H^-lv-

Aj^

HcJtjL^SM,

'HLQ-f-

A MISCELLANY
OF IRISH PROVERBS

A MISCELLANY

PROVERBS

IRISH

COLLRCTED AND RDITKD

BY

THOMAS

F.

M.R.I. A.;

O'RAHILLY, M.A.

PROFESSOR OF IRISH IN

THE UNIVERSITY OF DUBLIN

DUBLIN

THE

TAIvBOT PRESS LIMITED

85

TALBOT STREET
J

922

omnium antiquorum

Sapientiam

exquiret

sapiens, et in prophetis vacabit.

Narrationem
servabit,

et

in

virorum

nominatornmi

veisutias parabolarum

con-

simul

introibit,

Occulta

proverbiorum

exquiret,

in

ab-

xxxix.

1-3.

et

sconditis parabolarum conversabitur.

ECCI,I.

'

IT

PREFACE
In the present book I have made an attempt, however modest, to approach the
study of Irish proverbs from the historic
and comparative points of view. Its principal contents are, first, the proverbs noted by
Mchel Og Longain about the year 1800,
and, secondly, a selection of proverbs and
proverbial phrases drawn from the literature
I have
of the preceding thousand years.
added an English translation in every case.
Sometimes, as will be observed, the Irish
proverbs corre-spoud closely to English ones.
When this is so, I have given (between quotation marks) the English version, either
instead of or in addition to a translation.
While it is probable that most of the proverbs thus common to the two languages
have been borrowed into Irish from English,
still it should be borne in mind that many of
them possess an international character, and
are as well known in Continental languages
as they are in English or Irish.
I have,
however, refrained from quoting these
Continental versions
any reader who is
interested in them will find what he wants
elsewhere, and it would have been a waste
of space for me to attempt to give them here.
Not a few of these proverbs ha\ e Latin
;

originals,

from which the Irish versions

directlj' borrowed.

may have been

Most of the proverbs of the present collection are distinctively Irish in expression.
It is mainly in connection with this "native"
type of proverb that I have quoted, where
possible, Scottish and Manx versions, and
analogous proverbs in Welsh. When proverbs not derived from English are common
to Ireland and vScotland, it is safe to credit
them with an antiquity of three hundred
years at least. So, too, the occurrence of
proverbs of this class in widel,v-separated
districts in Ireland bespeaks for such proBut, even
verbs a respectable antiquity.
when evidence of this kind is wanting, it is
probable that most of our "native" proverbs are very old, such is the vitality of
tradition among Irish-speaking people.
in

Perhaps by no nation were proverbs held

higher estimation than by our ancestors.

Even to-day every fluent native-speaker of

Irish possesses a repertory of proverbs on
which he delights to draw in order to clench
an argument or drive home an opinion.
The Irish view of proverbs is crystallized
in such sayings as Nt sraitear an scanNothing can beat a proverb.'
fhocal,
Hence those of us who inherit the Irish
tradition will, as I hope, not unfavourably
receive this little storehouse of the sententious wisdom of our forefathers.
'

T.

F.

O'RAHILLY.

CONTENTS
I.

II.

III.

IV.

MlCHEAL OG O LOtSTGAIN'S COIJ.ECTION

OF Irish Proverbs

Modern

Irish Triads

Proverbs in Irish Literature

65

79

Proverbiai< Phrases in Irish Liter-

ature
V.

125

Bibliography

147

Abbreviations, etc.

Indices

Additional Notes

159

162

169

I.

MICHEL OG
LONGIN'S
COLLECTION OF IRISH
PROVERBS
1. Mairg 'gar beag leis Dia mar
'Woe to him who is not content with

God

Ion.
hariiig

for his sustenance.'

2.

Giorra cabhair

D n an

doras.

God's help is nearer than the door,'

very near, even when we little expect it.
pare no. 75 below.
'

3.

i.e.

is

Com-

Fearr sean-fhiacha n sean-fhala.

Better old debts than old grudges.' This

proverb is quoted by Sean na Rithneach cf
It is one of the oldest proed. Torna, p. 76.
verbs in the language, for it is one of a number
of old sayings attributed to Flann Fina mac
Ossu, i.e. Prince Aldfrid, son of Oswy, King of
Northumbria (fcrr senfiacha senjala, Anecd. iii.
With a slight variation it also occura
p. 18).
among the sayings attributed to Fithal {ferr
'

senfiach sencraite, ed. Thurneysen p. 18).

Scottish Gaelic {is fhearr sean-fhiachan
na sean-fhalachd) it has passed into N.E. as
" Better auld debts than anld sairs."

From

Baodhach

4.

le

gach bocht a bhfagh-

ann.

poor
Var.

man

pleased with whatever he

le hocht beagcin,
A
poor man is glad of a little.' The adjective
baodhach (buidheach) here is a modern substitution for the obsolete subs, buidhe, which is
still retained in the Scottish form: Is buidhe
le bochd beagan.
The Irish Is hvidhe le hochf
a bhfaghann is humorously mis-rendered in
English as " 'Tis yellow with poor what he
gets" by a character in Sean Neachtain's
'

gets.'

7s

is

baodhach

'

amuinn U

Chlire (1.1927). The Manx

S'booiagh yn voght er yn veggan
The proverb is a very old one in
Gaelic, being found in the Book of Leinster
(147b 42) in the form Is sail ni is budi ri bocht,
Even a trifling thing pleases a poor man.'
The N.E. " A poor man is fain o' little" seems
to have been borrowed from Sc.
Compare no.

Stair

form

is

(Cregeen).

'

5.

Ar uairibh thigid na hanacrai,

na a dteacht an infheacht.

is

fearr [san]

It is well that misfortunes come but from

time to time, and not all together.' The Eng.
proverb "Misfortunes never come single" is
'

the reverse of this.

6.
le
'

Gach bocht

shabh.
Poor men take

le

muir

is

gach saidhbhir

to the sea, rich to the

tain,'

moun-

7.

tabhair taobh

le

fear fala.

Trust not a spiteful man.'

'

8.

Mairg 'na mbionn fear a bhraite 'na

chuibhreann.

Woe to him whose betrayer sits at his table

This was doubtless suggested by the presence
of Judas at the Last Supper: cf. Marc. xiv.
'

'

18-20.

9.

Fada iarsma na

droichbheirte.

The effects of an evil act are long felt.'

Var. Fada deasga droichbheirte. Cf. 7s fada an
ciach bheir iarsma droichbheirte, Comhairle na
Brrsgolige. Canon O'Leary has 7s fada siar
c iarsma an droich bhirt (Seadna 167), and Is
fada avonn a thighean iarsma an droch-ghnimh
(Tain 166). The earliest instance I have noted
7s fada deasgadh na droichbheirt in an
is
anonymous Ulster poem (17 cent. ?) which begins
'

"

Do

goineadh

me

bheith

lom "

23

cf.

A 25,

p. 81.

10.

Cam

ialla

na conaire.

'Crooked are the thongs

(?)

of

the path.'

The meaning of this is quite obscure to me, nor

have I met it elsewhere. Perhaps we should
compare the Cork proverb Mas cam sliglie is
ridh rod (GJ. 46, p. 209).

11.

Oeannuig"

an

droch-dhiiine

haoffhal duit an duine macnta.

is

ni

Buy

'

the trickster, and you need have no fear

in;in.'
Varr. Breab an rgaire,
etc.
Bribe the rogue '). Seachain an drochdhuine^ etc.
Shun the trickster'). Coinnibh
(' Keep the trickster
a/n drochdhuine leaf, etc.

of

t!ie

liotie.st

('

(,'

on your side

12.

'),

Gahvay.

Cionnus bheadh an t-ubhaillin acht

mar bheadh an
How

'

"Like

tree?'
erit

t-abhaillin?

could the apple be but as the apple-

talia

"Arbor qualis

tree, like fruit."

poma

gerit "

(Erasmus).

Compare

Dnfhocail 105, and the two next proverbs.

13.
'

tijnes

Gach

dalta

mar

oiltear.

brought up.' Somewith the rhyming addition cigus an lacha

foster-child

is

as he

is

and a duck takes to water.' The

word dalta here is a modern substitution for
ealta,
flock (of birds),' which has long been
obsolete in ordinary speech, though I heard a

ar an uisge,

'

'

native of Ballyvourney quote the proverb in the

form Gach cnltha mar oilthear only last year.
Other variants substitute an for ealta. Thus
Gach an mar oiltear, agus an naoscann snn
fahar, Every bird as it is brought up, and the
Gach un mar a
snipe in the mud,' Donegal.
Cf. also Morris, 93 and 233.
dh' oileanar, So.
old
one
is shown by the
proverb
an
is
That the
opening stanza of a poem by Tadhg Mr
'

Huiginn (tl315):

Cach n m<ir a adhba,

oirderc so,

cach elta

is

mar

ni chlechtfa

s lentar;

oilter,

acht a chlechtad,

O'G. Cat. 487), Every bird is as its nest,

is a well-known rule that is followed
every
bird-flock is as it is reared, it follows only its
own habits.' Compare cach macaom mar
viinter, every youth is as he is taught,' in the
same poem; and gntli dil i ndinidh oileamhna^
every creature is wont to follow its upbringing,' in a poem on Niocls Dall {flor. 1601),
(cf.

'

this

'

'

'

Studies,' 1920, p. 97.

14.

Treise di'ithchas n oileamhain.

Hereditary instinct is stronger than up" Nature passes nurture." Cf. Is

bringing.'
'

thidheann an dchas n an fhoghlaim,

Nature goes farther than education.' Briseann
an dchas tr shi'iiie an chait, Its nature breaks

sia
'

'

out through the cat'seyes.' "What is bred in the

bone comes out in the flesh." Compare further
no. 37, and Dnfhocail 102.
The same idea is
seen in a line of Aodh Domhnaill's in the
Contention of the Bards
diallaid daoine re
a ndthchas, people follow their hereditary instincts
Scottish has
(cf. I.T.S. XX. p. 138).
Is buainp, dutlichas na niUav.
'

'

'

'

15.

Minic na deaghaidh bo

le

bo dhth-

chais.
'

Often

cow does not take after

its

breed.'

This is to some extent cnntradiotory

proverbs just quoted.

of

tlio

16. Millie bhi grnna greannmhar

dathamhail donaoi.

Often

'

was

unfortunate.'

ugly
Var.

handsome

and

amiable,
(jefnifimJinil

is

greann-

(for

mhar).

17.

hi

an crocn
Beauty

'

an bhreghthacht do chuireanii

a'

fiuchadh.

will not

make

the pot

beiriii (for a' fiuchadh). Cf.

a'

nos hrochn ach min,

'

It

is

Var.

boil.'

Ni hreghthacht
not beauty that

makes porridge, but meal,' Conn. " Prettiness

makes no pottage." Cha toir a' bhoidhchead
goil air a' phoit, Sc.

(and

cf.

Morris

156).

18. Fearr basa n breghthacht.

Better good manners than good looks.'

'

19.
'

Buan

A man

20.

fear 'na dhthaig.

lives

Nior cailleadh

a chuaine.
A man never
'

21.

long in his native place.'

fails

[fearj

among

riamh
his

own

measg

people.'

Sea chain is na taobhuig,

t-aitheaiitas
is na tabhair an
aoniHid.

ar

Be on your guard against taking

on no account sacrifice your friends.'
'

Togh do

22.

sides,

and

chuideacht'ci sul a suidhfir.

Choose your company before you sit down.'

.
_^
" Choose thy company before thy drink."
"^ r^&-\ 3^2

'

Seachain droch-chuideachta.

23.
'

Shun

company.'

evi]

24. Innis dam cia leis a raghair, agus

innesad duit crad dhanfair.
" Tell
thee

me with whom thou

what thou doest."

chuideachta

is

company, and
25.

Fi

nesad
I'll tell

goest,

and

I'll tell

Var. Innis dam, do

he thu, " Tell me your

you who you are."

oineach

druideam

mall

'na

chuiimibh.
Generosity which is dilatory is worth going
meet.'
Cf. 7s fearrde (in teaclitaire mall
druidim 'na chuinne, A slow messenger is the
better for your going to meet him.'
'

to

'

26.

Olc an ch nch

fi

fead do leigean

uirthi.

"It

is

an

ill

dog that

is

not worth

the

whistling."

27.

Deineann

ceann

ciallmhar

iadhta.
" A wise head makes a closed mouth."
7

bal

'^

28. Beagn agus a rdb go maith.

Say but little, and say it well.' Na ahair
ach heag 's ahair c]u math e, Sc.
'

29.

Binn

bal 'na chomhnuidhe.

The mouth that speaks not

is sweet to hear.'
" Speech is silvern, silence is golden." Var. Is
binn heal 'nn fhost, Conn. Cf. Nior dhin heal
'na chomhnuidhe aimhleas riamh.
See also
Dnfhocail, 55.
'

30.

Ard fuaim na n-uisgi adtroma.

Shallow waters make a great noise.' Cf.

Soifhrnch folamh is mo torann, "Empty vessels
make the greatest noise," (which Begly, p. 190a,
renders 7s iad na soithighe falamha is ma i-j
(jhnidh fuaim). The proverb is alluded to more
than once in the Contention of the Bards
An t-uisge tana i mo fuaim, sumliail sin le
huaill do ghlir, Art Og
Caoimh (I.T.S. xxi.
228); sibhse an taohh tana don tsrvth, vaihh do
chluintear bhur dteannghuth, Tadhg mac Dire
(ibid. 188)
for a third instance see Dnf hocail
53.
See also Dnfhocail 51 and 52, and compai'e
the two next proverbs.
'

'

'

31. Kithid

"

Still

32.

doimhnrie cdin.

uisgi

waters run deep."

Na mnca

ciine

dh'itheann

an

triosg.

"

Still

swine

<-at

all

thi'

draff,"

i.e.

quiet

is often found in persons who are very

wide awake. Var. D'iosadh mnc chiin fin
triosg, Galway.
Cf. D'iosadh cat ciin hiadh.
D'iosadh cat sleamhain fin fideog. Itheann
cat ciinn fin im, Galway.

exterior

Deineann gach moch

33.

ghn.

An

early riser gets throngli his business.'

Var. 7s cosmhail le gach moch a ghn, Clare.
is ni le
J. O'Daly's version (Watfd.) adds
litirghe dhoich ,
but not by means of early
'

'

rising.'

Eusga nein n maidean.

34.

'Evening

^f

r^P^^^

speedier than morning,' i.e.

Better do a thing in the evening than postpone
is

" Never put off till toit until next morning.

morrow what you can do to-day." This occurs
in Michel Coimn's

P.

Eachtra Thoroilbh

(cf.

ed.

Briain, p. 29); and also in some versions

Muighe

Cath

of

Mucruimhe

ami

(Bacham

nin n maidin, GJ. 207, p.

This proverb, though found all over Ireland, and in Scotland too, has in later days
been nearly always misinterpreted. The meaning given above is amply confirmed by the
literary instances referred to.
(inocht, ir is asga

437b}.

Bionn an fear deireanach dioghbh-

3o.

lach.
'

late

laggard

is

man

brings trouble on himself.'

ever a loser.'

'

The

)(

Millie bh c mliall subhilceach

36.
'

ties.'

slow-footed hound often has good quali

Varr. Is minic a rug an ch mhall fin

ar a cuid, Galway. Is minic c mhall sona,

'A slow hound is often lucky.' Bionn c mhall
Sana. Fearfeasa O'n C'hinte quotes this in one
of his

poems

(23

Bidh en

L 17,

mlh'jall,

fo.

103a)

a mhic Eghain,

do rir iil gach fhrelaigh,

go mb a gnomh d chora
sona,

mas

gcruth,

Scottish has not preserved the proverb, but it

equivalents, e.g. 7s minic a
hha rath air mallthriallach
Often has luck
attended a slow traveller'; Huigidh each mall
muileann,
A slow horse will reach the mill
Ruigidh dail doras, Delay will reach the door.'
The last is also found in Manx Roshee daill y
possesses several

:^

fior, le fiadhuch.

'

'

'

dorrys (Cregeen).

37.

Cad do dheanfadh mac an chait

Inch do

aclit

mharbhadh?

What would

a young cat do but kill a

" That that comes of a cat will catch
fi^mice."
"Cat after kind." Bn dual do mhac
Such proverbs as
a' chait an luch ithe, Sc.
doubtless
derive ultimately from the wellthese
'

mouse?'

known

fable of jEsop.

Compare

nos. 12

and 14

above.

38. Mall Din, nfjns triallann a glirnsa.

God moves slowly, yet His grace comes.'
Compare no. 164 below.
'

lO

39.

As an obair do fachtar an fhogh-

luim.

Learning comes through work.' Compare

Minfidh a ghna duvne, and the two next
'

proverbs.

40.

Gnthamh na

hoibre an t-elas.

Knowledge comes through

'

perientia

41.

Gibe

olc

practice.'

" Es-

" Practice makes perfect."

docet."

maith an ealadha,

is

taith-

ighe nann mighistreacht.

Be one's trade good or bad, it is experience

that makes one an adept at it. "Use maketh
mastery " (Heywood). 7s e 'n cleachdadh a ni
teuma ('expert '), Sc.
'

42. Is leithide

Trampling on

'

more.'

Is

an bualtach

satail

dung only spreads

ann.
it

the

salchar saltrachd ann,

if'
mair ye tramp on [dung], J.ifCl IS^

leothaid an

N.E. has "The

grows the braider."

Sc.
it

43.

an
'

Minic gur

sia thid

an bhrag n

'hrinne.

Falsehood often goes farther than truth.'

44.

Mr

an fhirinne, agns

buaidhfe

si.

"

Magna

i(^

est Veritas, et prcevalebit."

ri

45.

N hionmhuin

Dia an bal br-

ie

agach.

God

'

if /v-^l

i'^

46.

loves not a lying tongue.'

Ag

gheann

duine fin
bhrg air.

" The

wearer

best

is

fearr fhios c lui-

knows where

the

shoe

pinches hira."

mhaoile fein do loisgeann

47. Alius a

gach einne.
'

9^

The sweat

eyeryone,'
most. Cf.

of one's

i.e..

own brow

Everyone

feels

is

his

what burns

own

trouble

A sgal fin srfal gach inne. Is i

chneadh fhin a ghearaineas gach duine,
Everyone complains of his own hurt,' Sc. 'Si
a chneadh fein is hiaithe mhofhaigheas gach
a
'

fluine,

Uls.

48. Fuacht na slinnen do bhreacann

na loirgne.

Cold

'

in

speckled,'

the

i.e.

shoulders

makes

the

shins

through warming oneself at the

fire.

49.

Deineann codla fada

tin

leis

ag

-laine.
'

Long

makes a bare breech,' i.e. Lying

makes one poor and ragged. Var.

sleep

a-bed late

Do-ni cndladh fada ton

lorn,

Uls.

^^.

50.

/?/A^tclrS.%), CvvC-iUijC

N thig ag gan adhbhar.

Death does not come without a cause.' Cf.

There is no
Ni bhionn trig; gan adhhhar,
occurrence without a cause,' W. Cork (' Seandun').
Cha tig am has gun leisgeul, Sc. Cha -^
daink rieau yn haa.sc grjn lestal,
Manx
'

'

(Cregeen).

51.

N lugha an fhroig n mtiair an

uilc.

'Evil may spring from the tiniest thing.'

Froiy, usually frig (frigh), lit. 'flesh-worm.*

Varr. 7s beag i mthair an uilc, Galway. 7s

lugha ion frighde mthair ria hurchidc, Conn.
7s lugha na fride mathair a' chonnsachaidh Sc.
"The mother of mischief is no bigger than a
midge's wing" (given by Nicolson as an Eng.
proverb). Compare 7s heag an ni da dtigeann
an t-olc in 'Comhairle Choluimchille' (O'Daly's
Bee ani trina tic olc
Ir. Lang. Misc., p. 78).
,

in a Mid. Ir. poem,

52.

ZCP.

vi.

Bionn an fhirinne

'Even truth may be

272.

fin searbh.

bitter.'

Tadhg

m;\c

Dire seems to allude to this proverb in the

Contention of the Bards in the line firinne
hhus searbh re rdh (I.T.S. sx. 28). A Waterford form is Bionn an fhirinne searbh, arsa
Cloch Labhrais ag preabadh, Cloch Labhrais
(i.e. speaking-stone?) being the name of a huge
boulder which lies near Stradbally, and which is
cleft in a remarkable manner.
Local tradition
accounts for the fissure by relating that the
'

-f^

'

'

'

'^'^'^^^^^

boulder burst asunder on a certain occasion on

which a falsehood was uttered upon it.

53.

Fearr

irighthe

srathrach

iasacht na hiallaite.
Better the certainty of a straddle {i.e. a
pack-saddle) than the mere loan of a saddle.'
" A bird in the hand is worth two on the bush."
Cf. the Irish versions of the latter proverb
Is
fearr can sa doni na dad can ar an gcraoibh,
'

and

7s fearr dreiln

which latter version

English in

into

Chleire,

1.

ndorn na corr ar cirde,

found " translated "
Xeachtain's Stair . Ui
i

will be

1928.

54. Dlighe na hiasachta

an t-iarrach do

bheith briste.
Variously explained as The law of borrowing
to break the borrov.-er,' or
to break the
thing borrowed.' For Longin's do bJieith
briste other versions have do bhriseadh.
Canon
O'Leary's form of the proverb is a slightly
abbreviated one, viz.
Dlighe na hiasachta
l)hrisc(uni, which he translates:
'The law of
borrowing is to break what is borrowed.'
'

is

'

55.

Foarr mac

le

himirt fin n

mac

le

hl.

'Better even a son given to gambling tlian

son given to drink.'

14

Sil

56.

It

citeamh do loniann an cear-

bhach.
The expectation of recouping himself is
what beggars the gambler.' Var. Sil le breith
a chailleann an cearhhach, The hope of winning
'

'

proves the gambler's undoing.'

Fearr teithe maith n droichsheas-

57.

amh.
'A good retreat is better than a poor defence.'
Var. rith (for teithe). This is quoted by
Keating, though he does not espressly allude
Biodh a fhios aige gurah
to it as a proverb
fearr teitheadh maith inn:'i droich'sheasamh
:

TBg.

The

p. 293.

older form

was Ferr teiched

Better to flee than to stand still,'

which is attributed to Flann Fina (Anecd. iii.
Tn
18) and to Fithal (ed. Thurneysen, p. 14).
this form it is introduced by Roibeard Mac
Artir into the Contention of the Bards
Do
gheahhth id sheinleabhraihh fin
seanfhocal
gndthach ar scan:
teicheamh
Is
fearr
tairiseamh (of. I.T.S. xx. 152). The Scottish
form is 7s fhearr teicheadh math na drocli

tairisium,

'

'

'

fhriirench.

58. Dall sil

An

^ t^^fPjZiT

gcil dhiiiiic cile.

blind in another man's corner,'

i.e.
One feels strange among strangers one
does not know one's way about in a strange
place, or when attempting unfamiliar work.
See no. 330.
'

eye

is

15

Gire

59.

chinne n db shil

sil sa

ar fuid an tighe.
'One eye in the coinor is keener than two eyes
about the house.' Var. 7s gire sil sa chil n
dh sliil sa tsolas (GJ. 60, p. 84).

Beag sochar na sr-mheisge.

60.

'Little

profit

comes from constant drunken-

ness.'

Maol guala gan bhrthair,

's is mairg do bhionn gaii dearbh-

61.

rthair.
'

Bare

the shoulder that has no kinsman

is

near,

And woe
For

the

to

him who

lacks a brother dear.'

quatrain

see Danfhocail, 227.

In a poem attributed to Gormlaith the line
occurs Maol guala ag nach bi brthairj Meyer
Misc. p. 354. The Four Masters quote Maol
guala gan brthair, s. a. 1583 (p. 1804). It may
be noted that in Canon O'Leary's version is
full

maol
CAesop

guala
i.

37).

is

corrupted

The proverb

to
is

is

maol-dhuMga

also well

known

in

Nicolson quotes a precisely similar

saying (borrowed from Irish?) from the Norse
Saga of Burnt Njal: "Berrer hverr baki,nema
Bare is one's back unless he
ser brdhur eigi,"
have a brother.' Compare the next proverb.
Scottish.

O'-Trt.

'

62.

Mairg do bhionn

aige fin.
i6

dtir

gan duine

a couuti-y where there

him who is
none to take his part.' Var. Is mairg do
bhionn san tir n haitheantar , 'where he is
not known.' Sometimes with the rhyming addition
Mar Id na hruii/ltne luigheann an hata
for on the day of the fight the
ar a thaoblt,,
cudgel is applied to his side.' Cf. " Vae soli,

'VVoe to

is

'

quia

cum

ceciderit

nou habet sublevantem s,"

Eccl. iv. 10.

63.

X gnthach caounacli

bhionn
"

a'

ar an gcloich

sior-chorruighe.

rolling stone gathers

Ni thagann caonnach or

no moss."

cldoich

Varr.

reatha.

Ni

chnsuicjheann clock reatha cnlach, W. Cork. Ni

hhailigheann an chloch reatha cnach, Clare.
Begly (p. 473b) has Ni ghabhawn clock reatha
caonnach. There are numerous versions both in
Irish and in Scottish, as often happens in the
case of proverbs (like the present) which are not
of native origin but comparatively late borrowings.

64.
'

I gcosaibh

A greyhound

na con do bhionn a cuid.

finds its food in its feet,' i.e.

See Dnfhocail, 223. Cf. Ni

its feet.
cos 'na comhnaidhe dada, 'A foot that
nothing,'
Galway.
not
gets
stirs

by using

fhnghann

Na bris reacht is na dein reacht.

Neither break a law nor make one.' Cf
Pope's " Be not the first by whom the new is
Varr. Nd din ns agus na bris ns.
tried," etc.
N tig cleas ( = geas) agus nd bris deas, Galway.
65.

'

17

66. Is

gnthach an rud is gioira don

is giorra don bht'al.

chroidhe gurb

What is nearest the heart is, as a rule,

nearest the lips.'
"What the heart thinks,
" Ex abundantia cordis os
the tongue speaks."
loquitur," Matt. xii. 34.
'

67.

fearg

Adeir siad go gcanann meisge no

fior.

Drunkenness and anger,

it is said, speak
Var. Canann meisge fior. Cf. Ni
cheileann meisge rv, 'Drunkenness reveals
secrets.' " In vino Veritas." " Nullum secretura
est ubi regnat cbrietas," Prov. xxxi. 4.
Triads
'

truly.'

of Ireland, 204.

Bean ar meisge, bean i n-aisge.

A drunken woman is lost to shame.'

68.
'

69. Adeir siad go bhfaghann badhb a

hathchuinghe, is ncb ar mhaithe l .

shrew, they say, gets her wish but suffers

The Scottish form is Gheahh
baobh a guidhe, ged nach fliaigh a h-onam
trbcair,
A shrew will get her wish though her
soul will not get mercy.'
'

in the getting.'

'

70.

Cuimhnig, da

gcaillfe do chuid

don

tsaoghal, do chreideamhain do choimed

gidli cudli.

nd

irii'i

cliailloann t

tu.

i8

sin,

ni fin

'

Be mindful, even though you lose all your

still to keep your good name; for if you

wealth,

you are worthless.' This reminds one

Shakespeare's " WIio steals my purse, steals
trash," etc. But it is hardly a proverb.' Its
origin is probably Prov. xxii.l.

lose that,

of

'

71.

Fearr focal sa chirt n bonn sa

sparn.

good word at court is better than a coin

" A friend in court is worth a
penny in one's purse." Varr. punt (for bonn)
'

in one's purse.'

cara (for focal).

72.

Maith

f-L^

/,

an charaid, acht g hole

bhei'th 'na heasba.

Friendship

'

friends

good,

is

though

absence

from

painful.'

is

73. An rud is eagal liom a rdh liom,

biodh a this agam fin.

What

'

better say

74.

am
first

afraid

may

be said to

me

had

myself.'

n-oireann

an

caipin

do,

tgann.

Whoever the cap fits takes it.' Varr. An t

Let
a dtagann an caipin do, caitheadh s ,
him whom the cap suits wear it.' Mara
n-oireann an caipin duit, nd caith .
'

'

19

Mairg do bitear am an anfa

tigeann an ghrian i ndiaidh na

75.

feai-

thana.
Pity the man who is drowned during the
tempest, for after rain comes sunshine.' Much
the same idea is expressed in Archbishop
*

Maohnhuire O Huiginn's lines Fogus Id don

" The darkest hour is nearest
rfi dhoirche {i.e.
dawn") and Tar cis duhhaidh tig soineann
:

('

After gloom comes fair weather

bishop's contemporary, Eochaidh

has a very similar line

Tlie

').

Arch-

Heoghusa,

Te.as grine is

gar do

(Ir.
dhubhadh,
Sunshine follows gloom
Monthly. 1920, p. 543). The same looking forward to brighter days is seen a few years later
in a poem by Fearghal g Mac an Bhaird (ibid,
Tig teas iomarcach d' cis recidh,
p. 52)
'

'

glanaidh grian i ndiaidh duibh-neil, ' After

frost comes great heat, after a dark cloud comes
.sunshine
and again .An hlth chvireas an
The wood
choill di, I tig a ionshamhail uirthi,
(Compare with
will renew the foliage it sheds.'
this Dnfhocail 45).
In English also there are a number of such
proverbs, e.g. " After clouds black we shall have
weather clear" (Heywood) "After rain comes
" After a storm comes a calm."
fair weather"
See also Skeat 154. A Mid. Eng. proverb of
similar import, " When the bale is best, thenne
is the bote ne.st " (Skeat 83), has a close parallel
in the Mod. Ir. Nuair is mn an anochain iseridh
When misfortune is
an rhabhair,
is giorra
'

'

'

greatest, then

proverb

may

is

also

relief nearest.'

.\n old Welsli

be quoted here: Vybxjd hinov

20

There will be fair weather after

(Skene, Four Ancient Books of Wales, ii.

rju-edy glaiv,

rain

'

'

305).

76.

Ceileann

sil

an ni n faiceann.

