The Irish Traditional Music Archive (ITMA) is committed to providing free, universal access to the rich cultural tradition of Irish music, song and dance. If you’re able, we’d love for you to consider a donation. Any level of support will help us preserve and grow this tradition for future generations.
Mo Chúranán
The meaning of the title is unclear, but it is most likely a term of endearment.
Ennis wrote “Donnacha got this lullaby from a woman from Co. Antrim one night when there was music in the hotel in Gort an Choirce. He did not recall her name or her address. Seán Ó hEochaidh tells me that he often heard this air in Teileann, Donegal but these were not the words that accompanied it. He could not recall the words, however. I have transcribed the entire lullaby from Donncha.”
[From NFC 1282:33]
Note to music transcription:
Ennis wrote the following above the music notation of the song:
Music from Donnacha Ó Baoighill from Leitir Chatha, Clochán Liath, Tír Chonaill.
‘Mo Chúranán’ lullaby
‘Slowly, in a regular fashion’. He wrote ‘ralle[n]tando’ [gradual decrease of speed] over the final line of the notation.
Mo Chúranán. (ó Dinny)
Ó’s mo chúranán, mo chúranán,
Mo chúranán ‘s mo phlúirín bheag,
Grá mo chroí a sheóidín tsíoda
Seachta mo chroí is mo chúranán.
Ó’s mo dhamhna bheag, mo dhamhna bheag, (foster-child = damhna)
Mo dhamhna bheag, an t-úcaire, (fuller,dyer)
Grá mo chroí a sheóidín tsíoda
Seachta mo chroí ‘s mo dhamhna bheag.
Ó’s m’aingeal thú, is m’aingeal thú,
Is m’aingeal thú is béi go deó
Grá mo chroí a sheóidín tsíoda
Seachta mo chroí is m’aingeal thú.
Ó chailín as Co. Aontroma a thóig Dinny an suantraighe seo thuas, oidhche dá rabh sí ag ceól i nGort a’ Choirce. Níor chuimhin leis a h-ainm ná a seóladh, mar níor casú dhó í ach an oidhche sin.
Deir Seán liom (Ó h-Eochaidh) gur minic a chuala sé an fonn seo thiar i ndúthaigh Theileann, ach ní h-iad seo na foclaí a bhí leis, deir sé.
Ní cuimhin leis, ámh, cé’n t-amhrán a mbíodh sé leis.
Nóta le hathscríobh an cheoil:
Scríobh Ennis an méid seo a leanas os cionn nodaireacht an cheoil:
Ceolta Dhonnchadha Uí Bhaoighill as Leitir Chatha, Clochán Liath, Tír Chonaill.
‘Mo Chúranán’ suantraighe.
Go mall, rialta. Scríobh sé ‘ralle[n]tando’ [ag moilliú] le líne dheireanach an cheoil.
Thug sé cur síos ar an suantraí freisin: ‘Fuair Donncha an suantraighe seo ó bhean as Co. Aontroma, oidhche dá rabhthas ag guil cheoil sa teach ósta i nGort a’Choirce. Níor chuimhin leis a h-ainm ná a seóladh. Deir Seán Ó h-Eochaidh liom gur minic a chuala sé an fonn ceóil seo thiar i dTeileann, Tír Chonaill ach nárbh’ iad seo na focail a bhí leis. Níor chuimhin leis na focail, ámh. Tá an suantraighe uilig scríobtha agam ó Dhonnacha.
![Lillis Ó Laoire / [unidentified photographer]](https://s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/images.itma.ie/seamusennis/255059_lillis_o_laoire.jpg "Lillis Ó Laoire / [unidentified photographer]")
![Donncha Ó Baoill and Séamus Ennis / [unidentified photographer], Donegal, c. 1944. Image courtesy Tomás Ó Baoill](https://s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/images.itma.ie/seamusennis/277669_donncha_obaoill_seamus_ennis.jpg "Donncha Ó Baoill and Séamus Ennis / [unidentified photographer], Donegal, c. 1944. Image courtesy Tomás Ó Baoill")
