhain gáire as an ngarda a bhí i mo thimpeall
Nuair a d'fhiafraigh mé den cheannfort cé air ar fhás an fianach

Is randa dideloram 'sé ócam an phríosúin
Go bhfága sú an ghráin eorna na hÓglaigh dá spíonadh

Bhí mise maidin shamhraidh is mo leaba déanta síos agam
Nuair a chonaic mé an ceannfort 's é ag gluaiseacht go dtí mé.
''Is b'in é an chaoi a bhfuil tusa, is an méid atá le dnamh?
do dhá lámh i do phóca is ócam le spíonadh?''

Is randa dideloram 'sé ócam an phríosúin
Go bhfága sú an ghráin eorna na hÓglaigh dá spíonadh

Céard a deir tú le Mac Uí Lochlainn a chuaigh a chodladh dó go suaimhneach,
Nuair a d'ionsaigh na luchain a chuid ícaim san oíche.
Is maidin lá arna mhárach, bhí an ceannfort á inseacht
ó, a dhiabhail, a deir an gobharnóir, ''tá an diabhail uilig déanta.''

Is randa dideloram 'sé ócam an phríosúin
Is nach bhfága sú an ghráin eorna na hÓglaigh dá spíonadh

---
Tomás Ó Lochlainn was born in 1903 in Bun a' Charnáin near an Trá Bháin in Conamara. He died in 1965 and is buried in the cemetery at an Trá Bháin. Ócam an Phríosúin is one of a number of Tam Neaine Choilm's compositions; it is said that his poetic abilities were recognized while he was at primary school. Not many years after Tomás left school, he was arrested – along with his stepfather – for illegally distilling póitín, and was sentenced to three months in prison. Much of his time in prison was spent picking oakum, an occupation which inspired this song. Interestingly, the justice, Seán Forde, agreed to stagger the sentences of the two men so that at least one man would be at home to support the family.

Information from Máirtín Mac Donnchadha's preface to the booklet 'Eachtraí Mhuintir Tam' by Tomás Ó Lochlainn, published by An Comhlachas Náisiúnta Drámaíochta, 1988. (The story was originally published in the newspaper 'Ar Aghaidh' between 1937 and 1940).