The eye shuns {lit. hides) what it does not

The
see,' i.e. " Out of sight out of mind."
literary form is tieachnaidh sil ni n faiceann^
Dnta Grdha, p. 14; riu v. p. 136. The proverb is still current in Waterford, the first word
there being seachtnuigheann (Sheehan, Cn
Cadhla, Eachtra
C.C., 31) or cosnuigheann (S.
na mBrg, 6). Cf. Mian mhic a shil, What
is seen is desired.'
Nuair a dhirdeann ( = dhruideann) an radharc on siiil, dirdeann an grdh
on gcroidhe,
When the view leaves the eye,
love leaves the heart.'
An f nd ficid ni thitfid
i ngrdh lets,
They won't fall in love with a
man they don't see.' (These two last proverbs
have been heard in Ballingeary, W. Cork). An
ni nach bhfeiceann sil, ni bhrnann croidlie,
'

'

'

'

Conn., " What the eye sees not the heart rues
not." It may be worth noting that Tadhg
Neachtain uses Os (--as) amliarc, os cuimhne
(Gadelica i. 160), a literal translation of the
English " Out of sight, out of mind." Compare
also the old Welsli proverb Gwall arrvy mynych
welir^
What is not often seen is neglected
(Skene, ii. 308). and the Eng. "Seldom seen,
soon forgotten."
'

77.

Bionn clnasa ar na clathacha.

Fences have ear.s.' Var. LnhJinir go sorair,

bionn cluasa ag hallni, Conn. " Walls have
'

21

Cf.

ears."'

leig

do run

your secret even to a

^
)f

cloidhe,

Ceileann searc ainimh

78.

'

Tell not

locht.

is

blemishes and
faults.'
Cf. Biunn an grdh caoch, " Love is
blind." Faluigheunn grdh grain, agus chi juuth
Scottish has Cha'n fhaic griidh
a Ian, Uls.
lochd ("Love sees no faults"), Ceilidh seirc

Love

'

le

fence,' Conn., Uls.

is

blind to

{lit.

hides)

aineamh, and Ceilidh gradh grain. The literary

parent of the two latter and of O'Longan's
proverb is Celid sere ainble 7 olc, Love hides
ignominy and evil,' found in the Book of LeinCf. Ni breitheamh comhthrom
ster (147 b 41).
Love is not an impartial judge,'
an grddh,
quoted as a seanfhocal in an anonymous poem
'

'

Some of these
proverbs probably have a biblical origin; cf.
Pet.
iv.
and
Prov. X. 12,
i.
8.

of A.D. 1559 (H. 5. 28, fo. 160b).

Uireasba ni cumha.

79.

(i.e.
poverty) makes sadness.' Var.
Bochtaineacht nios cumha, Clare and S. Conn.
Cf. " There is no woe to want" (Camden).
'

Want

80. I ndiaidh

an tsochair do bhionn an

gradh.
'

Love pursues

profit,' i.e. Self-interest

comes

as in marriages for
money. Var. I ndiaidh an tairhhe bhionn an
gradh, which occurs in Comhairle na BarrsgolCompare also the nest proverb.
ige.
first,

love

afterwards,

22

Mo

81.

ghrdii thu, a rad agat:

'I love yon

what

Biodh

82.

yon harei"

rud

agat

fin,

no

bl

in

amuis.

Have

'

a thing yourself, or else do without

83. Is

ait

leis

it

na daoine dealbha an

bhlthach.

Needy folks are pleased with buttermilk."

" Poor folks are glad of pottage." Var. 7s maith
leix na mnd dealbha an hhlthach.
Cf. An t
'

n faghann

ai

fheil

is

mr an

scjh

leis

an

He who

does not get meat thinks

soup a great luxury.' " He that never eats
flesh
thinks harigalds a feast," N.E. Cf.
" Beggars can't be choosers," and no. 4 above.
t-unairthe,

Mchadh

84.

"

'

soft

feirge soifhreagra.

answer turneth away wrath " (Prov.

Nior bhris deaghfhocal bal inne ^t/^OM

85.

riamh.

'

kind word never broke anyone's mouth.'

Var. 'Nior bhris focal maith fiacail riamh. Cf.
" Soft words break no bones."
'

G n bonn aon chnmh

86.

gaiu,

is

minic do bhris
23

si

sa tean-

ceann duine.

Thougli there is no bone in the tongue, it

Similar
has often broken a person's head.'
proverbs were formerly common in medieval
Latin and English. Hey wood has "Tongue
breaketh bone, and bone itself hath none";
for
earlier
instances see Skeat 79. Their
origin is biblical; of. " Plaga linguae comminuet
ossa," Eccli. xxviii. 21, and " Lingua mollis
'

confringet duritiam," Prov. xxv. 15. An Irish

version of the latter appears in the Irish adaptation of Cambrensis
Tescaid in tenga hoc in
cnim craidh Eng. Hist. Rev., 1905, p. 88.
A Scottish proverb is very similar Bristidh un
:

"if

teanga bhog an cnaimh.

Compare

no. 122.

87. N nocht t'fhiacla go bhfadfair an

greim do bhreith.

"

-X

'Do not show your teeth until you can bite.'

If you cannot bite, never show your teeth."

\^^f $^^ 88. Nd caith an t-uisge salach

imach no go mbeidh an t-uisge glan

fin
istig.

'Don't throw out even dirty water until you

have the clean water in.' " Cast not out the
auld water till the new come in," N.E.

N coidreamh go hintigheas.

89.

a person one must live in the same

house with him.' Var. Ni haitheantas go hi/n'To

know

tigheas.

24

90. I n-ithe

na potoige bhionu a

" The proof of the pudding

lies in

tstil.

the eating

of it."

Mas

91.

le

bheith ceirteach dhuit, bi

cruinnecheirteach
yon must be

If

'

in

rags,

yoiar

let

rags be

tidy.'

92.
'

N thigeann

ciall

roimh

Good sense comes only with

93. Is

don ghlire an ghlnine.

is part of glory,'
next to godliness."

'Cleanliness
ness

is

94.

aois.

age.'

Maith an mustard an

i.e.

" Cietinli-

sliabh.

mountain is a good mustard,' i.e. Work

or exercise on the mountain is a good appetiser.
Var. Is maith an vinigre an sliabh. Cf. Is
maith an t-annlann an t-ocras. " Hunger is
the best sauce." " Optimum cibi condimentum
'

Tlie

fames " (Cicero).

95.

Dana gach

fear go tulaig.

Every man is bold until he is at a public

assembly.'
The time-honoured Irish custom
(whicli prevailed down to the Elizabethan conquest) was to hold public assemblies on suitable
hills; hence the secondary meaning (here
illus'

25

trated)
'

of

tulach,

an assembly

Scottish

96.

come

Conversely aonach,
a fair ), has in
a hill, a heath.'

liill.'

now

(in Irish

'

to

mean

'

'

Mairg bheir rogha dh chmhar-

sain.

Woe to him who gives his neighbour a

perhaps who gives a preference to
one neighbour over another.' The proper word
here, however, seems to be not rogha but the
homophone rahhadh,
warning,'
when the
meaning is Woe to him whose example is a
warning to his neighbour.' It is thus I have
heard the proverb interpreted in Ballyvourney
(VV. Cork), where the local forms are Is mairg
a thugas rou ( = rabhadh) dh chmharsain, and
7s mairg a thugann ciall dieannaig da chuih'

choice,' or

'

'

'

nrsain.

97. Baist do leanbh fin ar dtis.

'Baptise your

your own

own

child

affairs first

first,'

i.e.

Attend to

(before troubling about

other people's). Var. Is a leanhh fin a bhaisteas an sagart i dtosach (or or dts)
The
priest baptises his own child first,' Conn., Uls.
According to MacAdam this form of the proverb
is " often said as a kind of excuse for serving
Scottish is similar: Is e
one's self first."
'leanahh fhin a's luaithe 'bhaisteas an sagart.
A Kilkenny account of the origin of the proverb Baisteann an sagart a phiste fin ar
dtis will be found in Finne an Lae,' 12 Aug.
A similar Tipperary account
1899, pp. 42-43.
'

'

26

of the origin of the version current in local

English, " The priest christens his own child
first,'' is given in Journal R.S.A.I., xix. (1889>
These tell the legend of a poor
90), p. 137.
man who was once presented by his wife with
seven sons at one birth, with the result that
he determined to drown them in the neighbouring river. "While on his way thither he is dissuiided from his unnatural act by a priest whom
he meets (or by an angel in disguise, who
conducts him to a priest). The priest adopts
one of the children, after getting six other
priests to do likewise and he then ijroceeds to
baptise them, beginning with the child he
himself had adopted. The story goes on to tell
how the seven sons eventually became seven
bishops, who were martyred, and were buried
together in the churchyard of
Freamstown '
;

'

(or

'

Ath Einne

98.

')

in Co. Kilkenny.

Glas an rud an foghmhar.

Harvest is green.' The meaning is probably

Don't praise prematurely wait until you are
justified by the event,' like the proverb Mol
gort agus n mol geamhar,'
Praise the ripe
'

'

field,

99.
'

not the green corn.'

Glac an rud do gheobhair.

Take what you

agus

diol

Var. Glac a bhfuighir,

Take what you get,

get.'

a hhfadfair,

and pay what you can

'

'

100. Fearr danaighe n r-dhanaighe.

" Better late than never " (lit.
than too
'

late).

Varr. is jearr mall nd choidhche, Clare.

fearr go deireannach nd go brth, Raftery,

Is

Is fearr mall

nd go brdth,

rdh

p. 360.

101

fearr a

Ills.

cuimhneamh

ii

air.

To think of it is as good as to mention it,'

i.e. Better think of it without saying anything
about it.
102.

X thid dlighe

sa bhuille n biiail-

tear.
'A blow that
}(

is

not struck

Cho dteid euraic as

buailtior,

Edinb. MS.

103.

N thid urraim

not actionable

is

at law.'

bhuille

nach

tar dhortadh tola.

Reverence ceases once blood is spilt.' This

appears to be an old judicial maxim. Thus in
many versions of Bruidhean Bheag na hAlmhaine when King Cormac says Every warrior
(Dlighidh gach
owes homage to his lord
glaoch urraim da thighearna), his jurist,
Flaithri, counters him by quoting the above
'

'

'

saying.

another

In

Flaithri's reply

is

version

as follows

of

this

Is fior sin

tale
isin

m,bnbhualad ocus ni hedh i ndortad na fola,

That holds good for a bloodless combat, but not
(Silva Gad.,
for one in which blood is shed
Cormac's remark, quoted abov9, was
i.
342).
evidently another ancient maxim a variant of
it occurs among the proverbs in the Edinb.
,

'

'

MS.,

viz.

UmJial da thiglienrna dhligheas gach

oglach.

104. Nil tuile

n trghann.

Cf. Chan 'eil

its ebb."
nach tig traoghadh, Sc. The proverb is sometimes added to thus
Nil tuile nd
trghann ach tuile na ngrdst, Every flood has
an ebb save the flood of God's grace.' Wirii
this cf. the Sc. prorerb Chan eil math nach
teirig ach math IJhc, 'AH good has an end save
the goodness of God.' Cf. Nil tuile dhd mhad
tiach dtrigheann, in a Galway song (Amhrin
Chi. Gaedheal, p. 142).
So Manx L\irg roayrt

"Every

tuil

tide

has

j(-

air

'

hig contraie (Cregeen),

'

The spring-tide

is fol-

lowed by the neap

and Welsh Po mwyaf fo'r
The greater the
llanw, mwyaf fydd y trai,
tide, the greater the ebb.'
Versions of this proverb are of frequent
occurrence in the literature. Thus, in the Book
of Leinster (147b 42)
Noco hi tuile cen tart,
There is no flood without a (corresponding)
drought.' So in a dialogue in verse between
Bid contracht for muir
Fithal and Cormac
The great
mr, bid itu ar n-l, a Fhithail,
sea (i.e. flood-tide?) has its ebb; drinking is
(LL. 149a 27 also
followed by thirst, Fithal
Hib. Min. p. 83). Is tearc tuile nach tid as,
''",
Dlaigh (Timth.
in a poem by Donnrh. V
vii. 61).
Ni hhi tuile nach tid as, in a poem
by Gofraidh Fionn r:!aiHi (ibid. 48) Ni
gndth tuile nach dtig trdigh, Dnta Grdha, p.
36.
Cf. Tuile gan trdigh maith Mhuire and
Tuile gan trdgh daonnacht Dc, first lines of
'

'

'

'

'

29

:"f

by Aoiifrhus Fionii

popiiiH

(ed.

Da

105.

106.

maith
^ffl^P/pif-

McKenna. pp
*

15, 32).

fhaid

];i,

tigeaim ojdhche.

N sheasuigheann
gcomhnuidhe.

rith

d'each

'(Even) a good horse cannot keep running

Varr. Ni sheasuujheann rith maith
dun each i gcoinhnuidhe. Ni mhaireann etc.,
Galwav.
always.'

107. Nuaif
caithfe
'

When

is

cruaidlj

dun

ciiailligh,

nth.

si

the old

must needs

run.'

woman

is hard pressed she

" Need makes the old wife

trot."

108.

Be

thid as no n tid, n thid

fear na headaragla.

No matter who comes off well, the peacemaker is sure to come off ill.' Often shortly:
Ni thidheann fear na headargla (or fear an
'

eadargin) as. Cf. Is ininiri a fhuair fear na

h-eadraiginn huille, Sc.
Compare Triads of
Ireland, 135.

Ni gnth fear tiireacli ad;lacli.

A shamefaced man seldom acquires wealth.'

109.
'

"He

that spares to speak spares to speed."

sur/urt balhh beatha,
A dumb
" Dumb folks
priest does not get a livelihood.
get no lands."

Ni fhaghann

Cf.

110.

'

N dheaghaidh

mcata chun c^.y^F

fear

baintighearnan.

g'^^

" Faint heart never won fair lady."

" None
but the brave deserve the fair." Cf. Nior
chain fear an mhisnig riamh ,
A brave man
gets his reward.'
'

111.

fulir

(leachmhadh

iia

slinte

dhol.
'

One must pay health

its

tithes,'

i.e.

by

suffering little illnesses from time to time.

112. Is milis an riid an t-anam.

" Life is sweet." Also with a humorous
addition thus
7s luachmhar an t-anam, mar
adubhairt an tilliir agus ag rith a'n
nganndal, Life is precious, as the tailor said
when running from the gander.' Cf. Is
baidheil duine ris an unam, Sc.
:

'

113. Is

mo

croiceanu chuireann an ige

dhi.

Youth often sheds its skin,' i.e. Youth is

extravagant, but its extravagances do not last.
Cf no. 92, and also
Bionn an ige ar hvile,
Bionn ceann caol ar an oiqe.
'

31

114. Is miiiic bhi biaimin gioblach 'na

ghiUin chumasach.
Often has a tattered colt grown to be a
horse.' "A ragged colt may make
a good horse." Var. Is minic do dhin
searraichiii gioblach each bregh cumasach. Cf.
Braimichin (jiohlach n garsinn hreac-loirg'

splendid

neach, A tattered colt and a lad i'ond of roasting his shins at the fire (often turn out well),
'

X:

Clare.

Cf.

Na

toir breith

chabhaguch air mac

luideagach no air loth pheallagaich,

Don't
judge hastily of a ragged boy or a shaggy colt,'
'

"Sc.

115. N fios cia is tisge croiceann na

seanachaereach no na caereach ige ar an

bhfroig.

One cannot tell whether the skin of the old

sheep or that of the young sheep will be the
sooner suspended on the rafter,' i.e. one cannot
say which of them will meet its end first. English has " As soon goes the young lamb's skin
Begly (p.
to the market as the old ewe's."
672b) translates this as follows: Ni hiaithr.
croicionn na seanchaorach ar an margadh ion
croicinnn an uain.
So Ni luaithe craicean,n na
seanchaorach a,r an aonach na craiceann na
oaorach ige, TJls.
'

116.

Tar

is

a chitear gach beart.

afterwards events are understood.' Var.

Tar is iseadh tuigtear gach beart. Cf. Mo
bheart is da his do-chm, Dnta Gr. p. 36.
'

It

is

32

Mr-thaidhbhseach iad adharca na

117.

mb
'

<^

tar lear.

Far

cows have long horns,'

off

"Distance

i.e.

lends enchantment to the view'' (Campbell).

" Onine ignotum pro magnifico "
(Tacitus).

Var. Bionn adharca muara ar na hnaibh tJiar

lear.
Bidh adhaircean fada air a' chrodh fha.
fiida iiainn (or air a' chrndh tha 'n Eirinn),
Sc. Cf. also Is glas iad va cnuic i hhfad, uainn,
Distant hills are green.' The proverb is paraphrased by Pdraign Haicad (ed. Torna, p.
107)
'S soin gur sia gach adharc
ar hhoin
is sia ' r siorradharc.
It also occurs in Comhairle na Brrsgolige
7s (indthach
taidhhhseach adharca na mho thar lear.
'

lis. Ferr beagu don ghaol na morn

don aitheantas.
Better a little relationship than much acquaintance." Cf "Blood is thicker than water,"
which has been borrowed into Northern Trish
'

(7s

fihhc

fuil

na

nisge,

MacAdam) and

into

MacAdam quotes a Spanish proverb

vale onza de sangre que libra de amis-

Scottish.

"

Mas

tad,"

'

Better an ounce of blood than a pound

of friendship.'

119. Mairg
deaghmhn.
'

Woe

good

to

wife.'

deineann

na

cmhairlc

him who does not the counsel of a

In the Pursuit of Diarmuid and
'

33

-if-

Grdinne

these words are uttered by Diarmuid

Soc. iii. p. 182).

'

in self-reproach (Oss.

An

120.

^i

^"^

gabhadh

n gabhann
t
cmhrac.

cinhairU

Let him who will not have advice have coni.e. such a man will create trouble for

'

flict,'

"

himself.

He

that will not be counselled can-

not be helped."

dhroch-chmh
dho fin agus 'na chmhairlidh(;
mhaith do dhuine eile.
A man is often a bad adviser to himself and
a good adviser to another.' Varr. An tc ini
hionn 'na chomhairleir mhaWt dho fin, is
121. Minic bhiduinc 'na

airlidhe

'

minic a thugann s comhairle mhaith do dhaoine

rile.
An tc a hhlonn 'na sheirhhiseach mhaith
do dhaoine eile, is minic a hhionn s 'na dkrochshcirhhiseach do fin. These resemble: Nd din
mar dhcanfa siad, arh din mar darfa siad,
Do as they say, not as they do,' said of the
clergy, and based on Matt, xxiii. 3.
Cf Dnaidh
in ni aderait 7 na dnaidh in ni do nit in the
Riaghail na Sacart,' Irisl. Muighe
15th cent.
'

'

Nuadhad,

loo

//^f 32i^

1919, p. 75.

-^^ gcarradh do theanga do sgr-

nach.
'

TiCt

ware

not your tongue cut your throat,' i.e. Beinjuring yourself by foolish speech.

of

34

Cf.

"A

fool's

tongue

own throat," and

long enough to cut his

is

no. 86.

N bhfaghann

123.

sir-iarraidh ach

si'r-

eiteach.

Constant begging only meets

witli

constant

refusal.'

124.

N bhfaghaiiii

doi'ii

Junta ach lnih

iadhta.

A shut fist gets only a closed hand,' i.e.

Niggardliness begets niggardliness, hostility
provokes hostility.
This occurs in Comhairle
!,a Brrsgolige
Mar n faghann lmh iadhta
ach dorn dnta. It is also found in Begly's
Dictionary (1732, p. 380a)
Ni fhghann an
lmh iadhta acht dornn dinte. See no. 314.
'

125. Tabhair-se sin

damhsa,

is

bi fin

it

oinsig.
'Give that to nic, and be a fool yourself.' Said
which is thought unreasonable.

of a request

1-26.

N thid cmhar na gcmharsan

le

chile.
'

in farming does not always

(probably) some profit more by it
A Galway variant is the direct

Mutual help

coincide,'

i.e.

than others.
opposite:

Tiigann

ciiihav

chcile.

35

na

gcmharsan

le

Adeir siad

127.

n deaghaidh

fial

go

hiofrann.
'

to

generous man, they say, has never gone

Cf. Go dtidh grian go grinneall, ni
fial go hifreann, Galway.

hell.'

raghaidh

128. Is bdhach Incht inchine.

People of the same stock are friendly.' Varr.
bige.amhail or hdhmhar (for hdhach); cinchirde, 'of the same trade' (for inchine).
'

Begly

212a) gives Is hdhacli lucht aoim.the equivalent of "Birds of a

feather flock together." Compare the Welsh
Brodyr poh cerddorion, now understood as
(p.

chirde

'

as

Musicians are brothers,' but doubtless handed

down from the time when cerddorion would

have meant (cf. Irish ceard, ccardaidhe)
'

craftsmen

'

in general.

129. Xiiair bhionn do liiih

mhadra, tarraing go rig

When your hand is in the
'

draw

it

gently,'

i.e.

nibal an

dog's

mouth with-

Act cautiously when you

are at the mercy of another.

N tbuigeann an sthach an scang,

nuair bhionn a bholg fin teann.
The man whose stomach is well filled has

]oO.

'

sympathy with the wants of the hungry.'

Var. Nior thvig nn .mfhach stimh an f-ocrach
riamh. Cha tuig an sathach an seang, Sc. Cha
dennee rieau yn soogh y .shang, Manx (Cregeen).

little

36

longnadh foar

131.

aitheaiita

iia

locht

do bheith go hole uim an mbia.

strange that one who is so quick at
faults should liimself be so stingy
about food.' For loclif the MS. has iit7f.
'

'Tis

(liscoveriniT

'J\:'angmliani\ na daoiue ar a chilo,

tlicangmbaid na cnnic na na slibhte.

13-2.
is ]ii

" Men may meet, but mountains never greet."

Varr. castar (for tenngmhann and teangmhaid)
U chile (for ar a chile). In Sean Neachtain's
Stair Eamuinn Ui Chleire
(1.
1207)
this proverb occurs as: Castar na dao'me ar a
chcile u(jus ni castar na cniiic.
Cf. also Begly,
'

'

238a.

p.

133.

N gnth cosnanih

iar

nditb tigb-

earna.
'

Rarely

is

a fight continued

when the

chief

A maxim

which is found in our

romantic literature (e.g. Nt gnath cathxujhadh
iar ndith tighearna, Br. Chaor. 5, C. R. Riogh
104), and which explains how the issue of many
a battle in ancient days was decided. Compare
mar nach gnath cosnamh tar is tighearnnidhp
do tlntitim in Tor. Dhiarmuda agus Ghrinne
(Oss. Soc. iii. 104).
So Cleirigh in his Life
of Aodh Ruadh, speaking of the death of
Bagnal at the Yellow Ford in 1598, says that
the English thereupon took to flight,
as
usually happens when an army's commander
and general is cut off {amhail as gnithbhs

has fallen.'

'

'

27

don

tslfjh

cafha

fria

n-eatarscarthar

a ccenn tustadha

134. Is buaine bladh

7 coinliairle,

n-uireach
p. 172).

n saoghal.

Fame endures

longer than life.' An exhortation to brave deeds, frequently found in our

romantic literature {e.g. Bran, p. 63; Fianaigecht, p. 94; Duan. Finn, p. 13). Var. chi
(for the older and obsolete hladh). Very similar
is Cchulainn's fine sentiment
Be duine d'
is a mima, agus ni be d' is a oinigh,
A man
may live after losing his life, but not after
losing his honour,' Foghlaim Chonculainn (see
infra no. 276).
In the same spirit Cchulainn, having heard one day the druid Cathbha
'

'

prophesy that whatever youth assumed arms on

that day would be at once famous for his deeds
and short-lived, deliberately chose that day for
his first 'taking of arms.'
"Highly shall I
value it," he said, " though my life last but
one day and one night, if only the fame of my
exploits lives after me '" {Amra hrig, can co
rahur acht oenl 7 oenadaig ar bith, acht co
marat m'airscla 7 m' imthechta di mm' csi.
Cf. TBC, ed. Windisch, 1. 1111). Again, shortly
before his death, Cuchulainn more than once
justifies his ardour for battle by quoting the
above saying, 7s buaine bladh nd saoghal (Brisleach

Mhr M.M.,

ed. Lloyd, pp. 16, 38).

So in Caithreim Conghail Chliringnigh it is

said of a warrior: ba cuma les bus d' fhagliil
acht go maii-iloidh a bhladh do bhunadh,
he
recked not of death, if only his fame lived
always (I.'T.S. v. 94). And the author of the
'

'

38

Irish adaptation of Vergil's Aeneid makes the

Latins and the Trojans fight, like the heroes of
our native literature, regardless of their lives
and seeking only the perpetuation of the fame
of their brave deeds {Ni tard nech dib grdh
dia anmain ac cuindchid allaidh 7 oirdhercuis
anma dia is; cf. I.T.S. vi. 2820).
It is remarkable that Welsh possesses an
exact equivalent of the Irish proverb, viz.,
Kwy clod ml hoedl, '^Fame is longer than life,'
which is found in print (in Davies' Dictionary)
as early as 1632.

135.

N cortar

'The money-maker

fear na hadla.
(or

"profiteer")

is

never

tired.'

136.

da locht

N bhionn
i

n-aon

saoi gaii locht, is bionii

tsaoi.

A good man is not faultless, and there are

two faults in one good man.' Var. Ni fachtar
saoi gan locht, in Comhairle na Brrsgolige.
Compare Tuislean saoith, A good man may
stumble' (Hardiman). "Nemo sine defectu,"
'

'

Imitatio Christi (i. 16), wliich in O' Sullivan's

translation (1822) is rendered Ni bhfuil saoi
" Every man has his faults."
rjnii locht.

137. Beirbh birin

dam

is

beired birn

duit.

" Scratch
lit.

'

Cook a

my

back and

I'll

scratch yours,"

hirin (little spit) for me,

39

and

I'll

Var.

cook one for you.'

me, Galway.

biuith and hruithje

138. Cuinuibh an ciiinh

madra

Keep

'

leaiifuidh

is

an

tbu.
liold

of

tlie

bone and

the

dog

will

follow you.'

4^-

139.

hiiLiyui,

^**"

T\i

'Nothing

'^'
'

dheaghaidh rogha

r<!;itcach.

preferable to reconciliation.'
Var.
It is best to settle disputes amicably.'
A/ Ihiilheunn roghi n riteadi.
is

140. Nor

cheannuig inne rianih

tsochin ach an t

ii

fuair

an

one has ever bought peace save the man

it/ i.e. No one has paid (suffor peace as the man who is
without it. Var. A'i cheannuigheann inne an
suaimhneas ach an tc nd facjliunn c. Cf. Is
fi an suaimhneas c clieaniiacli, 'Quietness is
worth buying.'

No

'

who has not got

fered) so much

141.

Bcag an

inliaith

an

nihaitli

do

mhaith

maoidhtear,
is

ni lugha n an
hadmhuighthear.

The benefit which is boasted of is a sorry

one; not less sorry is the benefit which is not
acknowledged,' i.e. 'It ill becomes one who
confers a benefit to boast of it, or one who
'

40

ipceives a benefit to refuse to acknowledge

it.'

Var. is heag an mhaitli an mkaith nd hinnstear,

's is measa an mhaith an mhaith do maoidhtear.

an mhaith a dcantar is a maoidhan mhaith ni di'-antar agits n maoidhtear, i.e.

Better a good deed which is boasted
of than no good deed at all.'

Cf. 7s fearr

tear n

'

142.

Mairg n cniinhnigheaDn ar an

a ran d' iosadh s.

'

Woe

eats.'

ithte,

to
Cf.

him who remembers not the bread he

cvimhnightear ar an arn at

A^i

"Eaten bread

is

forgotten."

n bheith

143. Fearr leah-bhaij-ght-au

gan arn.
" Half a loaf

Cf.
better than no bread."
Half (a crop) is better
than failure (of the whole). The present proverb must be a fairly late one, but it has two
old parallels among the sayings attributed to
7s fearr leath

is

nd meatk,

'

Flann Fina mac Ossu (see no. 2

Ferr leth lnetech, Half is better
plete refusal,' and Ferr heg era,
(Anecd. iii.
better than a refusal
The latter is also attributed to
'

'

Thurneysen,

supra), viz.

than a com'

little is

pp. 20, 19).

Fithal (ed.

16).

144. Sbhil an

foghmhar

faid do blieidh

an ghrian suas.
"

Make hav

while

the

Begly, p. 229a.

41

sun

shines."

Cf

145. Glac an

mhuc

ar chois nnair gheo-

bhair.
'

tlie pig by the lej^ when yon can.'

hheireann t ar mliuic, heir ar chois
you catch a pig, catch it by tlie leg,'

Catcli

Var.

Md

'uhtlii^

If

'

Clare.

146. Tog an liathroid ar a' gcad hop.

" Take the ball at the hop." Var. Buatl an
liatlui'itd nuair ghebha tit. ar an hop >.

Uain no taoide

147.

ni fhanaid le haon-

duine.

"Time and tide wait for no man." Cf. Ni

flianann trdigh le fear mall, The ebb-tide waits
not for a dilatory man/ Conn. Ni flianann
muir le fear ualaigh, 'The sea does not wait
for a man with a load,' Clare.
Cha'n fhuirich
'

muir
f^ijf277

ri uallach,

Deacair geirrfhiadh chur as

2^48

n beidh
'

It

is

which he
sibility

149.

Sc.

a'

dtor

s.

hard to drive a hare out of a bush in

is not.'
Said of attempting an imposcf the next proverb.
.

N buintear

fuil

as tornap.

" One cannot draw blood from a turnip." Cf.

ay iarraidh olna ar ghabhar, lit. 'asking a
goat for wool,' which is already found in
Aislinge Meic Conglinne

(cf.

ed.

Meyer,

p. 71)

So in

Manx

(Cregeen),

goll fhie

'

going to

yn ghoayr dy hirrey ollan

tlie

goat's house to seek

for wool.'

150. Fearr fachain rot n

dh fhaC^.^^^^i^

chain id dhiaig.
'One look before is better than two behind.'
" Look before you leap."
" Prevention is
better
than
cure."
Var.
hreathn
(for
fachain), Galway.
Cf.
Breithnig an ahha
sar a dfidhir 'na cuilith, 'Take stock of the
river before you plunge into the current.'
In
Comhairle na Brrsgolige Breithnig an ahha
do rir a cuilithe. Compare no. 188.
:

151.

Mr

cuid

drochmhn d drochbhl-

thaig fin.

A bad wife drinks a big share of her own

bad buttermilk.' A Sc. variant is S mr sith
droch hhanaraich da droch hhlthach fin,
'

Edinb. MS. {banarach = dairymaid').

'

152.

daidin

fia.

gcomhnuidhe

mharbhann

is not every day daddy kills a deer.' Varr.

gcomhnuidhe bhionn Domhnall Buidhe
phsadh, W. Muns. Ni he gach uile am a mharbhuigheas Pidn fiadh, Galway. Ni gach aon
la mharbhas b gearrfhiadh, and Chan gach
aon la a mharbhas Maghnus bolg, Ulster. The
'It is rarely we have
meaning of all these is
'

Ni

It
i

an occasion like the present.'

43

-^

153. Fearr an mhaith ata n au da

mhaith do bhi.
Better one good thing that is than two good
things that were.'
A versified form of this proverb will be found in Dnfhocail, no. 4U.
'

154. Ft^arr anihail n

Better "

'

it

is

so "

155. Cuir luath

"'

d(')ith.

than "

is

it

bnin

may

'

liiath.

Early sow, early mow."

156. Millie do niheath dith

cJ.f/^?^V

be so "

is

thiing

andith.
Often has the likely failed and the unlikely
Cf. no. 114, and 7s minic derathach cailleamhnach, 'What appears full of
promise often turns out a failure.'
'

prospered.'

157. Bi'onn an rath

mbun na

ronna.

'There is luck in sharing a thing.' Var.

Bio nil an ratli i inbwii an chaitte,
There is
luck in spending'; cf. Dnfhocail, 5; Stair
T:. U Chlire, 1. 748.
Bidh sonns 'an lorg nn
cuithimh, So.
'

^
^j/^^/'l
I

158.

Baadhann

an

fhoighde

ar

an

gcinneamhain.
Patience conquers destiny.' Var. an t-imshniomh, anxious foresight (for an fhoighde).
'

'

'

44

an fhoighdr an

SriiigheoTin

Galway.

Compare

chinneamhaint,

nos. 169, 219, 228.

159. Is ceirin do gach uile chreacht

an

fhoighde.
" Patience

is

'

161.

to a lord

An

all

sores."

do tbighearna no biadh do

160. COS

leanbb.
Rent

a plaster for

rud

like food to a child.'

is

do

thgfadli

duine,

's

e/ f^^f^k-

mhardh duine eile.

"One man's meat is another man's poison."
^'ar. An rud a mharjdh didne, isc bheathdh
duine. eile.

162.

An

luibh

fachtar

fii(Sireann,

adeir siad.
'The herb that is not got is the one that
cures, they say.' Var. An luibh n fachtar is!
fhireann.

163. Tis
'

(cf.

Tlie foar of

na hcagna iiamban D.
God

'

is

Ps. ex. 10, etc.).

the beginning of wisdom

This is the first line of a

poem by Aonghus Dlaigh Fionn (ed.

McKennn, p. .50). Cf. in a poem by Tadhgmao
T) ar

Tns rjarh fhir-eagnn is sin. slr-eaqla,

na da.oinihh (cf. Trans. Gaelic Soc, 1808,

pt.

p. 22).

Dire
.3,

If

164.

Do

inholadh

ii b

iuirscach,

bid a ghrsa triall go mall.

Weary uot

'

of praising

[surely, if] slowly.'

God

For the

His grace comes

quatrain see

full

Dnfhocail, 133.

r^l

165.

l'iH

*^

N sruighthear na seanfhocail.

Proverbs cannot be contradicted.' Var. A"i

fidir an seanfhocal do shr.
Compare Tadhg
Dall quoted under no. 200 infra.
'

166. Geal

leis

an

bhfiach

ndubh

gherrcach fin.
The raven thinks its own chick white (or
Cf. Sileann an prachn gur deise a
an fin n aon an eile so. gcoill, " The crow
thinks its own bird the fairest in the wood,"
Conn. " Suum cuique pulclirum." Ge dvhh
am fitheach, is geal leis 'isenn. 'Black as is the
raven, he thinks his chick fair,' So.
'

dear).'

-fr

167.

N bhfachtar inailh

fachtar cl

le

miigha agus

le dirc.

No good is got by wasting, but a good name

got by alms-giving,' i.e. One ought not to
waste, but give whatever can be spared as alms
'

is

c(/^f?7

168.

tlhiolann deafinhad fiacha.

Forgetting a debt does not pay

Sorrow will pay no debt."
'

46

it.'

Cf

don bhs an cod-

169. Dearbhrthair
ladh.

Sleep is brother to Death.'

Cf. Shelley's
" Death and his brother Sleep." Hardiman
Sleep is the
has lomhiiih an hhis codhla,
image of Death.'
'

'

170.

Caithtear gach maith

le

mionchai-

theamh.
Goods are consumed by being used in small
Var. imigheann (for caithtear).
TRirigidh gach ni ri 'chaithcamh, So. Tid
caitheamh i ngach ni,
Everything is (sooner
or later) consumed.'
Tor. Dhiarmuda agus
Ghrinne (cf. Oss. Soc. iii. 46). Cf. no. 104,
and Ddnfhocail 255.
'

quantities.'

'

171. jNIairg bhionn go hole

is

bheadh go

bocht 'na dhiaig.

Pity the man
notwithstanding.'
Ddnfhocail, 203:
'

evil and who is poor

hheadh omitted. Cf.

who does
Var.

duine dona at mar tim,

gan an saoghal im limh n Dial

7s

172. Is uiris dearga ar aithinne

fhr-

loisgthe.
'

Burning embers ar

easily kindled,'

feuds are easily revived.

a fhad, Uls.

47

i.e.

Old

Cf. Is furus aibhleg

173. Nil cogadh

is

gire n cogadb na

gcarad, ach ni bhionn s biian.

No war

'

is

more

than the war of

Cf " Aman-

bitter

friends, but it does not last long.'

tium irae amoris integratio," Terence. Var.

7s neambuan cogadh na gcarad; ma bhwnn s
cruaidh, ni bhionn sr fadn. Often shortly: Ni
hiian cogadh na, gcarad.
174. Is caora an t-uan

bhfad.

A lamb when

carried far becomes as burdensome as a sheep.' Varr. 7s caora mhr an t-iinn

i bhfad.
Is tram cearc i bhfad. 'A hen carried
far is heavy.' 7s tram an cat ri 'shtor-ghivlan,
A cat is heavy if carried constantly,' Sc.
" Light burden far heavy."
'

'

175.

it

Ni

abair galar fada breag.

lingering illness does not belie itself,' i.e.

ends in death. " Long threatening comes at

'

Var. Galar fada ni ahrann siorruidhe

A
Cf. Tinncas fada is ag 'na bhun,
long sickness with death at its close/ Uls.
Galar fada 's ug 'n a bhnn, vSc. There is a
very similar Welsh proverb Bod ynhir yn gldf a
m,arn- .si/s,
To be long sick and to die never-

last."

brcag.

'

'

theless.'

176.

Pa

fbaid bhionn an crisgn a' dnl

go nuig an nisge,
'

it

ise

chnVh

a bbrise.

However long a pitcher goes

is

broken at

last.'

to the water,

Cf. 7s crich

48

an phoifin

a fhnin a Ihvitun as.

Var. Dd mJiince thidhcanns an crisgn go dti an f.obar, brixtear
ar deireadh, Conn. Also in Eng. in various
fnrras, e.rj. " Often goes the pitcher (or pot) to
the well (or water), but at last it comeB broken

home."

lomad don aithne

meaduigheann se an

177.

" Too

much
An anonymous

tarcuisne.

familiarity

breeds contempt."
love-sick poet thus applies the
proverb to himself (23 D 4, p. 383)

lomarcuigh an aitheantais
tarcuisne

178.

orm do vihcaduig.

Dana gach

niadra

ndoras a thighe

fin.
'

Every

dog

" Every cock

is

valiant

at

his

own

door.'

proud on his own dunghill."

Var. Is teann gach madra ar rlr a thighe
jfin.
Is dana cu air a dhunan (dunghill) fhin
or aig a dhorvs fhin, Sc. Cf. gal con for otrach
sin,
that is the valour of a dog on a dunghill.
Cath Muigi Rath (riu v. 238).
is

'

Uaislc isteas

179.

le

hcaladhaiii.

a sign of nobility to patronise

listen to) art' (?).

'It

is

180. Ciall

chun tighe agus

fial

(lit.

chun

oinig.

49

'

Sparing

at

home,

yet

lavish

in

hospi

tality' (?).

181. Fuiris fuine

'

It

ii-aice

mh me.

easy to knead when meal

is

Work

is

at hand,'

done when one has all the

appliances for doing it. Var. na mine (for
inhinp).
Is fhurasda fuine dheanamh lamh ri
min, Sc. T'e aashagh fuinney road ta palchey
meinn, Manx.
i.e.

is

easily

182. Deacair

taobh thabhairt

na

leis

'%

mn.
'

It

is

difficult

trust

to

women.'

Cf

7s

deacair taohh do fhahhairt Ic mnaoi far fh 'is

[10 brth, said by Ciichulainn to Niamh, Brisleach Mhr M.M. p. 30.
Na tahhair taohh leis
na mn, Dnfhocail 257. As mairg dohheir
taohh re mnaoi tar cis no. mhriathar sin, Buile
Shuibhne p. 110.
Mairg Icigeas a run le
mnaoi,
Woe to him who gives his confidence
(i.e. love) to a woman,' Dnta Grdha p. 36;
Dnfhocail 257.
'

183. Tstil do dhiiine muintoartha

sii!

a dteastidh s uait.
" Prove your friend ere you have need of
him." From Eccli. vi. 7: " Si possides amicnm,
in tontatione posside cum, et ne facile credas
ei

50

Mairg

184.

'na

mbonn buarach iasachta

air.
'

Woe

him,'

to

i.e.

him who has a stranger's spancel on

whose liberty is dependent on a

stranger.

185. Dcincaiin seilbh ssamh.

'

Possession satisfies,'

There is satisfacthough one does

Deineann seilbh gn

i.e.

tion in possessing a thing even

not consume

T ssamh
186.

Varr.

it.

seilbh, Clare.

An sguab

iiua is fcarr

sguabann an

tig.

The new broom sweeps the house

new broom sweeps clean."
'

187. Koiinieann
'

best.'

"A

Dia na snbbilc.

God shares out good

things,' e.g.

He

gives

wealth or intellect to one, happiness to another.

188. Cuimlinig

sul

labharfair,

agus

fach rot sul a leimir.

'

Think before you speak, and look before you

leap.'

189.

See no. 150.

Deineann leanbh ciallmhar gasta

Gidh eadh, dein-

athair subhach slsach.

eann leanbh baoth beigchiallmhar mthair

dhnbhach dhlsach.
51

translation of Prov.

s.

"A

maketh the father glad; but a

wise son
son is

foolish

the sorrow of his mother."

190.

An

mmeann Dia

mhi-

ncann daoine.

He who is not tauyht by God, is not taught

by man,' i.e. He who has not the grace to learn
cannot be taught by anyone.
'

191.

Mairg do-ni deimhin da bhara-

mhail.
'

Woe

to

him who deems

his

opinion

cer-

Var. Mairg do-ni deiinhin da dhoigh,

which is the first line of a poem by Fearghal
Mac Eochadha, and also occurs in an anonytainty.'

mous 16th or 17th

cent,

poem

(23

16, p. 184).

popular language this now becomes

mairg a dhineann deimhin da dJichas.
In

192.

faic

bhfeicir,

is

(7s)

clois

gcloisir.
'

See not what you

see,

and hear not what you

hear.'

193. Gheibheanii an
bhionn an fear ag fas.

cafiall

bs faid do

" AMiile the grass grows, the steed starves."

Var. Matr, a chnpaill, is gheribhair fear, 'Live,
horse, and you will get grass.'
52

X tdig laas is U'ircacbt le chile.

Speed and precision do not agree.' " Good
and quickly seldom meet." Var. Ni thidheann
luas agus lireas le chile, Clare. Cha bhi
luathas agus grinneas, Sc. Begly (297a) trans"
lates " To make more hast[e] than good speed
by Deifir le droichghnlomh and ^'t thig luas le
194.

'

Uae.

195.

fiiada rith is

amhastrach dha-

namh.
One cannot bark and run at the same time.'
" You can't whistle and drink at the same time."
Var. Xi thagann rith is amhastrach le chile.
'

Cf.
aoil,

Ni
'

fidir bheith

One cannot

ug ithe mine

is

ag fead-

eat meal and whistle.'

Xi

tlnujavn an gobaddn an da thrdig lets,

The
sand-piper can't attend to two strands at the
'

same time.' Cha'n urrainn domh a' mhin ithe

\s an teine shideadh,
1 can't eat meal and
blow the fire,' Sc.
with this the N.E. and
Welsh versions agree closely.
'

Tuigeann

196.

fear

lighinn

leath-

fhocal.

A man
Verbum

learning understands half a word.'

Cf. Ni beag nod don
eolachj
A contraction (in writing) is suflBcient
for a scholar.'
Botli tliese proverbs are found
in one quatrain in Dnfhocail, 65.
'

"

of

sapienti satis."

'

53

197.

Dealg libe no focal amadin.

remark is like a thorn concealed in

mud,' i.e. it stings one unexpectedly. Otherwise in triad form; see no. 245 infra.
'

fool's

198.

N hinnichtar

iacla

an eich

d(;

bronntar.
" Don't look a gift horse in the mouth," lit.
of a horse given as a present are not
scrutinised.'
Begly (256b) has Ni fachtar
fiadadit un eich do bronntar.
'

The teeth

199.

N giorraide an

iall

bheith

sau

uisge.

A thong

'

is

no shorter for having been in

D'fhear cogaidh comhalltar sioch-

200.
in.

man equipped for war peace is assured.'

pacem, para bellum." This is the first
poem by Tadhg Dall
Huiginn, who,
however, disclaims originality by calling it (1. 2)
seanfhocal nach sruighthear,
a proverb that
cannot be gainsaid.'
To

'

"Si

vis

line of a

'

201.
'

'K an

Trom an

Laziness

is

fliallsaclit,

leisg,

rud an

leisge.

tram an t-ualach
trom an t-eallach an

a load.' Var. 7s
Uls.

7s

Sc.

54

202. Minic chaith duine sprot amach

chun breith ar cholamir.
Often has a man cast a sprat to catch a
'

Var. Ag caitheamh brie atnach chun

hradin a ghabhil, Kilkenny. " A hook well
lost to catch a salmon."
hake.'

203.

Mairg fhaiiann

leis

an

dadh-

la

nach.

Woe to him who waits until the last day.'

" Delays are dangerous."
'

204.
'

cuir

an mhaith ar cirde.

Postpone not a good action.'

205.

Bionn an aithrighe mhall contabh-

arthach,

To defer repentance
the two last proverbs.
'

is

dangerous.'

Compare

206. Fearr suidhe in' aice n suidhe in'

ionad.
Better sit beside it than in its place,' i.e.
Better save it than spend it. Var. Is fearr
suidhe 'na bhun n suidhe 'na ait, Clare and
'

Galway.

207.

Ar eagla na heasba
coimedtach,
55

is

maith bheith

acht

abraim

leat

bbeith

leamh

spadnta.
It is a good thing to be economical in order
guard against want; but I do not recomiueud
you to be mean or niggardly.'
'

to

Gan

easba, gan iomarca, cuinnibh

an iall ad ghlaic,
gur mealladh an duine n buinfeadb an

208.

is

t-iasacht as.

Without pressing him either too little or too

much, keep a sure grip on the reins, for he is a
fool who would not get value out of the horse
he has on loan.' The meaning is 'It is foolish
not to enjoy, with due moderation, the good
'

things you have.'

209. Fearr sil le glas n sil

le

huaigh.

Better expectation of release from imprisonment than of release from the grave.' An
encouragement to one who has a relative or
friend imprisoned. Variants substitute the perils
of the sea for the uncertainties of imprisonment. Thus
Is jearr sil le heal an chuain
n sil le heal na huaiyhe. Bionn dil le heal
jairrge, ach cha hhionn le heal uaighe, Uls.
if Scottish has several versions, amongst them
Hidh dial ri fear fairge, ach cha hhi ri fear
T'dge^ The man at sea may return but not the
man in the churchyard.' Welsh has Mae gohaith guT o ryfcl ; nid oes gohaith neh oW hedd.
'

'

aU

duji

'^

^^

A*^

cuL

cU

r^^

t^

'

Tliore

hope

there

is

no

N bbioiin an nihaith dadhnach

210.

aon

hope of a man from war

anyone from the grave.'

is

of

Liair.

Good is never late." " It is never too late to

mend." Varr. Ni dtadhnnch i an mhuith aon
uair.
Xi mall an nihailli uun uuir^ Galway,
'

Clare.

211. Din connradh do reir spariu.

Let youi' bargain suit your purse.' Compare

'

the next proverb.

212.

leath do

i)lirat ar-ht

mar

fhad-

tharrang.

fair a

Spread your mantle only as you can draw

i.e. Do not attempt more than you are able
Var. (in Comhairle na Barrsgolige) N
leath do bhrat ach mar fhcadfair a chumhdach.
" C\it your coat according to your cloth."
'

it,'

for.

213. Stiir gach maitheasa grdh D.

'

The

love of

God

directs everything good.'

the first line of a

Dlaigh Fionn.

This

is

214.

An

cailltear

"He
(Eccli.

ann

poem attributed

ghrdhas

an

to

dainseur,

that loveth danger shall perish in it"

iii.

27).

/ '

-^

//

XH-o

215. B'fhearra dhiiine an

madra

fin a'

lthghir roimhe n ag amhastraigh

air.

Better for a man to have even a dog welcome

him than bark at him,' " Better to have a dog
fawn on you than bark at you." Varr. Is fearr
an madra ag lthghir rmhat n id choin^ie.
B'fhearr do dhuine an madadh leis n ina
'

arjhaidh, Galway.

Mairg dhigheas an athbhuaile.

216.

Woe

to him who burns his old hnaile (cattleand has thus no reserve to fall back on
the new huaile should fail him, i.e. One
Comhshould not burn one's boats. Cf. in
airle na Barrsgolige'
N dig an athbhuaile
ar eagla go madh chruaidh dhuit casadh uirthi.
'

fold),'
if

'

217. Biodh h'eagla roimh Dhia, agus

coimed a aithearita.
'

Fear God and keep

Cf. Eccli.

218.

ii.

His commandments.'

21.

Biodh eagla

ort is ni baoghal duit.

Very similar
the Mid. Ir. 7s cian ghiiasacht cech jaitech,
A timid man is far from danger,' PH. 4862,
where it is spoken of as a proverb {isin probeirb
'

Be

afraid,

and

you'll be safe.'

is
'

choitchind).

Ar an rud nach fadfar do leigheas

an fhoighde is fearr.

219.
isi

5S

For what cannot be cured patience is the

''
What cannot be cured must be
endured." More concisely, Beart gan leigheas
foidhne is fearr air. Cf IS^'tl leigheas ar an
gcath ach mhar le foidhne, The only cure
'

best remedy.'

'

sorrow is to kill it with patience.' Nil

maitheas bheith ag seanchus nuair t an
anochain danta,
There is no use in talking
when the harm is done,' " No use crying over
spilt milk."
for

'

Druid

2'20.

le

fear na brnide agus ghe-

bhair connradh.

Go

'

to a

man who

is

in a diflBculty

and

you'll

get a bargain.'

221. Sgoilteann an bhreab an chloch.

split a stone.' Var. Breabtar an
a stone may be bribed,' Clare.
In Scottish envy takes the place of bribery
Sgoiltidh farmad a' chlach.
here

Bribery can

'

chloch,

Even

'

222.
'

I like

hail liom fear breibe.

not a

man who

is

bribed.'

223. Cnuasiiigiieann truipeall beart.

'

"

Handfuls

Many

rushes) make up a load,' i.e.

makes a mickle." Varr. Triopall

(of

a little

Bailigheann hrohh
do chnuasuigheann heart.
beart.
Begly (p. 418a) has Cnuasuighid bruibh
beart, and also (pp. 418a, 460a) another Irish

59

equivalent: 7,s mr na hiy a gceann a chtile,

wliich resembles the English " Many small
make a great" (Camden). The same two proverbs are coupled by Dibh do Barra in his
Prliment na bhFigheadir' Is ciallmhar an
ni an seanfhocal ade'ir
Cruinnionn tripioll
'

'

heart,'

n 'Is mar na hig

N thid dlighe

224.

dtennnta a

chtile.'

ar an riachtanas.

" Necessitj' knows no law." Var. iV dlighe

ag riachtanas. Cf. the following lines in Seamus
na Srn's Faoisidin (23 B 36, p. 183)

Na

hionn seasnmh le heasha na igean,

mar chanaid an Eaglais naomhtha:
Necessitas non hahet legem.'

Do
'

rir

The Latin maxim

tas ")

goes

("

back to

mar na tagann

Legem non habet

St.

dlighe

necessi-

Augustine. Cf. also

ar riachtanas, in a

hharntas by Sean Tuama,

Fil.

na Mighe

106y.

p.

225. Riachtanas nitliair na gir-intleachta.

iCfeil"!'!
'0?>-

"Necessity is the mother

V^^^- Mineann gdh seift.

of

invention.''

Brosnuigheann
Ni aire innleachd, and

"^ ""'^ inntleacht, Uls.

Thig innleachd ri aimheart, So.

)^

226.
'

Na

bris

do gheasa.

Break not your vows.'

obligations.'

6o

'

Fail not

in

your

227.

Mairg chaillcas a gheasa.

Woe

'

him who

to

fails

in

his

obligations.'

So in Tor. Dhiarmuda agus Ghrinne (Oss. Soc.

iii. .58) Osgar says:
Is fear truagh do chailleas
a gheasa,
He is a sorry wretch who fails to
keep his bonds.'
'

228. Is ceirin do p,ach lot an fhoighde.

Patience is a plaster for every wound.'
variant of no. 159 above.
'

229. Deineann breacloirgneach earraig

formadach foghmhair.

The speckled-shins of spring is the envious

one of autumn,' i.e. The farmer who is laggard
in spring will envy his neighbours their better
harvest.
Of. the Manx Eshyn to, litcheragh
aijv.'i yn nrragh, V eh wooarogh ayns yn ovyr
iCashen),
He who is lazy in spring is envious
'

'

at harvest-time.'

230.
'

Youth

Miann

hainaddn imirce,

^^r

Uls.

l^l.

Sc>.

ige imrighe.

likes to
'

flit

away.'

fool is

7s miann (or hu idhe )

" Fules are aye fond o'

231.

cuan (no

mian

Cf. Is

le

amadan

littin',"

imrich,

N.E.

Minic do cailleadh long lmh

i ngar don chuan).

Often

le

fond of removing,'

le

has a ship been lost close to the

" There's many a slip 'twixt the
cup and the lip."
'

harbour.'

6i

-^

NOTE
Mchel Og Longin, the compiler of the
above collection of proverbs, was born at Glenagragara, near Glin, in the western part of Co.
Limerick, about 1765. While he was still very
young, he migrated with his father to Co. Cork;
and much the greater portion of his long life
he spent in the vicinity of Cork city. He died
in 1837.
All through life he was an indefatigable transcriber of Irish MSS., and his industry
has preserved for us many things which would
otherwise have been lost. He was also a competent poet, but most of his compositions are
still

inedited.

The

collection lias been taken from the R.I. A.

pp. 85-89, which is in the handwriting of Mchel g himself. It is headed
Seanfhocail mhatha a hprs soni), as an leahhur
drab ainm an Seanduine.
That is to say,
O'Longan copied them from a book {i.e. MS.)
which was entitled An Seanduine. That this
latter MS. was also written by O'Longan hardly
admits of doubt. O'Longan was fond of giving
names to his MSS. and as a matter of fact
portion of this MS. of his which he entitled .1-?)
Seanduine now forms pages 1-44 of 23 G 25. A
note, dated 1808, in 23 G 20, p. 221, refers to
religious poems as being in An Seandvine, so
that we may infer that the latter MS. was
written before that date.
With the doubtful exception of the proverbs
printed by Hardiman in his Irish Minstrelsy,*
O'Longan's collection may claim the distinction

MS. 23 G20,

'

See Bibliography,

62

infra.

of being the earliest collection ot

modern

Irish

O'Longan's proverbs are representative of the proverbs which were current in

Munster about the year 1800. The great majority
of them are still in use, though not always, of
course, in the exact words in which O'Longan
gives them.*
A few of them I have never met
proverbs.

speech or in the printed

notably nos. 10, 20, 70, 72, 91, 98,
O'Longan appears to have
131. 179. 180, 199.
jotted down the proverbs in the first instance
and they
according as they occurred to him
are given here in the order in which he gives
them. In the MS. there are occasional duplications (not reproduced here), thus no. 21
appears again between 117 and 118, no. 57
between 193 and 194. no. 204 between 210 and
211, nos. 163 and 185 between 213 and 214, and
A number of
no. 56 between 219 and 220.
triads are intercalated in the MS. between 205
and 206, as explained in the introductory note
to the next section.
In printing the text I have normalised here
and there the spelling of the MS. I have in
general retained such modern spellings as -ig
Cfor -icjh or -idh) and -a (for -adh). without, however, trying to be more consistent on
The folthese points than O'Longan himself.
lowing departures from the MS. spelling may
elsewhere, either in

collections,

For one thing certain forms employed

have now grown obsolete, such as ni abair

^ ni

adjective

abrann),
('

as the current
.

(-=ficeann), sul a
= sara).
occasionally uses -as as the
relative form of the present tense, as well
-ann. He often omits is (Fearr
for Is
is
now more usual to insert it when an

tidheann)
jaiceann
- foighnne) So he

ending of the

jean

O'Longan

by

'

iid

joighde

it

follows.

63

be worth noting: no. 1 gd air MS. (for 'gar);

2 dhia; 5 san omitted; .'33 much; 34 casgadh ;
36 suabhdilceadh; 41 ndan; 77 cad/iacha; 86

dhuine; 87 bhfadfar and bheirith

(this spelling

of bhreith also occurs in no. 202); 88

mbmidh

152 ?)ia rf)A an n = maruigheann);117 mor taidhbhspach; 129 orbhonn

MS.
the
has 6/ieadh, probably for h/j^^ hereas in
144 and 148;161 m/i/)/)&/iO{//iadh ;163 uamhijin;l66
nduibh ; 171 for bheadh MS. has b/ieadh, which
may well stand for bheifli here; 180 for tighe
MS. has .t.; 212 fhiadfar; 230 imhrighe, with
the gloss .i. aistrivghadh. For the second feean
in 68 the MS. reads p
This collection of O'Longan's appears to have

sheasmhann

106

(so

in

been utilised by Tadhg

Donnchadha

in com-

piling his Seanfhocail na Mumhan

(1902). In
the preface to this booklet it is stated that one
of its sources was a collection of proverbs
'

'

g Longin in a
An Seanduine." By this

written by Mchel

MS.

entitled "

R.I. A.
is

pro-

G 20, which, as we have seen,

have taken the collection from
another MS. with that title, but is not so
entitled itself.
But, apart from innumerable
deviations from O'Longan's text, the proverbs
Seanfhocail na Mnmhan
are sometimes
in
given incorrectly,* and I have noted 21 of
proverbs
that
O'Longan's
do not appear in it
bably meant 23

professes

to

'

at

91.

'

all.

Compare,

m,

118.

for instance, its versions of

133. 154.

137.

167,

and

64

184.

II.

MODERN

IRISH TRIADS

Towards the end of his collection of proverbs

G 20 O'Longan has inserted (immediately
after no. 205 supra) 38 triads and a couple of
tetrads.
The first six of these, and also the
twelfth, are popular in character, and are
given infra as nos. 232-238. The remaining
33 consist of more or less corrupt and modernised versions of some of the 'Triads of Ireland'
edited by Kuno Meyer,* and ascribed by him
in 23

on linguistic grounds to the ninth century.

O'Longan's versions of these older triads were
evidently taken from MS., and not handed
down by oral tradition. As compared with the
earlier text they show many corruptions, as
well as occasional divergence of meaning due
mainly to scribal endeavours to extract sense
from obsolete words. Thus no. 87 of Meyer's
text occurs as Tri nidhthe nch hatliantur go
7n{eadh garchoidreamh no tsdil ar/at orra,
.i.
hean, each 7 salami, while no. 88 substiobsolete
titi
tutes
gf/ie
for
the
and
reads
Tri
huadha tighe, .i. each maith,
hean chaomh 7 en luath. These instances
numbered by Meyer 68, 72. 73, 75, 7fi,
91-96, 100. 103, 114, 122, OS, 126, 146, 148,
203, 204, 226, 233, and 2M. The ord[er In
wliich lU"v fo'Iow one another, it will be observed, is nearly
the same as in Meyer's text.
*

Viz.. of the triads

77. 78, 80, 87, 88,

154. 160, 166, 167,

exemplify the most successful modernisations;

others of the triads would be quite unintelli
gible nowadays in the form in which O'Longan
gives them.
A very similar collection of triads occurs by
itself (without title) in O'Longan's hand in
23 G 25, p. 37, (the An Seandume portion of the
MS.). They number 51, viz., the 40 of 23 G 20*

by versions of eight others of the

Triads of Ireland 't and by three modern triads
(printed as nos. 239-241 infra). The version in
this MS. of no. 87 of Meyer's edition is: Tri
nidhthe nch hathantur go mhi cimilt ag duine
lea .. bean, each 7 salann.
In the collection below I have, in addition to
the nine triads printed from 23 G 20 and 23 G 25
(viz. nos. 232-241), brought together from various sources a number of triads current in the
Irish of to-day.
I have confined myself to those
triads which are known in the Southern Half
of Ireland ;+ but even within these limits the
collection is, of course, far from being exfollowed
'

haustive.

Cheithre nithe nch tugtha d'Eire-

232.

The

order in which

we number

they occur

is

somewhat

different.

the 23
20 triads consecutively, the following
25
the order in 23
6, 16, 4, 5, 7-11, 13-15, 17-35, 37, 36.

If
is

38-40,

3,

2,

12,

1.

tViz., nos. 84,

85, 97,

109,

110, 115,

111,

and

83, of

Meyer's

edition,

t Ulster triads will be found in Morris, nos. 1-30. Nicholson

includes about 20 Scottish triads among his proverbs.

to " D. O. M." are to an article by Domhnall

Murchadha in Misneach" of 9 July, 1921, in which 20
from S.W. Kerry are given. Nine of these are vari-

References

'

tri.-ids

ants

oF

those given below;

the

produced her

66

eleven

others are not re-

ajiiiach ionntaoibh le,

.i.

adharc bh, crb

madra,

draiina

chapaill,

gire

agiis

Sagsanaigh.
Four things

'

to trust,

whicli aii liisliiuaii ought not

cow's horn, a horse's hoof, a dog's

and an Englishman's laugh.' Compare

Dubhghaill's Leabhar Cainte, p. 117.
snarl,

Tri nithe

233.
a rian,

ar

.i.

liuii,

rian

agus rian

giorra 'na blifanann

is

ar chraoibh, rian luinge

iii

ar mhnaoi.

fir

'Three things which leave the shortest traces,

bird on the tree, ship on the sea, man's company on woman.' Cf. Cia hiad na tri luirg
nach hlifaghtar? Lorg luinge ar uisge, lorg
tin air eieig, 7 lorg mn etc., H.5.9, p. 183.
This triad was apparently suggested by Prov.
sxx. 18-19.

234.
rian,

.1.

Tri nithe
rian guail

agus rian suic

is
i

sia

'na

bhianann

gcoill, rian sisil

lig,

gcrich.

Three things which leave the longest traces,

charcoal on wood, a chisel on a block of stone,
a ploughshare on a furrow.'
'

235.

Tri chomhartha an diiine shona,

fl, faire,

.i.

The three

agus moicheirghe.

man, having
keeping watch, and early rising.' A
version in An Lchrann, Dec. 1909, has fl
'

fence,

signs of a fortunate

mochirghe ; another version, ibid. June

191G (also D. M.), has Jul, fasgadh, agus
moch'nighe. For E. Ulster Morris (30) has
foirseudh futadli, 7 iiwchcirighc.
croch,

230.
.i.
'

Tri ciiomhartlia an duiuc dhuna,

urradhas, eadaragil, agus fnn.

The three signs of an unfortunate man,

going

bail,
intervening in disputes, bearing
testimony.' Compare Meyer's Triads, 135.
A
version in An Lchrann, Dec. 1909, substitutes
codladh fada, tig gan ceangal, stca gan dion;
a Kilkenny version has imirt chrda, l, agus
sfropachas (Finne an Lae, 1 July, 1899). Cf.
61, tad, agus iomardas in Morris, 30.

237.

Tri nithe bhios goal 'na dtosach,

lr, agus dubh 'na ndeii-eadh,

comhar, cleamhnas, agus intigheas.

breac na,

.i.

Three things that are fair at first, then dull,

and finally black, co-operation (in agriculture), a marriage alliance, and living in the
same house.' Also in 23 017, p. 13.
'

Tri beaga is fearr, .i. beag na

238.
curcige, beag na caereach, agus beag na

mn.
'

The three things that are

best

if

small,

beehive, a sheep, a woman.'

Tri irghe is measa do-ni duine,

irghe aifreann gan crochn, irgbe

239.
.i.

68

bhia gan alt, agus cirghe o n-a mhnaoi

fin go nuig hathar.
'

The three worst

fore

grace,

flittings,

leaving

Mass

be-

without saying
and leaving one's own wife to go to

it is

finished, leaving table

The same triad is found in

Tri rudan a's mios' a rinn duine
riabh irigh bho 'hhiadh gun altachadh, irigh
bho ^mhnaoi fhcin gu mnaoi fir eile, 's irigh
hho aifrinn gun a h-isdeachd, Nicolson, 372.
another woman.'

Scottish

Tri tanam is fearr adeir duine,

tanam gus an aifreann, tanam a' daingni, agus tanam go nuig an muileann.
The three best invitations, Come to Mass,'
Come and make secure,' Come to the mill
240.

.i.

'

'

'

'

241.
tsi'iiste,

fuama is fearr, fuaim an

fuaim na brn, agus fuaim an

Tri

luinithe.

The three

best sounds the sound of the

the sound of the quern, the sound of the
churn-dash.'
'

flail,

242.
l,

Tri nithe do bhaineas

iomchar, agus

le hl,

dol as.

Three things in connection with drink, to

consume it, to carry it, and to pay for it (GJ.
'

'

195, p. 242).

243.

Seanduine, anduine, no leanbh,

69

 trir

beag an nihaith

^iir

comaom

du

char ortha.
Three on whom it is useless to confer a com-an old man, a bad man, a child.'

'

pliment,^

AL.

(GJ. 191, p. 188). An Ulster version is Maith

ar sheanduine^ maith or anduine, agus maith
ar leanhh, tri maithe a thcid a mvdha (cf.
Morris 8). The So. version is very similar
(Nicolson 313).

nch ioiitaoibh, la
gheimhre, saoghal duine
no focal duine mhir gaii
nithe

Tri

244.

bregh

insa

chrionna,
sgribhinn.

Three things that are not to be trusted,

day in winter, the life of an aged person,
and the word of a man of importance unless it
(An CI. Soluis, 29 April, 1899).
is in writing
Another Cork version reads sldinte for saoghal,
and duine uasnil for duine mhir (GJ. 191, p.
'

fine

'

A S. Galway version makes the three

188).
a hound's tooth, a
things not to be trusted
horse's hoof, and a gentleman's word' {fiacail
'

con,

crh capaUl,

245,
focal

no focal duine uasail, GJ.

Compare

184, p. 69).

Fiacail

no. 232 above.

chon, dealg dibe, agns

amadin, na

tri

nithe

is

gire

le

faghil.

'The three sharpest things are: a hound's

a thorn in mud, and a fool's remark

'

tooth,

(GJ.

191,

p.

189,

which,

70

however, reads

less

Canon Bourke's version ia

mnlaigh for dihc. An Ulster

correctly sor con).

similar,

with

version (MacAdam 556) substitutes

a soft
woollen thread that cuts to the bone
for the
hound's tooth
Focal amlin, agus dealg
lbin^ agus snithe bog ol(n)a a ghearras go
rnmh. Sometimes only two sharp things are
'

'

'

'

mentioned; see no. 197.

Srn

246.

mn. na

con,

nithe

tri

glii

is

agus cioch

fir,

fuaire

le

faghail.

/"

^^

'The three coldest things are: a hound's

snout, a man's knee, a woman's breast
(GJ.
191, p. 189, which has soc for srn ; Beirt Ghae'

= D.

Scottish has Tri

M.).
a th'ann, ghin fir, adharc

mairt, 'vs sron coin, and also Gaoth fo sheol

agus sron coin, da ntd cho fuar a's a th' ann.

i^

dhilgeir 46

rudan cho fuar

Na

247.

ghort.

's

de dhuine

tri baill

is

fusa do

a ghlin, a uillinn, agus a shuil.

of the body that are most
knee, the elbow, and the eye

The three parts

'

easily hurt,

the

'

(GJ.' 180, p. 8, for S. Galway).

(D.

M.)

gortvithi,

(Morris

6)

BuiUe
uilinn,

nithe

tri

san
na.

agrees
tsuil.

tri
;

is

agus

sil, glin,

(Nicolson 73

248.

Na

closely.

sa

huille

huillran

Meyer Misc.

Bean, muc,

is

deacra do mhnadh.
71

as

So for Kerry
nimhni, n is

uille.

So

Ulster Irish
Scottish

in

ghlun,
duilich

san
fhulang

buille
'

41).

mille, an trir

is

*^

'The three most difficult to teach, a woman,

a pig, and a mule' (GJ. 178, p. 829, for S.
Galway). In Donegal
Tri ni gan riaghail,
bean, mur, is mviUe (GJ. 73, p. 6. = Morris, 4).

249.
T tri saghas ban ann, bean
chomh m-nireach leis an muic, bean
chomh crostltha leis an gcirc, agus bean
chomh min leis an uan.

are three kinds of women, the

shameless as a pig, the woman as
unruly as a hen, and the woman as gentle as a
Tri
lamb' (GJ. 194, p. 232).) So D. M.
ahaghas ban, hean mar chirc, bean mar mimic,

There

'

woman

as

mar

agus bean
250.

chaoire.

tri

saghas

ann,

fear

fear

graftha, fear fiadhaigh, agus fear gaoithe.

There are three kinds of men, the worker,
the pleasure-seeker, and the boaster' (GJ. 194,
p. 232; similarly D. M.).
'

251.

Na

tri

peatai

sagairt, peata bacaigh,

is
measa, pcata
no peata muice.

'The three worst pets,^ a pet priest, a pet

beggar, a pet pig' (GJ. 187, p. 121, for Clare).
252.

Na

rith teine,

tri

no

reatha

is

mo,

rith uisge,

rith ithigh.

The three greatest rushes, the rush of

water, the rush of fire, the rush of falsehood
'

'

(GJ. 187, p. 122, for Clare).

72

253.

agus

sgoil, Donihnach aifreann,

chird,

nithe nch fidir le

tr

casadh go brth.
'

Three things that can never return, a day

away from school, a Sunday without Mass, and

a day away from one's trade (GJ. 191, p. 189).
'

254.

Cngrach

cngrach bdh,
Three

'

great

tr

tighe, ciingrach croidhe,

anacra mora.

evils,

smallness

closeness of heart, scantiness of food

39: and

p.

255.

cf.

An Lcchrann,

of
'

house,
(GJ. 51,

Dec. 1911).

Tri ruda n bonn aon mhaitheas

ionnta nuair bhionn siad crionna

mhighistir

sean-

sean-chapall,

sgoile,

sean-

cheithearnach.
'

an

Three things that ans useless when old,

an old horse, an old soldier

old schoolmaster,

(?)'

(GJ. 79, p. 105).

256.

Na

tri

ruda

ia

deacra do thuigsint

domhan, inntleacht na mban, obair

na mbeach, teacht is imtheacht na taoide.
sail

The three most incomprehensible things in

the mind of woman, the labour of
the bees, the ebb and flow of the tide
(GJ.
In a Kerry version Aristotle himself
76, p. 57).
is said to have failed to understand these three
'

the world,

'

things (D.

M.).

73

Na

257.

tnth,

tr

nithe lonas iotlilainn,

solthar,

is

is

sor-chaithis.

The three things that fill a haggard, ambition, industry, and constant vigilance
(GJ. 55,
'

'

p. 104).

Faobhar, gaoth,

268.

agiis

grdh,

tr

nithe n feictear go brth.

Three things that are never seen, a blade's

edge, wind, and love
(Finne an Lae, 1 July
Cork versions, nearly
1899, for Kilkenny).
'

'

GJ.

identical,

in

Nuadhad,

1914, p.

259.

gnth,

Ol,

p.

189,

and

M.

Irisl.

6.

Tri nithe nch fidir fhoglilaim,

file,

agus iHdheacht.

'Three things that cannot be acquired,

voice,

generosity,

Irisl.

M. Nuadhad,

1914," p.

(GJ. 191, p.
6; D. M.).

189;

Tri leabhair a thng an t-airgead,

260.

gur

poetry'

chnma

leis c aige go mbeadh se,

na fanfadh s ag aoinne ach tamall, na
fanfadh s ag inne ach an t go mbeadh

cion aige

air.

Three oaths that money swore, that it did

not care who might possess it, that it would
never stay long with any man, thnt it would
not stay with any man save tlie man who loved
'

it' (Irisl.

M. Nuadhad,
74

1914, p. 6).

Tr shaghas daoine [bochta] at

261.

ann,

duine

lcis

an saoghal.

bocht ar thoil D, duine

bocht ar a thoil fin, duine bocht d mba

of poor people,
the man who
poor by force of circnmstances, the man who
is poor voluntarily, and the man who is poor
even though he own the world (i.e. the miser)

Three kinds

'

is

'

U'birf.).

shaghas

Tri

2G-2.

fear

ortha bean do thuisgint.

agiis fir
'

fir

go

dteipeann

ga.

fir

aosda,

mheadhon-aosda.

Tliree kinds of

men who

woman, young men,

men {ibid.).

old

fail to understand
men, and middle-aged

'

263.

Na

birseach

tri

nithe

is

mn, simn

dion a bheith ag leigean

measa
deataig,

dtig,

agus an

trid.

The three worst things in a house, a

ing wife, a smoky chimney, and a leaky
'

scold-

roof

'

An

Lchrann, Dec. 19l). Cf.

Morris 16. This is an Irish version of a triad
(ultimately based on Prov. xxvii. 15 etc.) which
was well known in medieval Latin and English;
(ihkl.,

and

see Skeat, 249.

264.
Tri shaghas inchinne at ann,
inchinn chloiche, inchinn cheurach, agus

inchinn tsrotha.
75

Three

kinds of brain, a brain hard as

a brain receptive as wax, and a brain
unstable as flowing water.'
(cf.
Irisl.
M.
'

stone,

Nuadhad,

1914, p. 7).

iiGS.
Tr nithe nch L.ian,
bean bhregh, tigh ar rd.

b bhii,

Three things that are not lasting, a white

cow, a handsome woman, a house on a height
'

(An Lchrann, March,

266.

teanga

1911).

Tri nithe n tagann meirg ortha,

mn,

cruite

bisteura,

capaill

airgead lucht carthannachta.

Three things that never rust, a woman's

tongue, the shoes of a butcher's horse, chari(An Lchrann, Dec. 1911).
table folk's money
'

'

267.

Tri nithe

nios ferr n iad,

chomh maith

le

claidheamh

ag fear meathta, bean ghrnna ag

droch-adach ag fear ar meisge.
Three things
that are better,
of a coward, an
man, and poor
*

nithe

adhmaid
dall,

that serve as well as things

wooden sword in the hands
ugly wife married to a blind
clothes on a drunken man

'

(ibid.).

268.

nithe

is

Tri nithe

chomh maith

fearr le faghil,

76

uisge

leis

na

salach ag

mchadh
a lull

teine,

dubh

n-am

casg bhride

seaca,

gortan.

things that are just as ^ood as the

water when extinguishing a fire,
a frieze coat on a frosty day, black bread in
'J'hree

'

best,

dirty

time of famine

269.

'

(ibid.).

Tri nithe nch ceart do dhuine

bheith 'na n-amais,

an

cat,

an simn,

bean an tighe.

is

Three things which a man ought not to be

without,
a cat, a fireplace {lit. chimney), and
a housewife
(ibid.).
'

'

270.

Tri

nithe

maoidheamh

asta,

nch ceart d'fhear

mid
a
sparin,

breghthacht a mhn, milscacht a chuid

leanna.
Three things which a man ought not to boast
size of his purse, the beauty of his

'

of,

the

wife, the sweetness of his beer' {ihid.).

271.
fin.

Na

bean

tri

nithe

chaol

is

grnna 'na gcinel

ruadh,

rapall

caol

buidhe, bo chaol bhn.

'

The three

ugliest things of their

thin red-haired woman, a

horse, a thin white cow' {ibid.).

272.

Tri nithe na reitigheann

77

own

thin

kind,
yellow

le chile

choidhcho,

boirt bhan phsta

n-aon
dh chat os cionn aon luiche, beirt
bhaitsilir i ndiaidh aon igmhn,
i

tigh,

'Three pairs that never agree, two married

women in the same house, two cats with one
mouse between them, two bachelors wooing the
same young woman' (ihid.; also D M.).
273.

Luimneach

cliath at,

bhi,

Baile-tha-

agus Corcaigh a bheidh.

Limerick was, Dublin is, and Cork will be

most important city in Ireland)' (GJ. 191,
A Connacht version has Athenry,
189).
p.
Dublin, and Arran I mBaile Atha an Kiocpi a
bhi, i mBaile Athn CVmfh af, agiis i nArainn
a bheas, Post-sheanchas ii. 140.
'

(the

III.

PROVERBS IN IRISH
LITERATURE
A number
Longin's

proverbs in Mchel Og
supra have been illustrated by quotations of the same or similar
proverbs from older texts; see especially nos. 3,
of

the

collection

13, 14, 30, 34, 36, 51, 52, 57, 61, 76, 78, 86,

4, 9,

103, 104, 117, 119, 121, 132, 133, 134, 157, 163,
177, 200, 213, 218, 224, and 227.
In the following pages I have brought together a number of
other proverbs which I find quoted or alluded
to in our literature, from the earliest times
down to about the end of the eighteenth century. Later writers such as Dibh do Barra
and Amhlaoibh Silleabhin often quote proverbs, but I have not drawn on these.
It is
hardly necessary to say that the present collection makes no claim to be exhaustive.*
It is often difiBcult to decide whether a particular sententious saying is, or is not, to be
classed as a proverb.
AVith the older poets,
*

So

far as I
to collect

made
from

('"I'i),

note

of

pp. 83-85,

ph ases are

am aware no

attempt has hitherto been

proverbs found in our literature, apart
Meyer's in his edition of Cath Finntr(a
where some 9 proverbs and 20 proverbial

the

brou-^-ht

together.

79

it was a common practice to open

poem with a statement of some general truth
(or what was meant as such), which may or may
not be proverbial in character, e.g. Ni Icir

for instance,

d'aon a

ainimh

the sentiment cf.

bheag tiaijhur i dteagh
mr^ Mairg duine bhraitheas fin, and so on

MacAdam

318),

(for

fin

teugli

also nos. 163, 191, 200, 213, suvra, and 275,

313, 326, infra).
In the following pages I have
in general confined myself to those proverbs
(cf.

which are definitely known to be such, either

by their repeated occurrence or by being expressly referred to as a proverb (dearhhrusg.
seinhJiriathar, or seanfhocal) in the context.
'

'

f /3)

274.
"

Aithnightear cara

gcruatan

friend is never known till a man have

" A friend in need is a friend indeed."
need."
Current to-day in this form. An E. Ulster
variant is A n-avi na ciorra ( = ceachaire) aith-

nighear an chara'id, MacAdam 324.

None of our Irish proverbs can be traced further back in MS. than this, for it is found in
the Milan glosses of the early ninth century
Is and nsgniintar in charait in tan mbither in
perindis,'
It is then that friends are known,
when one is in danger,' Ml. 108b4. In the Irish
Fierabras we have: 7.s nnn derhthar in cara in
tan is inor in egen (RC. xix. 24), translating
the Latin " In urgenti negotio fidelis amicus
comprobatur." The same occurs in the native
7s ann
romance of Bruidhean Cheise Corann
derbtar in cara in vair is mo in t-cen, 'The
'

'

8o

friend is proved when the need is greatest,'

SG. i. 309. This form seems to be still known
in Cork; cf. .In uair is mo an t-cigean 'seadh
druihlithar
an fior-chiira among proverbs
sent by D. McCabe, GJ. 81. p. 140. Compare
also no. 183.

The literary parents of this proverb in Irish,

as in other languages, are Eccli. xii. 8-9 (" in
malitia illius amicus agnitus est,"
the line of Ennius quoted by Cicero:
certus in re incerta cernitur."

" Is fiach

275.

ma

etc.),

and

" Amicus

gelltar."

'A promise is a debt,' Tochmarc tane (LU.

132a 27). In a poem in the Book of Leinster
147b 50) we have the couplet Is fiach 5 geltair
ri necJi,
is fairchi hreth hriathar rig,
'Tis a
debt when a promise is made to one; surer (?)
than a judgment is the word of a king.' This
couplet is quoted as a proverb in some versions
of Ceisneamh Inghine Ghuil; cf. the corrupt
text in
Gadaidhe Gear na Geamh-oidhche,' p.
:

'

'

A poem by Fearghal g Mac an

Bhaird begins Is fiacha ar neach an ni gheallas
3B14, p. 64).
The proverb is now obsolete in Irish, but is
still preserved in Scottish in the forms Is fiach
air duine na glieallas e, and Am fear a gheallas
's e dh' iocas,
He that promises must pay.' It
is also found in Welsh
Dyled ar baivb ei addaw,
Everyone's promise is a debt on him
(first
113,

1.

630.

fcf.

'

'

'

printed
1547).

in

Salesbury's

Oil

Synnwyr,

circa

similar proverb formerly existed in

8l

^
^

Biheste

English, viz.,
is

dette"

'27u.

(first in

is

dette " or "

Promyse

Chaucer; see Skeat 241).

Bc duine

d'is a aniiia, a^iis ni

be d'is a einigh.
'

A man may

in

but not
by Cchulainn

live after losing his life,

after losing his honour,'

said

Foghlaim Chonculainn
(cf. RC. xxix. p.
where the text is misread and mistrans-

'

'

30,

Compare Whittier's " When faith is

the man is dead."
when honour dies,

lated).
lost,

MacAdam,
in

anma:

an Ulster version,

176, has recorded

which d(wine,

'

people,'

is

substituted

for

duine i ndidh a dhaoine, acht ni

bed i ndidh a nire. The Scottish version is
Compractically identical with MacAdam's.
pare Ni he tar is a nire neach da shlciine
differslightly
san ,saor;/,fl, Dnfhocail 253. A
ent version is quoted as a seavfiiocal in
Bruidhean Chaorthainn (ed. Pearse, pp. 2930): Is heo neach d'is a hhuailte, agus ni heo
d'is a chntc,
A man may live after being
struck but not after being reviled.' To be reviled for niggardliness or cowardice was the
greatest evil that could befall an Irishman in
the old days the great power wielded by the
poets was, in part at least, due to the dread of
being made a target for their satire. " Death
was a sentiment that
before dishonour "
strongly appealed to our ancestors see no. 134
supra.
So in Togail Troi (Calcutta,- 1882, 1.
638) it is said of the Trojans: ba ferr leo a
vibs ic cosnam a n-enig ands a fcbil i
mhetha'ul fo mebail 7 fa mlacht, 'they preIs

he-

'

'

'

'

82

ferred death in contending for their honour

than to be left alive in shame and disgrace.'

" Is iiaisli in cl in'n t-r."

277.
A good name is more precious than gold,
PH. 7685 (in a translation of a Latin homily).
" Melius est nonitn bonum
Cf. Prov. xxii. i.
quam divitia) multse." Modern Irish forms are
Fean' cl n conch (Hardiman), and Is uaisle
'

onir n or (MacAdam). A poem ascribed to

Columcille has Is buaine hlad ina seoid, Meyer's
King and Hermit, p. 28. With this exactly
corresponds the Welsh Hwy yw clod na golud,
Fame lasts longer than riches,' printed in
Salesbury's Oil Synnwyr {circ. 1547). For the
sentiment compare nos. 70, 134 and 276.
'

" Is

278.
*

Homilies,

cech sln."

ri

man

sound
p.

is

a king,'

72 (with rig for

rdd

Three Mid.
ri).

Ir.

Earlier in

It
LL. 147b 26 Vasliu cech
ri cech sldn.
remembered that in ancient Ireland
freedom from physical blemish was an indispen:

sliould be

sable qualification for a king.

279.

Geal

gach

niia,

searbh

gach

gnth.
'

Everything

familiar

is

new

is

distasteful.'

pleasing, everything
Of frequent occurrence

Serglige
in our older literature.
Thus in
Conculaind' (Ir. T. i. 224) Emer says: 7s
rdaind cech nderg, is gel each nua, is cin cech
'

83

f'^^:'

ard,

seib each gnth, thus rendered by A.

is

H.

Leahy:
Fair seems all that's red;
Seems white what's new alone
And bright what's set o'erhead;
And sour are things well known.'

'

A poem in the Book of Leinster includes the

following lines (147b 39)
Di'uth cech mer, mianach cech haeth,
brocach cech saeth, serb cech gndth,
gel cech nvM, lond cech scith,
ni

hinunn

filth fo-geib each.

'Recklessness is foolish, giddiness is wanton, trouble is sorrowful, familiarity is distasteful, novelty is pleasing, weariness is prone to
anger, dissimilar are the effects of different
things.'
The latter half of this quatrain appears also in a poetic dialogue between Fithal
and Cormac mac Airt (Hib. Minora, 82; LL.
149a 21). In Tecosca Cormaic we have (p. 24)
Gel cech (sic leg.) nva, ndma cech gnth, this
hankering after novelty being reckoned as one
of the marks of folly.
In the same text (p. 28)
a fierce onslaught on the fair sex begins by
declaring that women are serba srgnise, i.e.
people whose constant companionship is cloying.'
The latest instance I have noted in the
literature occurs in a 17th century poem by
Geal gach nua,
Muircheartach Hifearnin
searbh gach siorghndth (Torna's edn. of P.
Haicead, p. 117). Scottish still has 7s odhar
gach sean, 's is geal gach nodha, gu ruig
Everything old is dun,
snodhacli an fhearna,
i.e.,

'

'

'

'

84

and everything new

white, even to the sap of

is

the alder.'

Welsh ofifers a remarkable parallel to Geal

nua in the proverb Rardd pob newydd,
Everything new is beautiful,' which is found

rjach
'

print as early as

in
'

circ.

1547 in Salesbury's
ygyd.' Erasmus

OH Synnwyr pen Kembero

has " Grata novitas," and for English J.

Clarke (Adagia Anglo-latina, 1639, p. 228) gives
" Everything's pretty when 'tis new."

Ni maith aister domnaigh."

A Sunday journey is not good,' Tochmarc

280.
'

In the Book of Fermoy

Becfola, SG. i. 85.
version of the same tale the text is Ni maith
imadall in domnaich (R.I. A. Proc. Irish MSS.
In ancient Ireland travelSer. I. pt. 1. p. 176).

Sunday was forbidden by the Cain

on

ling

Domnaig,

except

O'Looney's
"

note,

in

of Lisniore begins "

Ki maifh

i.e.

Celt.

i.

cases

of

p.

196).

ibid.

Feylum Mc Dowle "

in the

necessity

(cf

A poem by

Book

of

the

Ne mnth sirUh sin

san domhnach

siuhhal

Dean

donit,"
(Reliq.

92).

Doras feasa fiafruighe.

281.

Questioning is the door of (i.e. the way to

In one form or another
acquire) knowledge.'
this proverb occurs frequently in our older
Tosnch eolnis imcliomarc, 'Enquiry
literature.
is the beginning of knowledge,' is an old saying
ascriliod both to Flann Fina (Anecd. iii. 16) and
Ferrdi fis fiarto Fithal (ed. Thurn., p. 12).
Knowledge is bettered by enquiry,'
faigid,
'

'

85

among inmber
quoted in the Battle of

occurs

of

proverbial sayings

Magh Rath

Da

(p.

160.

dfrian feasa fiafraighidh,

Enquiry is twothirds of knowledge,' occurs in a poem by
Muireadhach Albanach
Dlaigh, circ. 1213
(23 D4, p. 125); while in the 14th century
Gofraidh Fionn Dlaigh writes Doras feasa
fiafruicjhidh (Dnfhocail 66).

282.

'

" N fhtar

diil

seoch an cindea-

mhain."

'There

is
no escaping Fate,' Compert
(Voyage of Bran, i. 60). Cf. JVi
hionmholta cnfhiighadh anaghaidh na cinneamhna; in a late text of O. C. Uisneach (ZCP.
ii. 142.)
This idea of the unavoidability of Fate

Mongin

occurs frequently in our older literature; in

particular one's death was regarded as inevitably associated with a predestined time and
place.
Ni thesairg trii teiched, nl tarha c d'
ingahail, uair trl hvaire nach imgaihfher A.
voir ca, vair gene, uair choimperta,
Flight
eaves not a man who is doomed to have his life
cut short, it is profitless to shun death, for there
are three times that cannot be avoided, the
time of deiith, the time of birth, the time of
conception,' Battle of Magh Rath, p. 172.
Again Nl hi duive ar domnn gan a fhod urdalta
airchennta oidhedha d' urmaisi. gin go raihe
fncha fnpaid no eshnide engnama nir,
There
is no man who does not reach his appointed and
destined place of death, even though he should
have no want of vigour or lack of valour,' ihid.
In testimony of this the author quotes
p. 268.
'

'

86

the beginning of an old

poem which is variously

to Cormac mac

Adhamhnn and

to

asc'rihed

Cuileannin

i(-^-^%f.^^

Tri ftnin nach sechninter,

cia toiscet na hahrochtair,ft in gene, fat in bis,
ocxis ft

ind adnacuil.

Tri uara na tairiset

fri frdig ocvs fri tuile,
uair gene, uair choirnperta
iiair scartha anma diiine.

'

Three places that cannot be avoided

the

place of birth, the place of death, and the place

Three times that stay not for ebbthe time of birth, the time
tide or for flood,
of conception, the time when the soul departs
Ccf.,
for text Meyer's Selections from Early
SimiIrish Poetry, p. 5, and ACL. ii. 137).
larly Ferdiad says in the Tain Bo Cualnge ''ed.

of burial.

'

Windisch, 3665).:
7s eicen do neoch

rosim fat forsa

a thecht

mhi a

thiglecht,

Everyone must go to the place where his final

A poem by Maoileachis [destined to be].'
lainn Huiginn on the death of Aodh Mag
Uidhir near Cork in 1600, includes the following

'

bed

quatrain

(cf.

C 12,

p. 417):

mbeifh siol Adhnimh viJe

ag anaral aondvine,
go jd an hlxis do bhiadh sin
ag triall ar dis no ar igin,
Dfi

'

Though

all

mankind should
87

try to rescue

man

[from his fate], yet willy-nilly he would

continue journeying to his death's [appointed]
place.' A corrupt version of this quatrain occurs
in a marginal note in Egerton 88; see O'Grady
Cat. p. 121.

283.

Is

dortadh flaitheasa righe don

tssar roiiiih an tsinnsear.

it is the destruction of sovereignty to give
the kingship to the younger before the elder,'
occurs twice in Conghal Cliringneach (I.T.S.
Cf. Assedh ro ha gnithhs
v. pp. 22, 24).
'

dibh oirdneadh an tsindsir ar bclaihh an

Beatha Aodha Ruaidh

284.

(cf. ed.

Murphy,

tsisir,

p. 112)

Is bith cich ar uair an bith so.

This world is the world of everyone in turn,'

i.e. " This world is all a fleeting show," to quote
Tliomas Moore. This occurs in FM. p. 1804,
8. a. 1583.
Earlier in LL. 147 b 43 In bith is
bith cich ar vair.
Cf. in the sayings attributed to Morann [ /s] tarbae n-inderb nindless etir each ar uair ar each die in bith sa,
ZCP. xi. 85. Cf. also ind rith dar is caich ar
uair,
the fort [remains] after each one in
turn,' in a poem, ascribed to Berchan, on the
fort of Rathangan, Co. Kildare (Meyer, Miscellanea Hibernica, p. 25).
'

'

285.

Is fcirrdo

maith

mradh.

A good thing is bettered by being increased,'

Fearfeasa Maolchonaire in Gen. Reg. et

'

Sanct. Hib. (ed. Walsh), p. 136.

This proverb

frequent occurrence in the older literature.

Dligid maith mracl is one of the sayings
ascribed to Flann Fina (Anecd. lii. 14) and to
Fithal (ed. Thurneysen, p. 16). So in the advice
given by Conall Cearnach to Cuscraidh in
Cath Airtig ; Moradh maithe is toirr {.i. is
dlr) duit, 'Thou oughtest to increase good,'
is of

'

'

riu

viii.

mr-thormach

maith

Ferrdi

173.

among some old sayings quoted in Cath

Muighe Rath' (ed. O'Donovan, p. 158). Mide
gach maith a moradh occurs in a poem by
Aonghus Fionn (ed. McKenna, p. 45, 1. 10).
The proverb is alluded to in a line of Tadhg
occurs

'

Dall's
Nd hohair maith do mharodh, Bid not
good to be increased (cf O'Gr. Cat. p. 411).
now
obsolete in Irish, but is still known
is
It
in Scottish in the form Is fheairrde gach math a
'

'

mheudachadh.

nach gabhann teagasg.

who will not be instructea
Dnta Grdha, p. 42; also in the poem 'A

286.

'

He

is

glic

not wise

'

cholann, chugad an bs.' In one form or another this proverb occurs frequently in our
literature.
Thus
Every
Sdi cech so-choisc,
docile person is a sage,' Tec. Cormaic, p. 28.
Tosach
7s si cech so-thincoisc sln, LL. 147b 45.
salthe sochoisce,
Docility is the beginning of
wisdom,' ascribed to Flann Fina (Anecd. iii.
7s
16) and to Fithal (ed. Thurneysen, p. 12).
(jnathnrh gnrh xnnt sn-tliraqasga is quoted as a
Parliment na
proverb in Dibh do Barra's
bhFigheadir.' Verrdi riall comairli, Sense is
bettered by counsel,' among old sayings quoted
'

'

'

'

in

'

Cath Muighe Rath

89

'

(ed.

O'Donovan,

p.

Cf. Feirde waca.mh a mhiinadh, 'A yonth

the better for being instructed,' in a poem

158).
is

by Gofraidh Fionn Dlaigh (Ir. Monthly,

Sep. 1919, p. 512).
Mas duine glic t gabh
comairie,
If you are wise, take advice,' riu
'

V. 128.

A current form is Glacann fear crionna comhairle, ' A wise man accepts advice,' Morris,
727.
Cf. also Is olc nach nrjabhaidh (sic) comhairle, acht is mile measa a r;h'nhhas gach uile
chomhairh, It is bad not to take advice, biit
it is far worse to take every advice,' MacAdam
133.
Also in Scottish thus
Is trii nach gabh
comhairle, agus 'tru ghabhas gach comhairle
(Mackintosh).
'

)r

" Is treisc flaith fiora."

287.

mightier than men,' i.e. than

Aodha Ruaidh, p. 52 (where ii
is mistranslated).
In Cath Ruis na Rig, p. 20,
in n-uair ropo fhreissiu flaith firu seems to be
used punningly in the sense of when beer waa
stronger than men
(i.e.
when men had been
'

prince

commoners,

is

B.

'

'

overcome by

it),

from a rare homonym

fiaith

meaning beer.'
With the natural meaning of the phrase (that
in B. Aodha Ruaidh) may be contrasted the
democratic Scottish proverb /5 ireasn tvath va
tighcarnn,
The people are stronger than the
A variant (Edinb. MS.) has biiaine.
ruler.'
more lasting,' for treasa. Manx similarly has
So
f^froshey yn tit pay vn yn chiam^ (Cregeen).
Trcch gxdad nac arglwydd.
A
too in Welsh
'

'

iv

'

'

land

is

stronger than a lord.'

go

288.
Peace

" Is feiT sth sochocad."

better than (even) easy warfare,'

Togail Troi 1454 (Ir. T. ii.). Similarly Flann
Fina
(Anecd.
iii.
and Fithal
19),
(ed.
Thurneysen, p. 15). Also in LL. 147b 35 Is
ferr sid sochocad smith.
Compare Ferr dil
debuith or Ferr ddl debech, 'Better a conference than contention,' ascribed to Flann Fina
and to Fithal; and Is ferr cech dal dm tic sid,
Best is a conference from which comes peace,'
LL. 147b 26.
'

is

'

289.

" Gach sluagh nach saigh, saigh-

fidher."
'

Every

army

that

attacks

not

will

be

Beatha Aodha Ruaidh, p. 46, where

put into the mouth of Aodh Ruadh and
referred to as
a well-known ancient proverb
attacked,'
it

is

'

'

{derbhdroscc airrdherc 6 chin).

in

It also occurs

Foghlaim Chonculainn, RC. xxix.

poem attributed to
the line occurs: Mini

Gilla-comgaill

22.

Ua

In a
Slbin

saige, saigfear ort, 'If you

do not attack, you will be attacked
(Cogadh
Gaedhel re Gallaibh, p. 124). We have here the
essence of the theory of a defensive ofiEensive in
'

warfare.

290.

'A

N sluagh neach ina aonar.

man makes not an army,' quoted

solitary

by the Four Masters

(p. 1804, s.a. 1583) along

with no. 61. Scottish has Cha slvagh dvine
^na onar (Cameron); in the Edinb. MS. Oho
sluagh duine na onrachd. Compare As doras

91

^
^

bis

bmg-ihluaqh, A small army is a door to

Cath Muighe Lana, p. 104.
'

death,'

Luighidh iolar ar uathadh.

Many overpower few,' i.e. " Providence
fights on the side of the big batallions," FM.
291.

'

1940, s.a. 1593,

p.

where

it

is

called a scanfho-

The FM. copy it from Beatha Aodha

Ruaidh (p. 64 an dearbhdrusc
.i. luighidh
ral.

iolar for uathadh).

Earlier it appears in C.
Ceallachin Caisil, p. 42
Is gnth go loigenn
ilar ar uathaid.
Now obsolete, but cf. .4. n-iomad
na IdrrJi a hhainaas a' cath, Numbers win the
:

'

battle,'

292.

Monaghan

(GJ. 143,

117).

p.

ar lion g blister cath acht

tri

nert an Choimdhedh.
It is not through numbers a battle is won
but through the strength of the Lord,'^ Beatha
Aodha Ruaidh, p. 208, where it is called a
proverb handed down from antiquity
{sein'

'

'

bhriathar
cJicin
m'nair).
Aodh Ruadh's
a
biographer records it as having formed part of
O'Donnell's address to his troops before the
battle of Bealach Buidhe in 1599, where with
inferior numbers he routed Sir Conyers Clifford.
Much earlier we find it in a poem in the Book
2Vi ar lin c brister cath.
of Leinster (147b 35)
Another instance is Ni nr lion g bristear cath,
acht is tr fhurtacht an C[h^oimdheadh 7 tr
jhirinne flatha, Three Fragments (I.A.S. 1860),
pp. 178-180, referring to a battle fought in a.d.
Compare the paraphrase in King Diar868.
maid's f.ddrees to Cuimin Foda Nach fetradh:

92

aisse^

a chlirtg, ^ach ar lon na cruth hrister

cath acht amail as il ra Dia? (SG. i. 397), or,

Tuig, a chlcirifjh, nuch
in Keating's version
ioinud curudh chuireas cath, acht mar is toil re
Dia (FF. iii. 922). Cf. O'Leary, Niamh 317
:

X/ lionmhaire a dheinean mart

gcmhnughe,

n n he a hheirean huadh.

" N

293.

breithemh

frith,

bus

firiu

ni

fuighbhither,

cathre."

There has not been found, nor will there be

found, a juster judge than the field of battle,'
'

Beatha Aodha Ruaidh, p. 168, where

famous
(sencirasc
airdherc)
proverb

this

'

'

of

Morann mac Maein forms part

of the address
O'Neill and O'Donnell to the Irish troops
just before their victory at the Yellow Ford in
1598.
It will be found among the Proverbs of
of

Morann

294.

in

Thurneysen's edition, ZCP.

N gnth

xi. 83.

gan lidhtheach.

there a slaughter from which no

one escapes,' Four Masters, p. 1776 (s.a. 1582).
Current forms are Nil aon chath na teagann
duine as, Clare; Nil cath da mhid nach
'

Seldom

is

dtigeann duine as, cf. 3 C 21, no. 63; and 7s

cruaidh an cath nach dtig fear innsidh an
sgil, MacAdam 571.
Scottish has 7s cruaidh
an cath as nach tig aon fhear. These, particularly the two last, are closely paralleled by the
English proverb " 'Tis a hard battle where none

93

" Is airdhenu sercci sirshilliuth."

295.

Constant gazing betokens love,'Tochniarc

tane dr. T. i. 121). Obsolete; but might be
modernised Conihuitkui grdha sir-fhcuchuint
'

" Ussa c earnbs."

Any death is easier than death by

296.
'

sword,'

Irish

Cambrensis

(Eng.

Hist.

the
Rev.,

1905, p. 82).

297.

Is

giith

sealb'h

ar

gach

sior-

iasacht.

'

ship,'

long-continued loan usually confers owneri.e. Prescription gives title,

Me Guidhir

Fhearmanach,

p.

30.

is--

298.

The

Is le fear

na bo an laogh.

owner of the cow.'

gach buin (or ho) a laogh. Both of
these are current forms. A well-known episode in
the life of St. Columcille tells how he made a
copy, without permission, of a book belonging
to St. Finnen, who thereupon claimed that the
copy belonged to him no less than the original.
King Diarmaid mac Cearbhaill decided the dispute in Finnn's favour, his judgment being:
Le gach hoin a hoinin {.i. a laogli), agxts le gach
lehhur a leahrn, Beatha Col. Chille 178; or, in
Keating's version, giirah leis gach hoin a hoinin
is gurab leis gach leahhar a mhaicleahhar, i.e.
As to every cow belongs her calf, so to every
hook belongs its transcript (Forus Feasa, iii.
'

Var. Is

calf belongs to the

le

'

'

1394;

cf.

also

FM.

p. 194).

94

Ding de

299.

fin

an

sgoilteann

leanibn.

A wedge

'

known

of

itself

splits

tlie

elm,'

well-

in Southern Irish.

So in an early 14tli
cent,
poem by Aonghus (mac Chearbhaill
f^hinl
Bhuidhe ) Dlaigh: Ginn de fin .K sgoiltes ^ / y y
>^-'*^/
go lir in lemn, O'Gr. Cat. 362. Ulster (MacAdam 546) and Scotland substitute the oak for
the elm: Geinn di ftin Idhetli fhin Sc] a
'Jfsgoilteas an darach.
The proverb is thus paraphrased by Donnchadh Ban (ed. Calder, p.
i

210):

Chucda mi mar siiean-fhacal

Mu'n darach guv fiodJi corr e.
'S gur geinn dheth fhin 'ga theannachadh

spealtadh

"Is do

'nn dirdnibh.

fhsas breo."
groweth a blaze,' Three
Mid. Ir. Homilies, p. 30. " A small spark
makes a great fire." So 7s da aibil da-thaed
breo, in a poem in the Book of Hui Maine
(ACL. ii. 139). A modern form is 7s beag an
In
t-iiblieall a lasas teine mhor, MacAdam 38.
Scottish: 7s trie a bheothaich srad bheag teine
great
vwr, A small spark has often kindled a
300.

'

From

ibill

spark

'

The origin is probably

scintilla una augetur ignis,"
fire.'

also Jac.

iii.

biblical; cf.

Eccli. xi.

34

"A
(cf.

5).

The proverb is combined with another of

meaning in the following: Do-ghnl an
t-aoin I)ia rail don dear tain 7 breo-thealcha don
aoibhil,
God makes the acorn to be an oak,
and the spark to be a mighty conflagration,'

similar

'

95

Beatha Aodha Ruaidli,

of

this

paralleled

is

p.

by

The

180.

Chaucer's

first

" an

part
ook

coin'th of a litel spyr " (Skeat, no. 171; for an

earlier version from Aelfric see ibid. p. 136).

A third saying of similar import was Da ni

muc mhr ila arcdn, i.e. A tiny young pig
becomes a big one,' ACL. ii. 139.
:

'

301.

Ughdar gach neach go labhrann.

Everyone is wise until he speaks,' Aodh

Domhnaill in the Contention of the Bards' (p.
138, St. 15); also in a satirical poem on an
Ulster harper by Domhnall Gorm Mac Lochlainn
(23 A 45, p. 9; author's name in H. 6. 12, pt. 3,
Similarly Fearfeasa O'n Chinte
Mas
p. 59).
fhior, is -ughdar gach neach
go lahhairt,
23L17, fo. 102b.
'

'

302.

Beodha gach brthair

fri

aroiie.

one kinsman against another,' i.e.

Kinsmen, when they fall out, fight one another
vigorously.
Quoted as a well-known proverb
(dearbhdruscc airdearc) by the Four Masters
(p. 1768), when describing the battle fought in
1581 between Aodh Domhnaill and his nephew
Conn aided by Toirdhealbhach Luineach NiU.
'

Active

303.

is

Bodh a dhomhan

fin ag

gach

fear.

Let every man have his own world.' When

Brian
Neill, after the death of Cofraidh
Domhnaill in 1258, demanded hostages and submission from Tir Chonaill, Domhnall g
'

96

Domhnaill, who had just returned from a stay

and had been elected chief, replied
Nill's envoys by quoting the above prordidh
verb
(do
an tseinhriathar airdhirc
tria san nGaoidhilcc nAlbanaigh hoi occo ace
agallaimh na ttechthadh (sic) .i. go mbiadh a
daman jein ag gach fer, FM. s.a. 1258). It will
be noticed that the Four Masters imply that
the proverb was peculiar to
Scottish Gaelic,'
which Domhnall g would have learned during
his stay in Scotland.
If their authority may
be relied on here, the inference is that in the
thirteenth century the Gaelic of Scotland was
already recognised as having diverged from
even Ulster Irish.
in Scotland

to

'

304.

" ^\ithiu cech delg

is

ou."

the sharpest,' PH. 1.

4136, where it is referred to as a derhruse or proverb. So in verse in Ac. Sen.,
1384: Is ithe cech udelg as so. Also in
1.
Stowe D. 4. 2, fo. 66a, 2 (Meyer). Now obsolete but in Modern Irish it might be rendered
An dealg is ige isi is gire, or Nuair is igc an
Stokes comdealfi, iseadh is gire hhonn si.
pares Lnaithi mang ind mthair, 'The fawn is
swifter than the dam,' in Cor. Glos.
'

The youngest thorn

is

305.

" Colann

cen

ceann duine cen

anracharait.'
'

person without a spiritual director

is

as

a body without a head, '^Martyr. Oengus, p.

182; and cf. ib. pp. 64, 464 (the latter from LL.

283b

26).

97

306.

" Caraidh sir cen co ccarthar."

loves though she be not loved,'

quoted as a .scinbhriathar in Buile Shuibhne, p.
56.
It is also known in Welsh, being given by
Davies (1632) in the form: Cerid chwacr diiicd
A sister loves a bad
( = diriaid) cyn ni charer,
man though she herself be not loved.'
'

sister

'

307.

" Gabhlnach in ret an scluigh-

echt."
'Story-telling

Sen.

1.

308.

3669,

is

where

" Is

a complicated affair,'
Ac.
called a srinhriathar.

it is

dcnmnitach

in

raet

in

Gaeidel."
The Irishman is an impatient fellow,'
1.
4480, where from the context we
it was a well-known saying.

'

Sen.
that

309.

Do

freanc fin
'

rir

mar

chuiris

an

infer

dair,

As thou hast planted the oak, even

it thyself,'

Ac.

i.e.

so

bend

Extricate yourself unaided from

own making, ^Tr. Dhiarmada

agus Ghrinne (Oss. Soc. iii. p. 206). Compare
" As you have made your bed, so you must lie
on it," in Irish Mar rinne f do leahaidh, luigh
uirthi (cf. MacAdam 36). or J.iiujh nr an habain
a rhirigh t dhvif fcin.

troubles of your

310.

thar

" N bhi friothairc ar nach ffagh-

faill fa

dheidh."
98

'

There is never guard so good that an enemy

not some time find its vigilance relaxed,'

may

Four Masteis, p. 1896 (s.A. 1590). Compare

Bi, chuidhche
the current proverb (W. Muns.)
ag faire is ghebhair uair na faille, Be always
on the watch and you'll get your opportunity.'
:

'

311.

" Immgaib ag 7 no-t-imgeba."

*/A^^f

Shun danger and it will shun thee.' This

given in PH. 4864 as the Irish equivalent of

3lf f-

'

is

" Devitabis

periculum et
the Latin proverb
That it was a proverb in Irish
devitabit te."
occurrence
of
Imgaibh gh
shown
by
the
also is
's rod imgba as a line of verse in the Battle of
Magh Rath, p. 172. Compare no. 218 supra.
-2.
Dein maith
Do good in return

3]
'

n-aghaidh an

for evil.'

Still

uilc.

current

also in Scottish {Dean math ^an

in this form
nghaidh an idle). A literary instance occurs in
Aonghus Fionn Danta rtmith i n-aghaidh uilc
;

Cf. " Noli vinci a

Ced. ]\fcKenna, p. 44, st. 6).
malo, sed vince in bono malum," Rom. xii. 21.

On aird thnaidh thig an chabhair.

From the North help comes,' quoted as a
seinhhriafhar by Lughaidh Cleirigh in the
(ed. McKenna, p.
Contention of the Bards
313.

'

'

59,

'

where the two following instances are also

It is the first line of a poem by Tadhg

quoted).

g Huiginn(YBL..381b24;0'Con.Don'sMS.;
In a poem w^ritten in 1599
p. 115).
Maoilin g Mac Bruaideadha, after saying that
O'Donnell's invasion of Thomond in that year
23F16,

99

had been foretold

Adtuo.idh

an ancient prophecy, adds

cahhair chciigh,
From the

in

iarthur

'

North all aid is sought

(cf.
Beatha Aodha
Ruaidh, p. 198, whence FM. p. 2104; O'Donovan's note in the latter text shows that he was
unaware that Maoilin g's line merely ex'

pressed
saying

What

a proverb).

may have

jecture.

been,

it

the origin of this

diflScult to con-

is

X-

314.

thig ni san dorn dnta.

Nothing comes into a closed hand,' Tadhg

Og Huiginn, who refers to it as a proverb
'

(gvfh heag ns aifhcanta, O'Con. Don's MS. fo.

24a).
Scottish preserves it with little change
sam hith san dorn diiinfe, of
Cha d'thid
which there is a variant Cha'n fhairjh dorn
diiinte dad.
For the current Irish form see no.
124.
Compare also the next proverb.

-^

^
\

N ghabhann dorn

315.
'

closed

diinta seabhac.

hand catches no hawk,' Muns.

In

Cha (ihahhnn/n dorn druidthe srahhac.

Cha (Mac dorn dvinte seohhng, Sc. A literary
allusion occurs in the poem beginning " Mairg

Ulster,
<(

'g lagaid na himha,"

Tig

Idimh.

an

(cf.
ti

23

15, p. 152):

chlearMas

an seahhnr ^g mhi aifhne

Idmh. da hh.jnighr folamh,
ni da dhein {fh)(inas aire.

an
There
"
is

fUfc^s

is

similar

proverb

Empty hands no hawks

found as early

Sc^^i,

as

in English
allure " (Eay)
this

Chaucer,

see

Skeat 235.

^^yj^ji^

Is tighe-de

316.

The mantle

an brat a dhbladh.

the thicker of being doubled.'

Best preserved in Scottish: Is tiuijhaid' am
brat a dhubhidli (Nicolson), otherwise 7s tihhide
a cheirt a dabhuili (Edinb. MS.). In Ireland it
has been noted only in Ulster, by MacAdam
who gives it in the form 7s teide
(34),
('warmer') do'n mbrat a dhhladh. Its usual
'

is

application is to the marriage of relatives.

Literary allusions are
gur dbalta an grdh
ag na mnibh bheith 'na ngaol, in a poem by
Riocard do Brc (Danta Grdha, p. 47) and
brat is tanoide a thillcadh, in a poem by Tadhg
Dall Huiginn (ed. Miss E. Knott).
:

Is fada on chreacht an t-ionnrach.

317.

'The tent

is applied far from the wound.'

This is said by lubdn on a certain occasion in
Aidedh Ferghusa (7s fada 'n chrcht in tionnrach, Silv. Gad. i. 246).
It is still known in
Co. Monaghan in the form 7s fada ' n chreirh

an ceithrin [leg. ceirin}, "'The

from the wound.' Said if one
suggested a far away remedy for anything,
[leg.

ehneidh']

plaster

far

is

'

Morris Suppt. no. 36.

318.

" Is fochen aged fhcheman."

Welcome

'

319.

is

Conculaind (RC.

iii.

Annamh

debtor's

face,'

Aided

184).

tran

nach

dteagthar

ris.
'

Seldom

is

there champion
lOI

&^

who does not meet

^
jf-

Maghnus Domhnaill
reverse,'
Grdha, p. 3). Still known in Scotland
in the form Cha'n eil trcan vis nach cuirear,
The brave will be
which Nieolson translates
some

with

(Di'inta

'

tried.'

" Is trumma each nddinach."

The most recent grief is the heaviest to
bear,'
MacConglinne p. 57. A later variant
320.
'

na deklhionaigJi, which occurs in a

Ruadh Mac an Bhaird
(Studies, 1919, p. 258).
So is doilgi gach
deghinach in a marginal note in Eg. 88 (O'Gr.
is

Is doilgJie

poem

by

Eoghan

In Modern English there is a simiproverb: "The last evil smarts most"

(Bohn's Handbook of Proverbs, p. 509).

Cat. 135).
lar

321.

mbi an

N bhi an

tubaist

acht

mar

spridh.

Misfortune comes only where wealth is,' said

have been the mock-serious comment of St.
Columcille when he learnt that the pet-animah
of his brother-saint Mochua had died (Keating,
FF. iii. 1135). It also occurs amongsome anonymous verses addressed to one loUann on the
death of a pet-bird: ^ bhionn tithaiste acht
mar mhi spre, 23 N 33, p. 471. Still heard in
Donegal: An ait i mhionn spridh, honn
fvhaiste, GJ. 85, p. 13.
'

to

322.

" Nocha dlig

demun

dilgud."

A demon is not entitled to forgiveness,'

Battle of Magh Rath, p. 134 (in verse), and
'

again

Mr

136.

p.

in

Lugair

3-23.

of

Laws

deiiiun dlhjud,

'

ascribed

time

in the

occurs in the

also

It

verses

i.

to

St.

Senchus

Dnhthach

Patrick

nioccu
ar nl dlig

8.

Deireadh ciimainn comhaireamh.

Reckoning up

thus in a

poem

is

of

friendship's end.'

Tadhg

Dall's

Occurs
Cat.

(O'Gr.

435):
Briatliur rjhnth, a ijhnis fliiUench
dfiredh

324.

cumainn

cuiiiiremh.

Is fada le fear furnaidhe.

One who

waiting thinks the time long.'

W. Kerry in the form Is fada
le fear finraoi* . In W. Cork (Ballyvourney)I
have heard it as 7s fada le fear feithcamha
Literary instances show that it
(pron. fih) .
was formerly well-known, e.g. Fada le fer
hfwrnoidhe, Gramm. Tracts, p. 46; As adearair
'

Still

is

current in

riamh roimhe

'Cian

le

fearaibh furnoidhe,'

poem " A theachtaire teid budh

thuaidh," O'Con. Don's MS. fo. 139b. Cf. Le
a hiclit furnaidhe is fado, Eoghan Ruadh Mac
the anonymous

an Bhaird (' Studies,' 1919, 258).

There is a very similar proverb in Welsh,
viz., Hir pob aros, 'Long is every waiting,'
which is found in print (in Salesbury's Oil
Synnwyr) as early as circ. 1547.
*Finraoi (fonnraidhe) is a modern form of the Mid. Ir.
waiting, remainfurnaidhe (earlier imaide and umaide)
(with a variant fonnraoi) in D.
ing.'
It occurs as fionnraoi
Bruadair ii. 284. The modern _ metathesis of -rn- is
So
already seen in the form funnraidi in Lis. Lives, 1.1945.
far as 1 know the word is now obsolete except in Kerry.
'

103

325.

An

t-each do boaileadh sa cheann

bioiin s eaglach.

The horse that has been struck on the head

timid thereafter.' Some such proverb as this
alluded to in a poem in Dnta Grdha, p.
32:
A t'fhoral n fhuilim tewnn
poch do huaileadh 'na ceann me.
'

is

is

The Scottish version runs An t-each a hhuaileai

'sa cheann bidh e sgathach.
Current Irish versions have substituted an t for an t-each.
Thus: .-in to hiiailtear sa cheann hionn eaijlii
:

air,

Monaghan (GJ.

san niidlach (or san

air,

Gahvay (GJ. 51,

Is eaglacli an tc

also

chill)

tc

huail-

hionn faitchios

38; 178, p. 827). Cf.

glioitiiightear, "Waterford
p.

See no. 365.

(Sheehan).

326.

An

95, p. 178).

teiir

Dlighidb ollamh uiraim riogh.

king should honour a man of letters.'

This occurs in a poem by Gofraidh Fionn
Dalaigh (cf. Ir. Monthly, Aug. 1919, p. 459),
and as the first line of a poem by Sean Buidhe
'

Mac Bruaideadha

{ibid.

Mar. 1921,

p. 112).

The

expresses was one which naturally

commended itself to the poets. Cf. Dligid aide
vrraim, 'A teacher should be honoured,' ascribed

sentiment

it

Flann Fina (Anecd. iii. 14). Dlighidli fili a

fliiadhvghudh. 'A poet should be honoured,' in
a quatrain in Stowe MS. 992 (GJ. 45, p. 194b).

to

327.
'

"Is dnta

virtue

{lit.

will)

ail

d'gin."

must be made
104

of neces-

C.

Catharda, 1. 2702, where it is called a

It hardly survives in Ireland, but
is still i'uuiid in Scotland: Dean aill de' n igin,
" Make a virtue of necessity." The common
original for all languages is St.
Jerome's
" facere de necessitate virtutem " (cf. Skeat,

sity,'

neiihiiutkar.

no. 199).

" Labraid duine, innisid Dia."

328.

Man

but God sheweth the event.'

This occurs as a line of verse in
Aidedh
Ferghusa,' Silv. Gad. i. 246. Compare " Man
proposes, but God disposes," which was doubtless first suggested by Prov. xvi. 9, and which
has been popularised (though not originated)
by the
Imitatio Christi
("Homo proponit,
sed Deus disponit," i. 19). Canon O'Leary,
whose
Eisirt
is
a re-telling of
Aidedh
FtTghusa,' was so struck by the resemblance of
the line above quoted to the well-known proverb
of the
Imitatio
that he adopted it in his
translation of the latter book (' Aithris ar
'

talks,

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Chriost,' p. 33).

329.

Cailltear Ian

luinge ar son aon

duine amhin.
'

ship

account

of

is

(often) lost with all on board on

one

man

MacAdam's
nnn

'

(cf.

3C

21,

no.

64).

BCiitear a[n^ long

(503) version is
a n-aon pheacaidlie.
A sixteenth century
:

poet, Uilliam Og Mac an Bhaird, has Bittear

Ivcht arthraigh uile
le a hhfaghthair d' vie
\

aonduine (cf. 3 C 12, p. 225). So in Betha

Colaim Chille (p. 98) when a ship is seen sink-

J^

ing with her

Baoithin that

crew,

Columcille

explains

to

God lias permitted this on

account of one sinner that was on board (do
fiiluinfj se lurlit na lii'nuje do bthad ar son an
inpecaid do hi indti). The proverb is allnded
to in Merriman's Cirt, 1. 788: Ln na luinge
chum duine ni bhidhfinn, i.e. 'I would not
punish the many for the sins of the few.' As
MacAdam remarks, the proverb was probably
suggested by the story of Jonas.

Fand duine mar nach

330.

dall uile
'

is

Columcille in Betha
Scottish has Is dall
p.
duine far nach eolach, and 7s dall gach aineolach
Welsh has Dall pob ancjhyiarwydd,
Blind is every unskilled person.' Compare
also Is mall gach cos ar chasn gan eolas.
On
an unknown path every foot is slow (MacAdam
153) in Scottish 7s d'lotnhain gach cas air thir
gun eolas (where for Mackintosh's diomhan,i
" tardy,"
dioinhuauA
substitutes
Nicolson

" fleeting ").

verses

is a man where he has no guidance

everyone who lacks knowledge,' from

Weak

blind

trerach

gach ainelach.

Colaim

ascribed

to

Chille,

St.

198.

'

'

'

^
^

is the Scottish 7s dall duine anns

cheivd nach d' fhoghluiin, A man is blind in
a trade he has not learnt,' with which we may
compare Oscar each i ceird araili, Everyone is
ignorant in another person's trade,' quoted by

Very similar

a'

'

'

O'Davoren

(ACL.

ii.

431),

and

Tadhg

mac

Dire's variant, Doll each i gceird aroile (cf.

23 L 17, fo. 130b). See also nos. 58 and 354.

io6

Mar

331.

chaithis an choinneal, caith

an t-rlach.
As you have spent the eaiidle, spend the
i.e. As you have gone most of the way, go
the whole way. Still current; a variant is Mar
fliud til an c/iom[ii]eaZ, tabhair an t-rlach,
Archbishop
F. Keane (12 Q 13, pt. 3, p. 72).
Maoliiihuire Huiginn thus paraphrases it
'

inch,'

Fuilngeam feadh an rlaigh-se

mar do caitheadh an

choinneal.

Diarmaid mac Shein Bhuidhe has (p. 58)

Mar chaithis an solus nd coigil an mion-rdlach
In a quatrain in 23A 45, p. 55, a lover says to
his lady
Tabliair an choinneal mar thugais an
t-orlach dhUinn,
Grant me the candle as you
.

'

liave

granted

me

the inch.'

Scottish form

is

Seach gun

d'

thug mi 'n

rt'is, hheir mi 'n oirleach,

As I have given
the span,
I'll
(Nicolson).
give the inch'
Mackintosh's version is
na rinn mi 'n oirleach, ni mi 'n reis, in which oirleach and
reis exceptionally change places.
Manx has
Tra toil jannoo yn trie, jean yn oarlagh
(Cregeen),
Since you are doing the foot, do
the inch.' Compare the N.E. (borrowed from
Sc. Gaelic?) " Dree out the inch as ye hae done
the span."
'

'

332.

Is

beag an rud

is

buaine na an

duine.
'

How

small a thing outlives a man.'

107

Still

known.*

It occurs as early as 1560 in a

As hec ani as
note in Rawl. B 512
nan duine (Hib. Minora, p. 84). The
Is heiuj an ni
Scottish form is very similar
nach buaine na duine (Cameron), It is a small

well

scribal

bitaina

'

thing that does not outlive a man.'

Dean

333.

taise le

truagh

is

gruaim

le

nmhaid.
Be mild towards the wretched, but stern
towards an enemy,' Mac Adam 553 (he writes
triiaiijhe for truagh).
For literary usage cf.
taise le
trua(jh 7 troid le tran, Eachtra
Lomnochtin, p. 29 and borb le tran is simh
le lag-bhvidhin, Fr. Sean Briain (Fil.
na
Mighe, p. 74), These recall Vergil's wellknown line " Parcere subiectis et debellare
superbos." Very similar is Bat cruaid fri cruas
'

^ed.

bat moeth fri malthi, ascribed to Fithal

Tliurneysen, p. 18).

334.

goin

Bim i n-aghaidh
n-aghaidh gona.

beime

agns

A blow for a blow, and a wound for a

wound,' Deargruathar CO., p. 25; also in
Cath Muighe Mucraimhe, GJ. 208, p. 32 So
bi'im san mbim is goin san ngoin, in a poem
by Niall Ruanadha (cf. O'Gr. Cat. 501).
'

Compare

the Scriptural
tooth " (Deut. xix. 21).
*

"eye

for eye, tooth for

Exceptionally Is beag rud, etc., in GJ. 183, p. 89, wrongly

" There are few things more lasting than man."

trr.nslated

Contrast GJ.

51, p.

U2
io8

39; 55, p.

(note 46).

N theicheann c roimh chnimh.

335.

A dog

docs not flee from a bone,' i.e. even

though it be thrown at him, Bruidhean
Chaorthainn, p. 30. So Chu sgal cu loimh
chnaimh, 'A dog won't howl at a bone,' Sc
(also in Edinb. MS.).
N.E, has " A dog winna
yowl if ye fell him wi' a bane."
'

336.
'

Is

mo

outward

Its

value,'

a thaidhbhse n a thairbhe.
is
greater than its
proverb (or rather proverbial

display

a current

phrase); also with to'wt, 'bulk,' for faidhhhse.

Heghusa in his
Teagasg Criosdaidhe (ed.

Alluded to by Giollabnghde
poetical preface to his

when he

says of his book Uille a

tharbha in a thoidhhhsi, i.e. 'There is more
1707, p.

3),

be derived from
would lead one to think.'

profit to

Maith

337.

gach

it

than

its

cunnradh

appearance

bhfad

uait.

Good seems every bargnin that

'

Danta

Scottish
a thig am
:

338.

is far away,'
This still survives in
Is geal gach cirnradh (or cmhnant)
Cf. no. 117 supra.
fad.

Grdha,

Da

p.

38.

dtrian cra cumhochta.

Might is two-thirds of right,' in an anony" Might is right."

niniis poem in 23 T 40, p. 4.5.
'

J.s cert caich [leg. each?'] amail a nert

LL.
147b 41. Clnoidhennn mart ceart, ITardiman.
Thcid neart oir cheart, Sc. Tadhg Dall was

Cf.

log

doubtless alluding to some such proverb when

he wrote Bheith fa neart an tc is freise
is
ceart na criche-se,
To submit to the might of
the strongest is this country's {i.e. Ireland's)
only right (cf. O'Gr. Cat. 428).
\

'

'

339.

fearr biadh

Good sense

na

ciall.

no less important than food.'

This is the current form. An older form would
appear to have been 7s fpAirr ciall ni cuid, to
judge from Dnta Grdha, p. 32, where a lover,
rejected on account of his
poverty,
says
'

is

bitterly

Diiinc (Jonn adubhairt riamh

go

madh

Na

340.

fearr

ciall

sid aoibheal

na

cuid.

gan fhadiidh.

Blow not on dead embers,' i.e. Do not attempt a hopeless or impossible task. This occurs in a poem by Fearfeasa 'n Chinte in the
Contention of the Bards
(ed. McKenna, p.
'

'

'

given in the dictionaries of O'Brien

and O'Reilly (s.v. aoibheal), the latter of whom
calls it an " old proverb."

214).

341.
leat.

It

is

Mairg do loisgfeadh a thiompn

c^- I1i<u>y^^ i'Lt r<^f/3

A well-known

Scottish proverb runs: 7s mairg

Pity him who
a thiompan duit,
would burn his fiompan (a kind of harp) for
The story goes that a harper once,
you.'
having nothing else to make a fire with, burned
his harp in order to make a fire for his wife
a

loisgeadh

'

who was benumbed

cold

witli

she repaid

bvit

immediately afterwards by eloping

with another man (cf. Nicolson, p. 267; An
Deo-Greine, Jan. 1909, p. 51).
This proverb was formerly well known in
Ireland too.
Thus Sean (mac Muiris)
Hurthaile says, speaking of youth
Mairg do
loixg n thiompdn re! i.e.
Alas for him who has
sacrificed his
all
for her!'
And Pdraign
Haiceud has (p. 6): 7s mairg do loisg a shop 's
a thiumpn lihh.

his sacrifice

'

312.

tidheadh do shil thar do

chuid.

Do not

entertain extravagant hopes.'

Do
expect
much,' Galway.
too
So Do
chuaidh mo sliil tar mo chuid, Dnta Grdha,
The word sil here may also be taken
p. 32.
in the sense of eye
rather than expectation,'
when the phrase has a slightly diflFerent meaning.
Cf Begly 203b, where Do chuir s a shiiil
thar a chiiid is given as a rendering of the
English saying " His eyes are bigger than his
belly."
So in Canon O'Leary's Aesop (ii. 70)
A^ leig do shil thar do chuid is explained as
Do not let your eye go beyond what is your
own property do not covet what is not your
'

'

not

'

'

'

'

Niiair cbruaidhoann an

343.

deacair
'

tslat,

is

shnomh.

AVhen the twig grows hard it is diflBcult to

it,'
current proverb
var. hihadh (for

twist

Aonghus Fionn has

shniomh).

(ed.

Mar

McKenna,

do ni crann criona di nocha n-am

When the twig has become an
old tree is not the time to bend it.'
So An.
tslat nuair chmaidheann le haois, is deacair a
sniomh 'na ijad, in the poem (17 cent.?)
A leinbh at i dtiiis do shaoghail.' Scottish
has An car a bhios 'san t-seana mhaide 's
diiilich a thoirt ax,
The crook in an old stick is
hard to take out
and 7s ann fhad 's a bhios an
t-slat maofh is fhasa 'lithadh,
When the twig
is tender it is easiest bent,' " Best to bend while
it
is
a twig." Cf. Dngald Buchanan (ed.
p. 66):

sniomha

slaite,

'

'

'

'

'

Maclean,

p. 54)

Na

lahhair an sean-fhocal,

's
'

deimhin learn

344.

e,

expressed in Prov. xxii.

is

Is

socair

chneadh dhuine
One

fior

car thid san t-sean mliaid,'

(jiir h-ainmi(i leis dtreadh.'

meaning

Tlie

's

An

chodlas

6.

duinc

ar

eile.

on the hurt of aneasy to put up with the misforUlster proverb (MacAdam

Very similar is the well-known aphorism
409).
" Nous avons tons assez
of La Rochefoucauld
de force pour supporter les mauxd'autrui." The
Scottish version is Cnidlidh duine nir f/ach
cneadh arh n chneadh fhin. That the proverb is
an old one in Irish may be inferred from allusions
'

other,'

tranquilly

sleeps

i.e.

It

is

tunes of others,

an

to

it

in

poems

of

Giollabrighde

Deacair snan ar

about a.d. 1600. Thus one of

Heoghusa's poems begins
" 'Tis hard to
clineidh cjcarad,

be insensible of a friend's hurt' while a poem

by Eochaidh Heoghusa contains the lines Aa
codladh ar a cneidh sin
atid cuid do chloin^^
Mhilidh. 'Upon her wound (i.e. Ireland's
oppression) some of Mileadh's race slumber
(cf
O'Gr. Cat. pp. 407, 479). Compare, in
Gallagher's Sermons, Na codail air chneadh
;

'

hanama

(ed. 1751, p. 49), and colladh air an

hpeacamh agus gan an aithirdh (leg. aithrighe)
a dheanamh (ib. p. 66).
The phrase is still
known; cf. for Galway Irish B'fhurusda lei
codladh ar a gcneadh,
she would have no
scruple in remaining unmoved by their sufferings,' T. Mille, 'An Ghaoth Aniar,' p. 57.
'

345.

Anaidh fear sona

le

sean.

The lucky man waits for prosperity,' i.e.

prosperity comes to him without effort on his
part, while he merely waits tor it,
Dnta
Grdha, p. 29. A fuller form of the proverb
is given by MacAdam (no. II): Fanann duine
sona le siin, agus bheir duine dona duhh-lum,
'

man gives a blind (or

version given by J. O'Daly
(I.L. Misc. 93; also in GJ. 56, p. 126) is nearly
identical: Is minic d'fhan fear sonuidhe le
scun, agus do hheir fear donuighe doi-lcim.
There is a very similar Scottish version (which

'

but the unlucky

disastrous) leap.'

Xicolson, p. 175, illustrates from a folk-tale):

Fanaidh d\iine sonn ri s\th, 'us hheir duine dona

dinhh-Uum ; Cameron's version has seimh for

.sif/i.
A kindred Scottish proverb is: Cha 'n e
'n. latha math nach figeadh, ach an duine dona
nach fanadh, It is not that the good day came

"T^r

'

'

T I

ji

not,

but

that

the

unlucky

man would

not

wait.'

The same idea is seen in the current Irish

proverb Ni bhionn an bhfeur sona ach bhreith,

A lucky man needs but to be born,' with which

the AVelsh Nid rhaid i ddedu^ydd ond ei eni
exactly agrees. Scottish has C'ha 'n eil do
dhuine sona ach a bhreith, is bidli duine dona
'n a loin-ruith.
'

^
II

346.

Is fearr duine

A man is better than

man is better than many
'

n daoine.
men,'

i.e.

One good

This
found in Fearfcasa 'n Chintc (l.T.S. xx.
So Sean
110), and in Piaras Feiriteur (1. 584).
Gadhra: Fior (jur fearr duine 'n dkis, GJ.
The proverb is still preserved in
187, p. 115.
Scottish, but not, T think, in Irish. An exactly
similar proverb is found in Welsh: Gwell givr
na gvnjr, which was first printed in vSalcsbury's
on Synnwyr,' circ. 1547.
worthless ones.

is

p-it*(#

'

347.

N choinnigheann an

soitlieach

acht a Ian.
'

vessel holds only its

fill,'

Ills.

'

^
^

(MacAdam

Morris (808) quotes Cuach tar a Ian ni

Uontar from a 16th cent. poem. Cf. Ni fachtar
us na soighthiiihe acht an Ian do bhios ionnta,
Dnfhocail 155. Cf. also Cha dtig a bhaint as
One cannot
a[Ti] tsac ach a[n] Ian a bhios ann,
take more out of a sack than the full of it,'
MacAdam 444. Scottish has Cha chum an
soifheach
ach n Ian, and Cha tig as an
t-soitheach ach an deoch a bhios innte.
443).

"4

348.

N hionann dul ann

is as.

Coming out is a different thing from going

in.'
Art g Caoirah quotes this as a sean

fhocul in the Contention (p. 228).

Nowadaj's
one hears Si liionann dul /jo t'ujh an ri ckjus
teacht as, or Ni hionann dul go dti an haile mar

Going into the king's house

one thiny, getting out is another.'
With this compare 7s sleamhain iad
leacacha an tighe mhir, Slippery are the flag'-tonjs of the mansion door,' of which another
version appears in a quatrain in an Edinburgh
tc'jcht

:-.;s

(or the

(IS,

town)

'

is

'

MS.

(Rel. Celt.

Seanfhocall

ii.

406):
fior re aithris:

is

Sleamhuinn starseach an tigh mhoiicomhairle hheirinn air mo charaid

gun teachd ach annamh da coir.
'

>
349.

Bionn nimh

ar an aithne.

There is pain in prohibition.' Quoted as a

proverb by Keating: Is moide hliios dil 'san
nidh, hheith ag a thoirmeasg air; 7 is de-sin
atd an seanfhocal adeir go mbi neimh ar an
aithne, TBg. 98.
At the present day the use of the expression
seems confined to W. Munster, where, however,
the original meaning of the proverb has been
forgotten and the whole has become reduced to
the st-ereotyped phra-se f mar a hheadh nn
nimh ar an nifline, which is used in a sense
equivalent to the English 'as (ill) luck would
have it.' [I have heard some W. Cork speakers
employ aithinne, firebrand,' for aithne in this
'

'

phrase

but the

latter

is

the original

word

here.]

similar reduction of what was originally.

proverb to a mere set-phrase is seen in the
Kerry d b^annaimh) leis an gcat srathar a
hheith air, used with the meaning
since you
'

seldom find yourself in your present

favourable position,' literally
since the cat
seldom has had a straddle on him.' The E.
Ulster form (apparently used as a full proverb)
is Is annamh le cearc adhastar hheith virthi
(Morris 1369). The Scottish form is B'ainmig
leis a' chirc nijhartun a hhi aire, " applied,"
says Nicolson, " to persons affecting luxuries
(or I, etc.)

'

unsuitable to them."

350.
'

Is leor dhiiine a dhicheall.

in O'Molloy's
(I

do one's best.' This occurs

Lucerna Fidelium {Lor dhninc

It is sufficient to

difluhioU, p.

2).

Cf. OS ns a dhiiine a dhichioll

Aodh Buidhe Mac

Cruitin's prefatory
Begly's Dictionary. A current form

in

to

leor

Mhir

a dicheall,

'

It

is

sufficient for

poem
is

7s

Mor

to do her best.'

351
Nl mo an sgilinp 5n rlgh no an
chTong riiadh on mbocht lbin.

from the king is not more than

farthing from a poor labouring man,'
mite is as much as a big
man's
poor
A
from a wealthy man, O'MoUoy
donation
Lucerna Fidelium (1676), p. 2.
'A

half

shilling

i.e.

ii6

Ni hionann bodach

352.

is

churl and

is

God

Dia.

are not the same,' i.e. God

very difiEerent from His creatures, O'Molloy,

'

Lucerna Fidelium,

p.

29.

Still

known

in this

form.

Ni

353.

ar aonchois thainig Pattruic go

hEirin[n].
was not on one foot that St. Patrick came to
used by O'Molloy (Lucerna Fidelium,
I am not dependent
p. 330) in the sense of
upon that (argument) solely,' I have another
string to my bow.'
Morris (973) gives a current
Armagh version
Cha dtainic Pdraig go
It

'

Ireland,'

'

'

hEirinn ar a aon-chois.

Nmha

354.

muna

ceard

cleachttar.

not practised is an enemy,'

This occurs
i.e. it does more harm than good.
in a quatrain in a MS. of about 1600, and is
there called a seanfhoral see Dnfhocail 228.
'

trade that

is

It

known in Connacht and Donegal

the form Is ndmhaid an cheird gan a

is still

in

well

f{e)oghlaim,

'

trade not (properly) learned

an enemy.' Scottish has

cheaird nach cleachd e,
cheaird nach foghlamar,
learned

355.

is

is

i namhaid duine a'

and also Is diu a' )^
A trade which is not

7s

'

worthless.'

Do

ghiolla

gan bhuiii mar

cbi)iri

ni beag fin,
'

One who

is

cowless

must be

117

his

own

dog,*

i.e.
A poor man must forage for himself,
quoted as a proverb in a poem by Toms
Glosin (Fil. na ^Miglie, p. 55). A current
version is Xi hcug do diniine rjaii rJiuid, de

choin, frill, Cork (GJ. G4, p. 61; etc.).

Francis Keane gives Ni heag do dhuine gan Ion
mar choin fin, 12 Q 13, pt. 3, p. 72.

N bhcathuigheaim na brithre

856.

na brithre.
'

]\Iere

known

words
to-day.

will

not feed the

Thus

friars.'

paraphrased

WellP.
by

Haiceud (ed. Torna, p. 40)

Xi liliiafhaid na
hrda. English proverbs of similar
import are " Fair words butter no parsnips,"
and " The belly is not filled with fair words.''
The latter is found in Ulster Irish as Cha
liiinfar an holg le caint (MacAdam); in Scottish
as Cha Don beannachd brii.
:

hriiifJira tia

/:'!.>...-:"!

'x.'/:-

-^"^:-

:,.';':'.'

Is giorra deoch

357.

na

'

'

sgal.

A drink is shorter than a story.' A literary

instance occurs in a composition of D.
Bruadair's, circ. 1663 (I.T.S. xi. y6). The Scottish form is similar, and so too is (except for its
orthography) the Manx 'S girrey jough na
skeeal.
In Northern English it occurs as " A
'

shorter than a tale," which is doubtNicolson suggests, a translation from

the Scottish. According to Mackintosh the
Scottish proverb is employed to " abridge a
tedious tale, or too long a story," while Kelly
INInnx Diet.) says that the Manx version is

drink

less,

is

as

used " when a person is desired to cease in his

story and to pass the bottle."

The usual meaning, however, of tlie proverb

both in Irish and in S ottish is A drink conies
before a story,' and this also appears to be its
sense in the passage in Bruadair.
Giorra
'

means 'nearer'
fact

as well as 'shorter,'

may have caused

and

this

the alteration in mean-

ing, if such there was.

Hence we find substitutions for (jiorra which more cloarly bring out
normal meaning of the proverb, viz. tiscje
in Irish, and luait he in Scottish.
The latter is
also found in Irish in Dnfhocail, 222, and the ^
former in Scottish in the Edinb. MS. Cf. also
Tuijann deocli. roiinh sr/al, Galway (GJ. 183,
tlie

p. 56).

Is dual deireadh

358.
'

The

last place is

don dioghrais.

meet for the best beloved.'

This occurs frequently in 17th cent, literature,

its ordinary use being to introduce the last and
dearest among a group of friends whom the
writer is enumerating, very much as one says
Thus in a
in English " Last, but not least."
poem written on his leaving Ireland in 1614
Brian Mac GioUapdraig after bidding farewell
families
finally
mentions
the
to
several
Kavanaghs, and adds

cheUeamh, mo nar, a nois

guv dual deirendh don dloghrois
snl

(H. 3.19, p. 57).

Similarly Dnal garh dioghrais

fa dlieireadh, Aonghus Dlaigh, p. 12, and

(with an for goch) Fearghal g Mac an Bhaird,
'

Studies,' 1920, 568. So in a

119

poem

of uncertain

authorship N't nr deireadh don dioghrnis (cf

23 C 8, p. 232 GJ. 145, p. 149). In a shortened
form, deireadh don diograis, it occurs in Sean
Conaill's Tuireamh na hireann.' It is
only in this shortened form that the proverb
has survived in Irish (cf. Irisl. M. Nuadhad,
Scottish has also preserved it in
1914, p. 6).
an abbreviated form: Gach dileas gu deireadh,
:

'

'

The best-loved

last.'

Coilan gach c go fiadhach.

359.

'Every hound is a pup until he hunts,' in a

poem by Maoilin g Mac Bruaideadha, 23N 14,
p. 104.

Molaidh gach duine

360.
'

Everyone

praises

his

dhthchas.

own

land,'

Brian

Ruadh Mac Conmidhe (3 C 12, p. 206). So

Bdhach neach re shefin-dhvthchas, Tadhg mac
Da ire

(I.T.S. xx. 42).

ind gach

'

rii,

anything

Compare

7s ferr

One's native land

Oided

else,'

is

dathfhas

bettor than

Mac nUisnig

(Ir.

T.

ii.

12G).

Tse an diiine an t-adach.

3ni.
'

Clothes

make

make the man.'

" Fine

feathers

current; a variant is
'S an f-adach a nl an duine (cf MacAdam 376.)
There is a literary instance in an anonymous
fine

birds."

Still

17th cent,

poem

(I.T.S. xi. p. 132):

Sennfhocal so huainleantar
'

An

f-radach

The proverb

is

is

an

ditine.'

often added to, and the addi-

I20

tions

are worth noting.

J.

O'Daly gives 'S

J nine an t-eudacli^ ayus is gretigach e an

hindli ; while 3 C 21 (no. 189) has An duine an
t-rdditch 7 an (jicutjuch a hhiadh.
Compare the
Scottish Is e n <jille 'n i-aodach, ach 's e 'n
Clothes make the lad, but
luochan am biadh,
food makes the fine lad.'
Other Sc. versions
are Is e 'n duine an t-eudach, 's cha duine as
'eugmhais (Cameron), and Is e 'n duine 'n
t-aodach, 's cha'n i 'cholainn bhreugach.
nil

'

)(

'

362.
N bbionn an rath acht mar
mbionn an smacht.

'There is no luck where there is no authority,'

" Spare the rod and spoil the child." This
is quoted in a sermon composed by Conchubhar
MacAirtein in 1724 (Seanm. M. N. i. 188); and
is still
Cf. " Qui parcit virgae
well known.
i.e.

odit filium suuni," Prov. xiii. 24.

303.

N thig

leat

dh mhaighistir

shsamh.

You cannot satisfy two masters,' Morris

From Matt. vi. 24. Deacnir foghnomh do
da thigh earna is the first line of a poem
ascribed to Mathghamhain Huiginn in St.
'

1522.

thai]

52b (but anon, in O'Conor Don's

In a
Cf. PH. 11. 710-711.
16).
quatrain in an Irish MS. (.\.d 1659) inGottingen
the lines occur
A. V.

2,

fo.

MS. and 23 F

Mas mian
tsaoghal

leaf

hheith

diadha, n

gill

don

Da fhighearna do riaradh

ni hidir d'aon.

)(

Is minic

364.

do bhnin diiine

slat

bhuailfeadh fin.
'

Often has

;i

man

cut u rod to beat himself.'

Common
chim

to-day (with slight variations, such as

fcin Jo hhnaladh).
It occurs as follows

poem by Muiris mac Dhibh Dhuibh (cf.

45a) Minic do chum a lliuailte. tliid
diiine do hhuain slaite.
The proverb is alluded
to by Domhnall Mac Bruaideadha
Tig nn
cumann driiim tar ais; huailtear duine da slilnit
fcin, Danta Grdha, p. 36 (the same linej occur
in
another quatrain, Dnfhocail 95). The
in a

5, fo.

iomadh fear a cliaidh do'n

da dhruim fcin, ]\fany a
man has gone to the wood for a stick for his
Scottish form

is

7s

choille air son bata

own

'

In English a similar proverb

Chaucer (Skeat 153)
seyd man maketh ofte a yerde
which the maker is himself y-beten."

back.'

found
" For

is

as early as
it

With

365.

is

Bi'onn

eagla

ar

an

leanbh

ditear.

" A burnt child dreads the fire." Otherwise

Tjennhh loiscjihe fuathann feine. Hardiman i.
403; Bionn eagla na teineadh ar an leanhh
drife, MacAdam (and cf. Morris, 1518).
Cf also
Begly's rendering (p. 94b): Eaghiidhidh an
leanhh doighfe re san t feine. A literary paraphrase is furnished by a poem written about two
centuries ago by Diarmuid (mac Dhomhnaill
mhio Fhinghin Duibh) Sileabhin. He is
declininji an invitation to n convivial party on
.

the ground that he had too often before been

burnt by strong liquor
Is clcuchfa leis an Ivanhii beufj, cidh yanii a
'

'

chiull,

Nuair shatalus ur ailhinne no ar a

shumliuil do

phian,

Go

seachnonn
mhiadh.
This proverb

<in

hisair

ins

rjach

Irish forms

hall

'na-

based
upon the English, which goes back to about the
year 1300 (see Skeat 286). For a native proverb
of similar import see no. 325.

366.

in

all

its

is

N iarrfadh an t-athair an mac

muna mbeadh so fin roimhe

san mbcs,
ann.

Neachtain's Stair . Ui Chleire,'

Of English origin; of. " No man will
another in the oven seek except that himself
have been there before" (Heywood), otherwise
" The mother would never seek her daughter in
the oven had not herself been there first
(Clarke).
The meaming is much the same as
that of the proverb Has a dhanta cliuimhnig
air, i.e. By thinking of such a thing you show
that you are capable of doing it yourself.
In Sean

1.

'

1059.

367.

fi'idliir

fhaghil on gcat acht

a chroiceann.

"You can have no more of a cat than her

skin." Well known to-day. Occurs in the above
form in 'Stair amuinn Ui Chleire,' 1. 893;
and as Ni fcidir dho hhaint de' n chat acht a

chroiceann

in

'

Madhm

an Arda

Bhig

'

(GJ.

i;2, p. 703b).

868.

Is iasg a gcasaiin 'na lion.

" All

that comes to his net." lu Irish

have met this (which is rather a proverbial
phrase than a proverb) only in Neachtain's
Stair . U Chlire (1. 582) Ba hiasg a gcasfadh
[leg. fjrnsadh] ionna lion.
Scottish has A h-uile
rnd a thid 's an lion 's iasg e.
is fish

Creidthe gniomh roimh chaint

369.

is

chairt.
'

An

act

to be believed before (mere) talk

is

Mosgail do
line of tlie poem
-a
mhisneach, a Rhanbha (P. Haiceud, p. 91). In
" Actions speak louder than words."
English
Action proves,'
Cf. Gniomh a chruthuigheof:,
Connacht; and An focal rr.r ngus an gniomh
heag, 'Great talk and little action' (O'Leary's
An
Aesop, i. 3G). The followinp; lines from
Sutach 's a Mhdthair may also be compared

and writing,

'

'^

'

'

'

'

la go hhfeirimse sagairt 'na seasam.h

A ngniomh

is

san ide,

a dteagasg seacht n-acra

has Cha hhriathar a

gmomli (Cameron).

Scottish

124

cliile,.

dhearhhas ach

IV.

PROVERBIAL PHRASES IN
IRISH LITERATURE
Besides proverbs of tlie above type, which
form complete sentences in themselves, we have
in Irish, as in every other language, a large

number

of stock-phrases, that is to say, expres-

metaphorical) which are constantly used with reference to a given set of

circumstances. Such phrases are called canin
in the Irish of West Kerry, as distinguished
(usually

sions

proverbs,' and in English we

proverbial phrases.'* I give a
from current Irish by way of

from seanfhocail,

may

call

them

few examples
illustration

'

'

did thhj an diahhail go fig an deamhain, " out of the frying-pan into the fire."
Another Irish equivalent is ag did as an
ndeatach isteach .to teine (O'Leary); in Ulster,

Ag

as a' choire insa' teinidh (MacAdam).

Ag tochrais ar a cheirflin fin, " bringing
grist to his

own

mill."

Do chuirfr an diihh na gheal orm, 'you

cf.
would persuade me that black was white
Begly 112b.
T mo phuit seinnte, I am done for.'
'

'

'

* In

the

proverbs

distinction is made between

and proverbial phrases, the terms derharuse,
and seanfhocal being applied equally to both

aenbriathar,

older

literature

no

hn danta, or T cos 'na sijiain

His fortune is made.'
afjat, " You hae your
(N.E.), '-c. You have
the credit of having offered a thing, with no
cost to yoursL'If (the offer not having been accepted).
In Ulster: T do chuid is do hhvidheachas agat (MacAdam). In Scottish Tha do
chvid 's do thnivg ngad (Cameron).
Chomh war})h le hArf, " as dead as a doora chia

anuis,

'

T do chuid is do chl
uieat and your mense "

nail."
As<icli(in an chiotad Ids an gcorcn, " the
pot calling the kettle black."
Trosgadli. an chait cheanainn (d^iosatlh sc
fcil is ni ljadh sc bainnc), lit.
the abstinence
of the white-headed cat
(that refrained from
milk but had no scruples about eating meat).
Applied to hypocritical conduct.
Rith mhadra an da chdis, lit. 'the running
(which in his
of the dog with the two cheeses
graspingness he tried to carry together). Ulster
and Scotland substitute fiadh for cis; thus rith
na. con a, ndigh d fhiadh,
the running of the
hound after two deer,' IMacAdam 438; 7"in7/i
chain an da fhcidh, Sc. (in the Edinb. MS.,
juich chon an da fhiadh).
Alp i mbcal an mhadaidh (MacAdam), " a sop
'

'

'

'

to Cerberus."
Paidir chapaill,

'

a long-winded story.'

In

Galway sgcal an ghamhna hhiiidhe means the

same thing.
an oft-repeated tale.'
Sgt'al an chaipiv dcirg,
'

f)f

and

'

course the distinction between proverbs

proverbial phrases ' is not an absolutely
'

'

rigid one.

few of the

proverbs

'

'

given above

might more appropriately have been included

present section (c.y. nos. 336, 340, 342,
proverbs may be used in an abbreviated form as proverbial phrases, while not
infrequently the latter may be expanded and
Thus u
generalised so as to resemble proverbs.
in

ilie

3G8).

Many

a min-

H-{jP2iO

a proverb but
bought Avit,' by itself is a proSo Bionn tiarh inne ag farrac

i^A/^pS

Is je,rr ciall cheannaig

frar,
ciall

" Bought wit

cheannaig

verbial phrase.

'

is

n dh

best,"

chill

is

chun a mhuilinn fcin, "Every miller

draws water to his own mill," may be regarded
as a proverb; but when we say of some individual Bhi s ag tarrac uisge chun a mhuilinn
Ivin sa ghn (cf. Sadna 190), we are employing
nisge

portion of the proverb as a proverbial phrase.

Occasionally, too, proverbs

become worn down

see two

to phrases without being abbreviated

examples discussed under no. 349.

Proverbial phrases are very

common

in

our

older literature, just as, for that matter, they

But

remarkable
the proverbial phrases formerly

are in the Irish of to-day.

is is

that very few of

employed have survived in current Irish. Some
of them, in fact, would, even if modernised in
form, convey no meaning nowadays, much as
in English such an expression as " Hobson's
choice" would to-day be meaningless if it had
long since dropped out of English speech and
literature and if the story that gave rise to it
had been forgotten. A few examples of such

obsolete proverbial pliiases

may

be given here

Maolmhuire's exploit,' Trip.

Life 88 (referred to as a derbruscc.) Biad

Pcht Moile Moire,

'

127

bPhi, 'fond from lips,' Aisl.

senbr'mfhar).

(a

Meic Conglinne 65
Codlud Faillcin i ndn Nis,

FaiUn's sleep in the fort of Naas,' Lis. Lives

405 (an aithiusc mhreithre). Tarraxd Aincl <,
Aincl (i.e. Misfortune) has visited thee,' Ac.
Sen. 6214 (a senfhocal). Lmh c[/i]/ Ultm it
aghaidh,
Ultn's right hand against thee,'
Eire na caiUighe
I.T.S. xvi. 64 (a senfhocal).
don bhlonaic, the hag's load of the lard,' Oss.
'

'

'

Soc. V. 50.

Phrases such as these, however, are devoid of

any save a lexicographical interest, and no

further examples of them need be quoted here.
In the following pages I have confined myself
to proverbial phrases the meaning of which is
readily grasped, and even of these I give only a
selection.

Proverbial phrases denoting hopeless impossior great difficulty or danger, are very
frequent in the older literature, particularly
Often the idea is
in descriptions of fights.
emphasised by grouping together a number of
such phrases, as in the following quotations
which may conveniently be given here. At the
end of the quotations the commonest of theso
phrnses are excerpted and numbered 370-382:
Cogadh Gaedhel re Gallaibh, p. 162 (referred
to below as " C.G."
(1) Ba smm- in v-agaid
siofha, (2) ha hesargain darach du dorndaib, (3)
ba ff'il ir mhrurlifiid roborta, (4) ba gaf im
ganrm no im grian, (5) ba dornd i ngar ngreni,
fiiall frrsldiJ c(,fha no comJaind doih.
Togail Troi (Calcutta, 1882), II. 628 ff.
(" T.T."
Ba dimdin tra dmhsium antsein^ ar
bility,

12R

(1)

ba gat in

ycmem

(2)

ba sndni

n-agaid

srotha, (3) ba lua fri borb 7 (4) ba bim cind /7")x

liall,
dib ammiis
7 (5) ba saiget i coirthi

catha do thabairt ar trenmilid in talman

ar

.i.

Hercoil.

Tor. Shaidhbhe (cf. 23 L 39, p. 311; very corrupt text in 'Gadaidhe Gear na Geamh-oidbche,'
p. 32).
(1) 7s tuargain darach do dhirne, no
(2) snmh i n-aghaidh easa, no (3) cur gaid um
gliainimh, no (4) toirmeasg mara dhileann, no
(5) drim i n-aghaidh gaoithe, no (6) tairgsim. an
falamh do chur druim tar ais dibhse an siobhal
sin do dhanamh.
Eaclitra Chloinne Riogh na hloriiaidhe (I.T.S.
i.), p. 86 (" CI. R.I.").
(1) 7i snmh i n-aghaidh

/
|

no (2) gad vm ghaineamh, no (3) tuargan rX

darach de dhornaibh, no (4) fadghadh teineadh
fa inbhear, nn (o) is glnc um ghath grine, no (6)
teas i gceann fiuchtha, nn (7) is Uim 'na leabuidh
ar lemhan, dul i gceann mhic Bigh na Sorcha.
Irish Aeneid, 11. 750 ff. (" Aen.").Ni hern
easa,

and

Aenias, uair (1) is

lua brot 7 (3) lm
hall. (4) is cuindchidh
ugra, 7 gledin gaiscid fair, 7 (5) as fearg nathrach ima ned aigi, 7 is nert leomain, is bruth
milead, is gcd curadh, is Idmach laech lais.
Cath Catharda, 11. 4395 ff. (" Cath."). (1)
Is techt tar aicned immorro. ocus (2) is feidm os
nirt, ocus (3) as onfaisi occiain, ocus (4) as
iarraidh fliorais i fudomain. oms (5) decsin
radhairc ir-reodoirclh'\e. ocus (6) as gabail >*
muir lain ice llnadh, ocus (7) as triall iccne for
airdrlgh, oe^is (8) as techt i cath gan congaibh
[airm], ocus (9) ns seoladh ind agaidh gae.ithe.
baegail in laech fuil

lam a nead nathrach, (2)

chindhlleg. bim cind'jfri

I2g

.i.

is

ocus

(10)

cuingidh freabt[h]a

as

ecca, ocus (11) as clirem ar

d'oenduine

isin

domun

fritagaidh

immatt eccintech

foiairt

aii[/i]mi

no

cathugud in lal sin.

Eachtra Lomnochtin, p. 23 ("Lom."), (1)
Is tuargain darach de dhornaibh, no (2) snmh i
n-aghaidh easa, no (3) ci/r gaid um ghainimh, f //
dul chum teaghlaigh m' athar-sa.
In Aislinge Meic Conglinne, pp. 71-73 (" Aisl.
M. C") there is a long list of this kind in which
some 45 different things which it would be vain
Most of
or foolish to attempt are eiiumerated.
aissneisin for

these sayings, however, are not of common

occurrence. One of them has already been referred to (no. 149 supra) references to a few of
the others will be found below.
;

snmh

870.

n-aghaidh easa.

Swimming against a waterfall,' Tor. Sh. (2)

CI. R.I. (1); Lom. (2); Dnl. Mac Bruaideadhain
stream (for
23 L 17, fo. 28a. With srotha,
easa), C.G. (1); T.T. (2). So snmh i n-aghaidh
'

'

tran-tvile,

snm^

mara

Gadelica

i.

240.

mr-thonnaig

Very similar
'

'

swimming

is

the

B. of Magh Rath, p. 172.

mighty-waved
Ucht ra mr-diUnd, breasting a great flood,'
Onfaisi occiain, Oath. (3),
C. R. Rig, p. 46.
immersing oneself in the
seems to mean
sea,'

'

'

ocean' so onfvise. (sic leg.) aigin in poem by

Baothghalach MacAodhagin, 'Contention' p
;

216, St.

371.

7.

cur gaid

um

ghainimh.

'Putting a withe around sand.'-^T.T.

130

(1);

Tor.

Sh. (3); CI. R.I.; Lorn. (3); Gadelica i.

Also formerly gat im (janem no im grian
('gravel '), cf. C.G. (4); TBC. 4057; Aisl. M.O.
71 (with gual, 'charcoal/ for grian).
Compare
the English " a rope of sand."
240.

372.

tuargain darach de dhoirnibh.

Beating an oak with one's

'

fists,'

Tor.

vSh.

Lom. (1). Var. (for tuargain)

M.C 71 and note, or csargain, C.G.

(1); CI. R.I. (3);

esorcu, Aisl.
(2).

373.

" bim cind

fri

hall."

Striking one's head against a rock,' " knocking one's head against a stone wall," T.T. (4);
Aen. (3). So essarcain cind fri hallih, C. R. Rig
'

46.

374.

(5)

" saiget

coirthi."

vShooting an arrow at a pillar-stone,'

'

Aisl.

375.

M.C. 71
glac

um

C. R.

Rig

T.T.

46.

glia grine.

Grasping at a sunbeam,' CI. R.I. (5). So

dornd i nrjae ngrni, C.G. (5). Similarly doi^
im dhiaidh, 'grasping at smoke,' B. Shuibhne
54; O'Dav. 1586. Dorn im che, King and
Hermit, p. 29.
'

376.
'

C.G.

"

fl re

mbrchtud robarta."

wall against the onrush of the flood-tide/

(3).

Cf.

gahciil re

mvir Jain

ice

linadh,

'resisting a full sea in flood,' Cath. (6); toir-

measg mora dileann, Tor. Sh. C

nnd fed huinne
da chor le cuan (with a variant cosg do chur ris
an mhuir mJwir), Dnfhocail 89.
'

377.

faddh teine f

Kindling a

'

shiill

and inhheur

89; CI. R.I.

378.

under a

fire

loch.
l;;ko,'

(for lodt),

with variants

Dnfhocail

seladh

ii-aghaidh gaoithe.

Sailing against the wind,' cf. Cath.

drim. i n-aghaidh gaoithe, Tor Sh. (5).
'

379.

70,

(4).

lmh

(9).

So

nead nathrach.

Putting one's hand into an adder's nest,'

cf Aen. (1) Tog. Troi (Calcutta, 1882), 1. 608
Lughaidh Cleirigh, I.T.S. xx. p. 18. So.
ropsat lama in-net nathrach, RC. xiii. 92
(Broma). See next phrase, and cf. fcarg nathrach ima ned, Aen. (5).
'

380.

ceann

gcuithe leomhaii.

Thus in B. Aodha Ruaidh, p. 268: Bo hadh

rciin i ccuithe leomhan no lamh i nead grihhe
To attack him
(sic leg.) a ionnsoigeadh itir,
uas like putting one's head into a lion's den, or
So nead grihhe
one's hand into a griffin's nest.'
griflBn's nest and lion's den,'
7 fochla Ipomhain,
'

'

applied to a formidable army, ibid. pp. 156,

Cf. CI. R.I. (7).
166.
is

132

" lua

381.

fri

borb."

kick against a boor,"T.T. (3). But tho

kickoriginal form was probably liia fri brot,
ing against a goad,' as the lua brot of Aen. (2)
suggests. Compare " contra stimulum calcitrare/' " to kick against the pricks," Acts ix. 5.
Hevwood combines this with versions of 370
'

'

and 373
" Folj-

spourne against a pricke,

to winche or kicke
Against the hard wall."
it

to

is

To stryue against the streme,

" athchungid ngra."

382.
Seeking strife,' " looking for trouble,"
Tog. Troi (Calcutta, 1882, 1. 609). So cuindchidh
ugra, Aen. (4).
'

383.

taomadh na mara

a'

-^

le cliabh.

Draining out iiie sea by means of a basket,'

Scottish (Cameion).
Cf. Merriman's Cirt,
740-742
11.
l
nu Sionainne tirim no a
'

taosgadli, etc.

384.
'

" robad do throich."

Giving a warning to one who

is

doomed,'

i.e.

a futile task, Aisl. M. C. 71. Ba rahhadh do

throich (sic leg.) a dteacjasg,
it was vain to
warn them,' Cath Muighe Lana 18. Cf. acht
cid comrdd re carraig comairli do t\_h']roich re, na
'

thiiigh-ba,

man
B. of

'

though to give advice to

before his death

Magh Rath

170.

is

doomed

like talking to a rock,'

flCff V'T^

" banna ria frais."

drop before a shower,' i.e. a portent of
greater things to come, Fled Bricrend (I.T.S.
ii. 64); Proc. R.I.A. 1895, p. 548.
So hainne re
bhfhrais in poem by GioUabrighde Mac Conmidhe, Misc. Celtic vSoc. p. 172. Mar hhraoni
da bhfearthair ria hhfrais, i.e.
as the first
drop of rain that portends the storm,' Lughaidh
385.
'

'

Clirigh (I.T.S. XX. 92).

coim

386.

ria gcioth.

cloak before rain,'

a shelter from the
shower,' used to denote ease, comfort.'
Thus
Nir hho coim ria cciodh (sic) do Aodh TJa
Domhnaill a eldlx, B. Aodha Ruaidh, p. 16.
Ba coimm ria ccioth dsomh tocht isin
ccaraffradh sin, F.M., 1599, p. 2140.
'

'

'

387
Thus

'

'

tochuiriuth drochcarat.

in Toch. tane (Ir. Tex.

i.

'

120)

toehuiriiith drocharat det-si on ani sein,

Ni ha
i.e.

'

It

no evil-minded friend whom you thus invite,'

spoken by Eochaid to tan. Another version
of Eochaid' s words is given in Br. Da Derga
(2): Ni ha faig drochcurad hi cein dait em,
No seeking of an ill friend afar shall be thine
is

'

(Stokes).

388.

sliocht sionnaigh ar oighrcig.

Thus in B. Aodha
of a fox on ice.'
80: Nlr hho sliocht siondaig for
oicjhreog eng 7 joillecht an chreach-slhlligh,
i.e. It was easy to find the track of the ravaging
'

The track

Ruaidh,

p.

army.
134

389.

filte

carad

um

The welcome of friends

E. CI. Righ na hloruaidhe
'

chuirm.
at a feast.'

(I.T.S.

i.

Thus

in

188): Nior

bli' f[h]ilte carad um chuirm filte na deise

deagh-laoch sin d' chile, i.e. their meeting
was anything but friendly. Compare in Muc
Mic D-th, Ntptar aigthe carat vm fhleid (Ir.

T.

i.

99).

390.
taobh le toll-airbhe.
Trusting to a broken fence/ (i.e. "a broken
reed"), B. of Magh Rath 126 {taeh re tollairhe).
The Four Masters compare the people of Tirolionaill after the death of their prince, Conn
Domhnaill, in 1583 to a corn-field with a
broken fence {gort taobh le tollairbhe). Other
exx. are
Damh ni taobh re tollairbhe, Timth.
viii. 46; ni taobh tollairbhe taobh ruinn, Tadhg
mac Dire (I.T.S. x-s. 98). Dinneen (s.v.
taobhaim) gives taobhadh le toUair c as current
in Donegal.
'

391.
'

in

392.
'

of

" boegal

n-cmais omain."

Danger without fear,' i.e. foolish confidence

the face of danger,PH. 3010.

The
an

ciiid

daimh d'eadradh.

ox's part in milking-time,'

idle spectator,

Tadhg

i.e.

the role

mac Daire

(I.T.S.

The Ulster cuid an tsearraigh de'n

XX. 128).
chliath (MacAdam 80; also in Scottish), lit.
the foal's share of the harrow,' has just the
'

same meaning.
135

AA-o^ ^^''^thl) ,.U^M

393.

4-

u^

^ ^ W^

cuid ghiolla an eich don gheirr-

fhiadh.

The horse-boy's share of the hare,'

small share, Danta Grdha, p. 42.
'

394.

dirc

i.e.

a very

soightheacli Ian.

Alms bestowed on a full vessel,' i.e.. unrequited effort, Danta Gr.idha, p. 29. So dirc
an mhilin lain, Bourke's Grammar, p. 281
dirce do'n phucdn ln, Morris 1015.
'

"j^ 395.

The
i.e. no
'

fnaradh ghiolla an ghabhann.

working-boy gets,'
merely a change from one
another, TBg. 174 (where

rest that the smith's

real rest but

kind of work to
Keating explains the phra,se). MacAdara (67)
has recorded an Ulster version
Sgiste ghiolla
an ghohha, 6 na huiUj chun na Jiitmeora.
:

39G.

sop

n-ionad na sguaibe.

wisp in place of a broom,' i.e. a poor

substitute.
Well known to-day. There is a
paraphrase in P. Haicead (p. 4) g tlthshop
scaipithe i malairt na scuaibe sinn. A synonj'm
J^ is an tsrathair i n-it na diallaite, 'the siraddle
in place of the saddle,' which is also found in
Compare clock i
Scottish (Cameron, p. 480).
n-ionad vitjhe,
a stone in place of an egg,'
used by Charles O'Conor of Belanagare in a
note in YBL. (p. 170a), and also known in Ulster
'

'

(MacAdam) and

in

Scotland.

136

coigeal

397.
'

in the

distaff

linih insigi.

hand

Thus

a fool.'

of

in

Nlr
23
3, p. 28 (Magbnus Domhnaill)
chogl a Idimh oinsighe sin, i.e. he showed himA current Ulster form is
self an adept at it.
:

cuigel

ndorn na hamaidighe, Morris 1158.

Scottish has claidhcamh an laimh amadain is

a sword in the
slachdan an laimh oinsigh,
hand of a male fool, and a beetle in the hand
'

of a woman-fool.'

398.

^f^^lf^^So

do loch.

iiisge

Thus in LU. Irish Nennius (ed. Hogan, p.

Ferta tra Pfraic do innisin dvihsi, a
15)
//iuu Herend, is usee do loch insin, 'To relate
:

you,
Patrick

to

men

Ireland,

of

the

miracles of

St.

bringing water to a lake,' i.e. is

Scottish has (inter alia)
a needless task.
B 'e
sin an salann 'g a. chur 's a' mhuir,
That wer
(like) putting salt in the sea.'
Welsh has similarly cludo hcli i'r mdr,
to carry salt-water to
the sea.' These are all equivalent to the English " canving coals to Newcastle."
like

is

'

'

399.
*

troid

foolish

and

p. 300.

mous poem

le sliiagh.

an

against

futile effort,

army,'

Bourke's

i.e.

Grammar,

literary instance occurs in an anonyin 23

4, p.

133

Gan

ag duit da

troid bhodaigh re ceithrinn.

trod a'
Scottish form resembles the latter

ttairginlnisi

The

bodaigh

fight

churl's

hhodaich ris
Edinb. MS.).

'|

is

a'

cJieathairn

137

(Nicolson;

also

VS"/

Very similar is the phrase iniirt bhodaigh in

mhacaoinih, the play of a churl with a young
warrior,' used in the literature in the sense of
a one-sided game,' 'an uneven contest' (23 D 4,
p. 133; St. A. iv. 3, p. 801).
Compare also
'

'

gleic leinibh is laoich luinn,

'

a child's contest

with a doughty warrior,' Anluan

Mac Aodha-

gin, I.T.S. xxi. 224.

400.

mic-tire

"Wolves

gcroicnibh caorach.

in sheep's clothing" (cf. Matt. vii.

15), Peadar Doirnin, GJ. 70, p. 156. Earlier

in a poem in LB.
Bid foel i craicend choerecli,
GJ. 45, p. 194. A current Munster form is
machtire i gcroiceann na fisge a variant
:

(GJ. 44, p. 192) has

machtire, wolf.'

madadh ruadh,

'

fox,' for

'

401.

urchar an

daill fa'n

'The blind man's shot

dom

shot,

given

Scottish form

is

by

(Edinb.

(hihltaicli

Mac Adam

similar

dabhach.

at the vat,'

i.e.

a ran-

for Ulster.

The

urchair an doill mu'n

MS., and Nicolson).

In

poem by Diarmaid mac Shein Bhuidhe the

Nior bh'
(cf
ed. Torna, p. 43)
urchar daill fa aill dam tigheacht chtha, i.e.
I
it was no mistake on my part to visit them
was sure to be repaid for my trouble. Here fa
aUl seems^^,^
is_^ be a corrupted form of fd
line occurs

dhaibhich.

402.

ar a chliathaibh

Keating

in his

'

fis.

Forus Feasa

138

'

(ii.

pp. 348-350)

says that,

when

all

other means of divination

wrap themselves
which they had previously
spread on wattles of the quicken-tree hence,
he adds, anyone Avho does his utmost to get information is proverbially said to go
on his
wattles of knowledge
a chliathaibh fis).
( ar
The phrase occurs twice in the Contention of
the Bards,' viz., codail ar do cldiathaibh fis,
Fearfeasa 'n Chinte (p. 108); and ar ndul do
ar a chUaihaibh fis, R. Mac Artir (p. 158). It
failed them, the druids used to
in fresh bulls' hides

'

'

'

now

is

obsolete.

403.

caith agiis cosain iad.

Spend them and defend them,'

said to a
Me
with reference to his subjects,
Guidhir Fhearmanach,' p. 58. So the Four
Masters (p. 735), in recording the death of Pilip
Mag Uidhir in 1395, speak of him as fer caithme
In the
7 chosanta [leg.
cosantal a rhrlclie
Battle of Magh Lana (p. 106) it is said of Conn
Ceadchathach with reference to Ireland
As i
bardnta as fearr dh caitheamh agas dhd cosnamh . English writers of Elizabeth's time
make reference to the phrase. Thus Robert
Payne in his Brife Description of Ireland
reprinted in the Ir. Arch.
(printed in 1590
'

ruler

'

'

"They haue a common

am perswaded they speake unwhich is, Defend me and spend me

Soc. vol. for 1841) says:

saying which
feinedly,

'

'

meaning from the oppression

of

'

Ireland,'

do

worser

our countriemen." And a few years

Spenser, in his View of the State of
says: "They (the Irish) were never

sorte of
later

the

tA^t

4^ ^ eLea^^

0-^

wont, and yet are loth, to yield any certain

but only spendings
for their common
saying is, Spend me and defend me.' "
rent,

'

duine i n-aghaidh an tsaoghail.

One man against the world.' Cf. "Athanasius
contra mundum." The above is the current
404.

'

form other versions were very common in the

literature of a few centuries ago.
Thus: Nd
;

Dnfhocail 185.
't aon i n-agliaidh chich,
{T) it aon i n-aghaidh mr-shhtaigh, R. Mac
Artuir in the 'Contention' (I.T.S. xx. p. 152,
hi

aon i n-aghaidh -pobail, Aodh

same (p. 136, st. 7). 'N-ti aon
Heoghusa (Ir.
i n-aglhlaidh pobuil, Eochaidh
Monthly, 1920, p. 595). 'S me an t-aon i
n-aghaidli phohail in an anonymous poem (cf.
St.

45).

Domhnaill

23

it

in the

4, p. 133).

cram Una.

405.

Una's

solicitude.'
Applied to the occupaWell known to-day; often
with the explanatory addition of cur am gan
chion,
solicitude without affection.'
An instance occurs in a Connacht quatrain in 23 Q 18,
p. 406 (transcribed circ. 1818)
Mas ort ata
ciirani
ughna (sic), go ma fada han do
'

tion of a busybody.
'

ghallra.

406.
"

muc

mala.

pig in a poke." Current to-day, and

probably of English origin. Tt occurs thus in

140

O'Molloy's Lucerna Fidelinm

(1676), p. 313:
A'i chennlnjitighnnne pigin a maladh.
'

'

ag marbhadli

407.

iiiada

mhairbh.

Killing a dead dog,' i.e. " flogging a dead

horse," or "pouring water on a drowned rat,"
Luc. Fid., p. 333. Morris (1165) gives a S.-E.
caitheamh clock ar inhadadh
Ulster version
niarbh, throwing stones on a dead dog.'
'

'

cleamhnas an charn-aoiligh agus -^

i bhfad amach.

408.

cirdeas crostaidhe

Marriage at the dung-heap, and sponsorship

i.e.
It is best to marry a neighbour
and to have one's god-parents far away,' Clare
(cf. GJ. 188, p. 136).
A Derry version is very
similar (Morris 138). As early as the fourteenth
century Gofraidh Fionn alludes to it as an
established maxim; his version is Cleamhnas ar
'

far away,'

duine

fhi,

Marrying

near

dcis
'

'

is

altrannas

and

fosterage

f^^ f ^ tfi
/n^

ff

'

(Ir.

Monthly, 1919, p. 5). Scottish has Fosadh thar

na h-innearachj 'us goisfeacht thar muir,
Marriage o'er the midden, sponsorship o'er
sea.' There are other Scottish versions in which

'

'

courting
takes the place of
sponsorship
(Nicolson 351 Cameron 505) some such substitution was to be expected when once the old
custom of fosterage had fallen into disuse.
'

'

'

N.E. has " Better marry ower the midden

than ower the muir {i.e. moor)," which
would seem to have been borrowed from Scot;^
141

c-

-^ )'^

n-imgin,
afar

^y

though Nicolson quotes a proverb from

Cheshire which is very similar.
tish

409.

Oisin d' is na Fine.

Oisin after the Fian,' applied to a solitary

survivor of former days, as Oisin was supposed
to have survived all his comrades and to have
lived down to St. Patrick's time.
Compare
'

Diarmaid's words to Oisin in Tor. Dhiarmada

agus Ghrainne (Oss. Soc. iii. 190) Biairse fin,
a Oisin, ad challaire d'is na Finne. The
phrase is a common one in modern Irish thus
Sean Conaill, in his 'Tuireamh na hireann,'
applies it to vSir Cahir O'Doherty whose tardy
rebellion took place in 1608: 6 Dochartaifili ina,
Oisin d'is na Fine,
do thgaihh cogadh nr
chosain ar aon-chor. Diarmaid mac Shein
Buidhe writes: 7m Oisin d'is na Finne is
truagh mar tim (p. 61). Aindrias Mac Cruitin
in his address to Donn similarly compares him:

self

Mnr

Oisin ag osnaigJie 's ng caoineadh

D'is na Fine go lir dhul fd lioga.

The phrase has also been preserved

mnr Oisenn an digh no Feinne.
410.

sgaradh cinn

le

in Scottish

colainn.

Chonaill Ghulban
xriaradh cinn fria colainn an sgaradh sin,

Thus

in

Eachtra

'

Ba
That

parting was as the parting of head from body,'

A little later in the same text
23
10. p. 117.

this

is

nmplified in verse as follows

118):

142

(ef.

ihid. p.

Mo
is

sgaradh-sa is Conall caomh

sgaradh eilit fri a laogh,
sgaradh mic is a mhthar,
sgaradh deise dearhhrthar.

Is sgaradh lachan fri linn,

sgaradh cuirp

is

a chaoimh-chinn,

did uaidsi, a ChonaiU chliaraigh

gus an niBeirbhe mhnsgiathaigh.
i.e. our parting is as the parting of a hind from
its fawn, or of a boy from his mother, or the
parting of two brothers, or the parting of a
duck from the lake, or of the body from the
damh
head. Cf. As scorudh cuirp re cride
|

deghnil rem dherbhfine, Beatha Coluimb Chille,

With sgaradh lachan fri linn cf. the
p. 192.

Maghnus
Domhnaill, Dnta Grdha p. 2.
The first of the two quatrains quoted above

paraphra.se sgaradh ein re fioruisge,

in the Battle of Magh

with the substitution of dehaid,
for sgaradh. 'parting':

closely

is

Eath,

p.

'strife,'

paralleled

134,

Mo
is

411.

dehaid is Co-ngail Claen

dehaid ellti re laeg,
dehaid mic is a mthar,
is troid desi dearhrdthar.
filte

U Cheallaigh.

i.e. a very hearty welD. Bruadair iii. 186; Aogn

Raithile (2nd. edn., p. 44). It is probable that
(as Father MacErlean suggests) this phrase had
its origin in the remarkable invitation extended
to all the poets, musicians, etc., of Ireland by
'

O'Kelly's welcome,'

come,

143

Uilliam

Ceallaigh at Chiistmastide, 1351 (see

The phrase is still current (Kerry).
phrases introducing surnames are

iiii, V. .50).

Other

tabharias UiBhriain{'s a dh shil'nadhiaidh),

O'Brien's gift,' i.e. one very grudgingly given
and bodhaire Mhic Mhathamhna, MacMahon's
deafness,' i.e. deafness which is merely feigned
'

<

'

(Clare,

GJ.

186,

p.

105).

bodhaire Ui Laoghaire,
(cf. Mion-chaint ii. 36)
meaning as the latter.

412.

^.^J^,

fl ar

'

is

an ngort

West

In

Cork

deafness
used with the same

O'Learj^'s

tar eis iia foghla.

the plunder has been

committed,' i.e. " locking the stable-door when
the steed has been stolen." Still current, as is
'

Fencing

field after

also a variant fl

an bhodairj

d'is

na foghla.

a literary allusion to this phrase in the

Fl
first line of an anonymous religious poem
iar bhfoghail don othar an fhaoisidin (cf. H. 5.
Cf. 'S dnadh an dorais fur eis na
3, p. 62).

There

is

foghla, in a
i.

Munster folk-song (An tAithriseir

9).

J13.
'

piobaire an aon-phuirt.

piper

who has

Still curonly one tune.'

and in Scotland. There

rent, both in Ireland

is

(')
a literary instance in a poem by Eoghan
iVi me piobaire an an-phuirt (cf.

Donnaoile

Reliq. Celt.

414.

dhatha

ii.

ag
aige.

294).

lorg

gadhair

is

gan

fios

(A

'

doesn't
to-day.

man) looking for a clog although he

know the dog's colour.' Well-known

Occurs in Toms Caiside's autobiography (Kj iarruidh mo ghadliuir 's gan fios
a dhath agam (cf. 23
35, p. 60).
:

As may be inferred from some of the above

phrases, Irish often expresses as a metaphor
what other languages would rather express as a
simile.
Similes, however, are also found in
Irish.
I give here a few examples of stereotyped similes (which may be looked upon as
proverbial phrases) which are frequently used
in the literature in describing a hero's (or an
army's) victorious onrush through opposing
forces

amhail seabhac

415.

mhin-anaibh.

tr

Like a hawk through small

'

amhail faolch f thread caorach.

416.
'

birds.'

Like a wolf through a flock of sheep.'

amhail

417.

miol

mr

tr

mhin-

iasgaibh.
'

Like a whale through small

fishes.'

Two or more of these similes are frequently

used together, hence it is convenient to bring
examples of all three together here. An early
instance of 412 is: feih ras leic se/ig for mintu,
'as the

hawk

attacks

little

birds,

TBC,

ed.

Wind., 3792. No. 413' is seen in Imsdi Conchobar chucu amal fuel f chalrib, Toch. Ferbe (Ir.

145

T.

iii.

516),

and

Bodn-imheir jorru anud

in

Togail Troi (Ir. T. ii.

In Eachtra Chonaill Ghulbain we have
Tid ftha amhail seahhac tre. mhin-anaihh
(cf. 23
10, p. 31) and Tid ftha, trotha is
tarsa amhail bleidhmhiol fo mhin-iasgaihh (cf.
ibid. 68). In Eachtra Lomnochtin
Do ghahhadar Fianna Eireann da leadradh amhail faolchonaihh ocracha craos-sgaoilte [leg. craoiosgailte'] tre mhin-tradaihh caorach, no amhail
miol mr tr mhin-iasgaihh no amhail seahhac
tre ealtain de mhin^canaihh (p. 34; cf. also ibid.
In some Munster folk-tales we find these
66).
Danan Diarmaid
similes still living, thus
ftha 7 gahhan triotha sahhall 7 anall, amhail
seahhac tre sgata mion-an, no madadh allta,
tre treahha (sic) caorach, Oir. Proc. 1898, p. 66;
and Dhein s ftha mar dheunfadh seahhac f
sgata mion-eun la Mcirta, in a Kerry version of
Eachtra Chonaill Ghnlban,' An Lochrann,
Mrta, 1911.
felaid

etir

chirclviL,

1433).

'

418.

amhail buinne ndileann a hucht

airdshlibhe.
Like a flood

rushing down from a high

mountain,' Conall Gulban (cf. 23 TM 10, p. 98).
So Do chaidh fthu 7 trthu 7 tarsa mur dam
ndian nddsachtach arna drochhtialad, no mur
leoman arna chrd jdna chuilenaih, no mur
huinni ndian ndilinn sceithes a hucht airddhe
'

i n-aimsir thuili hrisis 7 minaighes gach nl gusa

loichend, Fianaigecht p. 94. Atraarhtatar Lagin
amal hvivne dllr.nd do ailUl). Broma
(RC. xiii. 90). Bloisghheim hninne dilionn do
.

ucht airdshUihhe, B. Shuibhne, 124.

146

V.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
There are in early Irish literature a number
and wise sayings attributed to certain characters of history or legend
who had obtained a reputation for wisdom.
These are (1) Audacht (or Auraicept) Moraind,
the Testament of Morann,' supposed to have
been King of Ireland, a.d. 15-36*; (2) Tecosca
Cormaic,
the Instructions of Cormac
mac
Airt, said to have been King of Ireland in the
third century; (3) Senhriathra Fithail, 'the
Proverbs of Fithal
(or Fitheal), lawgiver to
King Cormac mac Airt
and (4) Briathra
Flainn Fhina maic Ossu, 'the AVords of Flann
Fina,' the name by which Aldfrid, son of King
Oswy of Northumbria, was known in Ireland.
In addition to these there is an equally old
collection of Triads, or wise sayings arranged in
groups of three, which has been edited by Kuno
Meyer (Todd Lecture Series xiii., R.I. A.). All
these have been quoted from above, particularly
(3) and (4), which are to a large extent iden-

of collections of precepts

'

'

'

'

But of the greater number of the sayings in these ancient compilations it may be
said that there is no evidence that they ever

tical.

This has been edited by Thurneysen, ZCP. xi. 56

other texts will be found

References to editions of the

Best's Bibliography, p. 263.

147

attained such a degree of popularity as would

warrant our regarding them as proverbs.

Coming

to

modern

times,

we may begin with

Begly's English-Irish Dictionary (Paris, 1732),

which has often been quoted from supra (see
nos.

30,

63,

115,

124,

128,

132,

194, 198, 223,

A good number of English proverbs

are given in this work of Begly's, but the Irish
equivalents he sets after them are, as a rule,
mere slavishly literal translations of the Eng(in
he
gives
lish.
Occasionally,
however,
addition, frequently, to a literal rendering)
what appear to be genuine Irish proverbs or
342, 365).

phrases.

proverbial

Besides

most

of

those

quoted above, the following seem to be genuinely

Irish (I retain Begly's spelling):

do ghndh, agus ith fein do

shudg, " Self do, self have," p. 600b.
(2) BUghe comaoin citeadh, and (3) lonnlaitt na Inmha a rhcUc, " Claw me, claw thee,"
(1)

Dein

fein

380a.
(4) 7s

"

Many

meinli'\c cealg a mhun na pige,

do kiss the hands they wish to see cut

off," 385a.
(5) Ithigh greidltm grcidhm oile, " One shoulder of mutton draws down another," 607b.
(6) Tuibhe na hdthadh do chur ar an muilJionn, " To rob Peter to pay Paul," 584b.
Literally,
to put the thatch of the kiln on the
tuhhadh na
mill.'
Still preserved in Scottish
h-atha air a' mhuilinn; in the Edinb. MS.,
tngha na hifh ga chur air a' mhuilionn.
Nicolson quotes a N.E. form (probably borrowed
from Sc.) "Tir the kiln to thack the mill."
'

148

(,7)

l-l,

Mas ionmhuin an chrin,

(8) Mas ionmhuin leat

ionmhuin an

is

me, is ionmhuin
dog," 428b. Tliere

and

rim, " Love me, love my

a version of the former in Hardiman. Scottish has Ma's toigh leat a'mhuc, is toigh leat a
h-al (Cameron).
ino
is

Mol an t-dth mur do gheahhair ,

(9)
Never praise a ford till you go over," 229a.
Nowadays usually Moladh gach cinne an t-ddh
''

mar a ghebhaidh.
(10) Mas olc maol,

is measa mullg, " There's

not so bad a Jack but there's as bad a Jil,"
339a.
In F. Keane's collection (12 Q 13), Ni
measa maol nd maolg. In Hardiman, Ma's
dona maol is measa maolg. Cf. Morris 373.
(11) Nlor ear caire nach rachadh ar foghadh,
" He that will not when he may, when he fain
would he shall have nay," 662a. Hardiman has
Nior toib [leg- theib or ob] cuire nach rachadh
ar foighdhe, 'begging'].
forfoidlie
12) Ni thig olc a ttir nach fearrde duine
igin, " It is an ill wind that blows no body
good," 662b. The current Galway and Donegal
forms are nearly as in Begly.
(13) Bi an fhirinne searhh ar uairibh, "All
truths are not to be spoken at all times," 645a.
Compare no. 52 supra.
" Where
(14) Ni bhi deatach gan teinidh,
[_

there is smoke there is fire," 614a. Compare

Ml. 40c 1 (Miss E. Knott). An dit a mbionn
toif,

bionn teine, Uls.

(15) Cr roimh na hnrcuihh, " You count your

chickens befoi-e they are hatched," 297b. So
crodh (leg. cr) roimh an arc, Hardiman. Nd
dean cr a roimhe nn hnrcaihh. Do not build
'

149

K-P^?3

-^

"^'

r^r
S''-f-

the sty before the litter comes,' MaoAdam 34.

N b ag deunamh na crite roimis na torcaibh,
GJ. 79, p. 104 (Cork).
(16) Ni he an cnmh as luTm, acht an fheoil
ar a ghualalijnn, " Fine feathers make fine
birds," 212a (with as printed as as).
(17) An ti bhios abhfad amuigh dearmudthar
a chuid, "Long absent, soon forgotten," 6b.
Nowadays An t bhonn amxnch, fuaruighea/nn

a chuid.
(18) Tagradh ar silbhreith, " To
nacks for last year," 26a.

Na

(19)

da.nadh

dil,

's

make alma-

bheifh

lorn

do

" Ever spare and ever bare," 63b.

Danadh is a misspelling for dana { = din).
(20) Ni bhi sonus gan donus na rlughe frd,

ghnth,

"

No

rose without a thorn," 587a.

Cf. current

versions, as a line of verse, in GJ. 192 p. 198

(Cork), Amhrin Chi. Gaedheal p. 108 1. 3

(Galway), Irisl. M. Nuadhad, 1912,

" No joy
(Donegal). Cf.
English
alloy," " No joy without annoy."
(21)

"To

Uan ag mnadh

milidhe d mhthair,

grandam to give suck,"

Hardiman. Well-known to-day.

teach one's

Also in

The

first

137

p.

without

272b.

printed collection of Irish proverbs

appeared in Hardiman' s Irish Minstrelsy,

ii.

pp. 397-408, published in 1831. It consists of

228 proverbs alphabetically arranged, "of different ages "
and derived " from various
sources both oral and written." But, although
he does not specify it, Hardiman's main, if not
his only, source must have been the MS. which
is now Egerton 146 in the British Museum.
i.=;o

The 'Seanraite Eirionnacha in this MS. are in

the handwriting of Edward O'Reilly, the lexicographer and from internal evidence Mr. Robin
Flower (to whom I am indebted for information
concerning the MS.) conjectures, with great
probability, that the collection was originally
'

made by Tadhg Neachtain {flor. 1710-1749).

The proverbs in this collection are on the whole
less
popular in character than those of
O'Longan. Some of them have an archaic or
literary flavour, while others seem somewhat
artificial and translated literally from English.
It is evident, too, that Hardiman did not
always understand the proverbs he gives. Thus
he prints one of them as ocht n-amharc ocJit
ccuimhne, as if it meant eight sights, eight
memories
but in this form the proverb is a
bogus one, though Bourke and T. Concheanainn have copied the blunder. The
original reading was obviously s amharc, as
cuimhne, i.e. out of sight, out of mind,' s or
OS being Tadhg Neachtain's spelling of as (see
Gadelica i. 157 note, and also no. 76 supra).
It is remarkable how few of the proverbs in
the present collection appear among those printed
by Hardiman. Out of the 418 proverbs and proverbial phrases given above, Hardiman has ver'

'

'

sions of only 15, viz., nos. 36, 75, 105, 107, 114,
134, 136, 163, 169, 183, 224, 274, 291, 365

and

406.

Canon

TJ.

J.

Bourke, in

his Irish

Grammar

(pp. 275-302 of the edn. of 1879), has printed a

collection of about 300 proverbs, derived partly

from Hardiman, partly from " a manuscript

collection of proverbs in the possession of Mr.

John

O'Daly,"

and

from

partly

"other

sources."

In the
later

foUowinjj;

collections

i)n,t;es

of

Irish

.ij;ive

a list of tha

proverbs,

arranged

according to the province of origin. In addition to those mentioned below collections of

proverbs have occasionally appeared in Irish
newspapers, and perhaps also in American
newspapers or periodicals but I have found it
impossible to refer to these. Otherwise the lists
below will, I hope, be found fairly complete.
Many collections, big and small, appeared in
the " Gaelic Journal " (referred to as " GJ."),
;

particularly in vols. iv. v. and vi., when it was

under the editorship of Father O'Growney, and
in vols, xiv-xvi in which three Oireachtas prizeAs may be inferred
collections were published.
from the details given below, the districts in
which the best collecting work has been done
are East Ulster, Galway, and West Munster.
Figures in square brackets indicate the total

number

of proverbs.

MUNSTER
'Irish Language Miscellany,'
190 proverbs of "the peaspp. 89-98.
antry"; doubtless mainly from O'Daly's native

John O'Daly:

1876,

county of Waterford.

PDRAIG Laoghaire
OJ. iv. pp. 41

Cork):

(Eyeries, Beara,

[20],

S.W.

79 [8]; v. p. 73

[13].

Danikl McCabe (Banteer, Cork)

236 [34];
[21].

It

v.
is

GJ.

iv.

p.

pp. 104. 125, 139 [86]; vii. p. 141

to be noted that the proverbs sent

152

the GJ. by this contributor seem in some

to have been borrowed from printed
sources such as Hardinian and O'Daly.
to

cases

William Long:

(Ballyferriter,

W. Kerry):

GJ.

V. pp. 21, 37, 61 [137].

P. McC.MtTHY: GJ. V. pp. 172, 184, and
Cork.
p. 9 [35]
D. J. Galvin: GJ. vi. pp. 60, 78, 90 [47];

vi.

Cork.

Sean Briain GJ. svi. p. 88, continued in

following numbers and ending p. 165 [482]
:

five

Clare.

Sean C.^dhlaigh, and others: GJ. xvi. pp.

188, 197, 230 [278]; CuUin, Co. Cork.
Anonymous or smaller collections in GJ.
Vol. iv. p. 192, Cork [17; with 7 others of unspecified provenance]; p. 207, Kerry [8], and
Cork [15]; p. 209, Cork [39], Waterford [1]; p.
236, Cork [19]; p. 247, Kerry [26], Cork [3],
and Clare [5]. Vol. v. p. 13, Kerry [14], and
Cork [18]; p. 38, Cork [13], Clare [16], and
Kerry [6], with some others [13] of unspecified
provenance; p. 88, Cork [30]; p. 140, Limerick
[3] and Kerry [6]; p. 157, Clare [1] and Cork
Vol. vi. p. 10, Munster [8]; p. 79, Cork
[8].
[7].

SAMUS DuBHGHAiLL
(ire.

1901, pp.

Leabhar Cainte,'
149-172; about 230 Kerry pro'

Connacht ones. The

same writer contributes 48 Kerry variants of
Galway proverbs to GJ. xvi. p. 109.
Donnchadha
Seanfhocail na
Tadhg
Mumhan. T.,' 1902; 570 proverbs, partly from
John O'Daly's printed collection, partly from
O'Longan's MS. collection (see above), and
verbs, together with a few

153

'

down in Munster by the editor.

Most, if not all, of these last had been already
printed by him in GJ. vii. pp. 46, 57, 65, 104,
where 180 Cork proverbs are given.
Canon O'Leary often quotes proverbs (\V.
Cork) at the end of the various fables in his
'Aesop a thinig go hirinn (I. and II.).
Rev. M. Sheehan
Sean-chaint na nDise,'
Cnuasacht Trgha,' pp.
1906, pp. 226-232, and
39-47
less than 100 proverbs from Ring, Co.
Waterford.
ToMs
in 'An Lchrann,' Oct.
Caoimh
1909; 30 proverbs from Waterford.

partly taken

'

'

'

Gearid Nuallin
Nuadhad,' 1914, pp. 5-7

in

Irisleabhar

Muighe
West

61 proverbs from

Cork.

Tonn Toime,' 1915, pp.

250 proverbs from Kerry, mainly taken
from printed sources including the William Long
Seosamh Laoide:

105-116

'

collection.

PDRAIG SiocHFHRADHA (" An Seabhac ")

beginhas been publishing in An Lchrann

ning April, 1916, and continued, with some
numbers th
interruptions,
subsequent
in
largest collection of Munster proverbs yet made.
His collection is evidently to some extent based
on printed sources, but it includes many addi'

'

tional proverbs noted by himself.*

LEINSTER
An anonymous

Kilkenny pro-

collection of 50

not be amiss to add that, while most of the other

collections mentioned in the Bibliography have been drawn on
from time to time in the present volume, I have not made
any use of this collection of An Seabhac's.
*

h may

^54

verbs

printed in

is

Finne an Lae

'

'

of 1 July,

1899, p. 203.

For Meath

have noted

in

print

only

solitary proverb, published in GJ. iv. p. 209.

OONNACHT
DoMHNALL FoTHARTA

'
:

Siamsa an Ghimh-

ridh,' 1892, pp. 99-102 [61].

J. J.

Lyon: GJ.

viii.

p. 56 [14],

and

ix. p.

271 [20].

Anonymous or smaller collections

in GJ.

Galway [4]; p. 248 [6]. Vol. v.

Galway [14] p. 71, W. Connacht [56] p.
Galway [11] and Mayo [3]. Vol. vi. p. 10
p. 91, Galway [8]; p. 123, Galway [11].

Vol. iv. p. 210,

p. 38,

139,

[6];
Vol. X. p. 30,

Mayo

[4].

To MAS Concheanainn

'

Mion-chomhrdh,'

1904, pp. 141-161; about 264 proverbs, source

unspecified ; probably in part from Arran, but it
is evident that the bulk of them are merely
copied from Bourke.

ToMs hEidhin GJ. vols, xiv.-xvi., beginning no. 178, p. 827, and ending no. 184, p.
69; 653 proxerbs from South Galway (Ardrahan
As
district); but there are some duplications.
might be expected from their provenance, a
large number of these proverbs are either identical with those current in Munster or differ
from them only very slightly.
F. A. Fahy in An Connachtach,' Oct. 1907,
:

'

Jan., Feb., and March, 1908 [59].

ToMs MILLE

'
:

An Ghaoth

pp. 31, 45, 60, 69, 79, 91 [32].

155

Aniar,' 1920,

ULSTER
KoBERT MacAdam:

in 'The Ulster Journal of

Archaeology,' 1858-1862, viz., vol. vi. pp. 172, 250;

278; vol.

vol. vii. p.

223 [600].

ix. p.

H. Lloyd: (Seosanih Laoide) GJ. iv. p.

248, Armagh [8]; vi. p. 184 and vii. p. 88,
Monaghan [92]; xii. p. 154, Cavan [6].
John Ward: GJ. vii. p. 6, Donegal [59].
CoNALL Mag Fhionnlaoigh GJ. viii. p. 13,
Donegal [19].
E. C. QuiGGiN
A Dialect of Donegal,' 1906,
p. 195, Donegal [24].
NR Muirgheasa (H. Morris): (tJ. viii.
The same collector has
p. 177, Monaghan [76].
J.

'

published Seanfhocla Uladh,' 1907, containing

1,637 Ulster proverbs, and incorporating MacAdam's and the GJ. collections the bulk of
these proverbs are from S.-E. Ulster.
He has
published a supplementary list of 192 Ulster
proverbs (mainly from Donegal) in the Journal
of the Co. Louth Archieoloifical Society,' iv.
258 (1917).
'

'

SCOTTISH
The

and printing of proverbs in

Scotland was taken in hands at an
earlier date than in Ireland, and we have still a
good deal of lee-way to make up before we are
on a level with our Scottish kinsmen. The collections of Nicolson and Cameron alone contain
considerably over 4,000 different proverbs. The
collection

Gaelic

principal collections are

Gaelic Proverbs and
Donald Mackintosh
Familiar Phrases,' Edinburgh, 1785. Contains
:

'

1,305 proverbs and phrases, increased in the

second edition (Edinburgh, 1819) to 1,538.
Alexander Nicolson
Gaelic Proverbs and
Familiar Phrases,' Edinburgh, 1881. Contains
over 3,900.* Incorporates Mackintosh's collec'

tion.

Alexander Cameron

in
Reliquioe Celticoe,'
Supplemenpp. 475-507 (Inverness, 1894).
tary to Nicolson, and containing over 1,200
proverbs which are partly variants of those in
'

ii.

work and partly additional proverbs

not included by him.
There are numerous smaller collections, of
Nicolson's

which

to

it will suffice

mention two here,

viz.

the proverbs in Edinburgh MS. Ixii., in the

handwriting of Alasdair Mac Domhnaill, the
poet; these have been printed in Reliquia?
Celticae i. pp. 151-159.
(2) 89 proverbs from
Skye, prjritfrl by Chr Sarauw_jn the Mis cgllany
presented to Kuno Meyer, pp. 36 f f.
(1)

MANX
The

also the most reliable,

authority for Manx proverbs is A. Cregeen, who
in his
Dictionary of the Manks Language
(Douglas, 1835) occasionally quotes them. Small
collections have also been given in vols. xvi.
and xxi. of the Mans Society (1849 and 1873),
and in Moore's ' Folk-lore of the Isle of Man
All these have been incorporated by G.
(1891).
earliest,

and

'

'

W. Wood

in an article in

'Folk-lore,' v. pp.

* I have adopted Nicolson's estimates of the numbers of

proverbs (including proverbial phrases) in his own collection
and in that of Mackintosh.

157

229-274 (1894), where about 250 Manx proverbs

are brought together.
A later collection is

Manx Proverbs and Sayings/ by S. Morrison

and C. Roeder (1905); but many of the "proverbs" in this booklet seem obviously artificial,
and English inspiration is manifest.
'

Two

unpublished

collections

of

proverbs

among the MSS. of the Royal Irish Academy

may be mentioned here, as occasional reference
has been made to them in the present volume.
Tlie first is 3 C 21, which contains about 600
proverbs, the bulk of which evidently belong to
South Connacht, though a few are from the
literature
(Four Masters principally). The
compiler's name is not mentioned, nor is the
date but the collection was evidently made not
earlier than 1864, for there are references to
;

O'Donovan's Supplement to O'Reilly, which

appeared in that year. The other collection

MS. 12 Q 13, part

pp. 68-73. written by Francis Keane, a
native of Co. Clare, in 1876.

consists of 123 proverbs in the

iii.,

158

ABBREVIATIONS,

Etc.

References to Irish and Scottish sources ot

proverbs {e.g. MacAdam, Begly, Nicolson, etc.)
will be readily understood on consulting the
Bibliography. By " Edinb. MS." is meant the
Reliqniie Celticte,' i. pp.
collection printed in
151-159 (see p. 157, supra).
\\'hen no locality is assigned to current Irish
proverbs quoted in illustration of the text, they
may be assumed to be in use in Munster (particularly Kerry and Cork), though of course not
necessarily confined to the South. "When th
proverbs or proverbial phrases to which the
numbers are attached are j\Iiddle-Irish in form,
the fact is generally indicated by the use of
double inverted commas.
The following abbreviations will in general be
familiar to students of Irish literature, but for
some readers it may be convenient to have them
explained here
'

ACL.

LL.
LU.
0'Gr(adv)Cat.

Book

of Leinster.

Leabhar na hUidhre.
S. II.

O'Grady's Catalogue of
MSS. in the British

Irish

Museum.

PH.

Passions and Homilies from

the Leabhar Breac (ed
Atkinson).

RC.

Revue

TBC.

Celtique.
Silva Gadeiioa (O' Grady).
Tain B Ciialnge (ed. Win-

TBg.

Tri

ZCP.

Zeitschrift

f^Gl.

disch).

Bior-ghaoithe
Atkinson).

an

Bhis

(ed.

fiir

Celtische Phil-

ologie.

''Sc." stands for Scottish, i.e.

Scottish
When a proverb is said to be " still
preserved in Scottish," nothing more is to be
inferred than that it is found in one or more
It is quite possible
of the Scottish collections.
that some of the proverbs in, say. Mackintosh's
collection may be nowhere in actual use to-day,
seeing how the Scottish-speaking area has been
narrowed during the last century. A similar
remark applies to the Irish proverbs recorded
Iiy MacAdam in Ulster in the fifties of the last
century; it is probable that Irish has now disappeared from most of the places where these
proverbs were obtained.
English proverbs, as a rule, are indicated
merely by the use of double inverted commas
("
") "N.E." stands for Northern
English, i.e. the English of Scotland. By
" Skeaf is meant W. W. Skeat's 'Early EngGaelic.

...

i6o

lish

Proverbs' (Oxford, 1910).

"

Heywood

" re-

John Heywood's collection of proverbs

published in London in 1562 (' Three hundred
Epigrammes upon three hundred Prouefbes,' and
Prouerbes
Dialogue ... of the effectuall
concernynge
in the Englishe Tounge
Maryages '). I have used the 1867 reprint of
Heywood's work, but have usually modernised
fers to

'

the spelling.
To obviate possible misunderstanding, it may
not be amiss to state that by " West Cork " is
meant the Ballingeary-Ballyvourney district in
"West Muskerrv. Co. Cork.

i6i

INDICES
TEXTS QUOTED (pROSE)
[Only prose texts are included here, though
occasionally the quotations are from verse inserted in the particular text. All the prose
quotations are referred to in this Index, with
the exception of those on pp. 127-8 and some
leven others (five of which are included in the
Index of Authors). " Add." refers to the Additional Notes.]

Acallam na Senrach, 304, 307, 308.

Aided
see Oidheadh
Aislinye Meic Conglinne, 149, 320, 371 ff., 384.
Annals of the Four Masters,' 61, 284, 290, 291,
.

'

204, 298, 302, 303, 310, 313, 386, 403.

Audacht (or Auraicept) Moraind, 284, 293.

RcnthaAodha Ruaidh Ui Dhomhnaill [Lughaidh

Clirigh],133, 283, 287,289, 291, 292, 293,

300, 313, 380, 386, 388, 390.

Betha Colaim Chille [Maghnus

298, 329,

3,30,

Boroma, 379,

418.

Domhnaill],

410.

Rriathra Flainn Fina,

3, 143,

281, 285, 286, 288,

326.

Mhr Mhaighe Muirtheimhne (agns

Deargruathar Chonaill Chearnaigh), 134,

Eri&leach

182, 333.

162

Bruidhean Bheag na hAlnihaine,

103.

Chaorthainn, 133, 276, 335.

Chise Corainn, 274.
Da Derga, 387.
Bnile Sh.iibhne, 61 Add., 182, 282 Add., 306,
37, 418.

Caithrim Ceallachin Chaisil, 291.

Conghail Chliiingnigh, 134, 283.
Cath Airtig, 285.
Catharda, 327, 370 ff.
:\[uiglie Lana, 134 Add., 290, 384, 403.

Muighe Mucruimhe,
:\raighe

34, 334.

Rath, 178, 281, 282, 285, 286, 311,

322, 370, 384, 390, 410.

lUiis

na Rig,

133, 287, 370, 373, 374.

Ceisnearah Tnghine Ghuil, 275.

Cogadh Gatdhel re Gallaibh,

Compert Mongiii, 134, 283.
Cormac's Glossary

'

'

289, 370

ff.

(Sanas Cormaic), 304.

Eachtra Chloinne Riogh na hloruaidhe, 370

ff,

389.

Chonaill Ghulban, 410, 415, 417, 418.

Lomnochtin, 333, 37U ff., 415-417.
Thomis U Chaiside, 57 Add., 312
Add., 345 Add., 414.
Stairn
[Mchel
Mhic
Thoroilbh

Coimn], 34.
Flire Ongusso (notes to), 305.
'

Fianaigecht,' 134, 418.

Fled Bricrend, 385.

Foghlaim Conchulainn, 276, 289.
Ferns Feasa ar Eirinn [S. Citinn], 292, 298,
321, 402.

Gallagher's

'

Irish Sermons," 344.

163

Irish versions of

Aeneid, 134, 373 ff.

Cambrensis, 86, 296.
Fierabras, 274.
Nennius, 398
Tale of Troy, see Toghail Troi.

William of Palermo, 103 Add., 274

Add., 292 Add.
Luceriia Fidelium (Lchrann na gCreidmheach)
[F.

Maolmhuaidh],

350,

351,

352,

353,

406, 407.

Madlim an Arda Bhig,

367.

Mo

Guidhir Fhearmanach,' 297, 403.

'O'Davoien's Glossary,' 330, 375.
Oidheadh Chloinne Uisnigh, 360.
Conculaind, 318.
Ferghusa, 317, 328.
Pairlement Chloinne Tomis, 338 Add.
Prliment na bhFigheadir [D. do Barra], 223,
'

286.

and Homilies from the Leabhar

Breac' 218, 277, 304, 311, 363, 391.
Riaghail na Sacart. 121.
Sc Macci Mic D-th, 389.

Passions

Senbriathra Fithail,

3,

143, 281, 285, 286, 288,

333.

Senchus Mor, 322.

Serglige Conculaind. 279.
Stair Eamiiinn Ui Chleire [S.

Neachtain],

4,

53, 132, 157, 366, 367, 368.

Tain B Cualnge, 134, 282, 371, 415.

Tecosca Cormaic, 279, 286.
'Three Fragments

of Irish

Annals/ 134 Add.

292.
'

Three Middle-Irish Homilies/ 278,

164

300.

Tochmarc Becfola,

280.

tane, 76 Add., 275, 395, 387.

Ferbe, 416.

Traidheacht Dhiarmada aRus Ghrinne, 119,

133, 170, 227, 309, 409.

Shaidhbhe, 370

f.

Triads of Ireland,' 67, 108, 236.

Tri Biorghaoithe an Bhis [S. Citinn], 57, 349,
'

395.

AUTHORS QUOTED (VERSE)

[With

five exceptions all the references below

are to verse. For prose-writers see under Index
of Texts supra.
The many quotations from
poems of unknown authorship cannot, of course,
be referred to here. It is hardly necessary to
say that the works ascribed to such very early
authors as Cormac mac Airt are not to be taken
as genuine.]

Adhamhnn (t704), 282.

Mac Aodhagin, Anluan

(ft.

circ. 1610), 399.

Baothghalach R.uadh,

(ft.

1651).

294, 370.

Mac

Artir, Roibeard,

(ft.

1610-1627), 57, 402,

404.

Mac

an Bhaird, Eoghan Ruadh (16-17

cent.),

320, 324.

Fearghal

(16-17c.),

275, 358.

.Uilliam

(+1576), 329.

Bearchn (6th c), 284.

Briain, Sean (18th c), 333.
Bruadair, Dibh (tl698), 357,
165

399.

75,

Mac

Bruaideadha, Domhnall {fl. 1570), 364, 370.

Maoilin Og (tl602), 313, 359.

Sean Buidhe (14th c), 326.

Tadhg mac D.are (fi. 15801624),

30,

52,

163.

330,

360, 390, 392.

Do

Burc, Riocard (16th or 17th

On

Chinte, Fearfeasa

c.?),

238 Add.,

316.
1610). 36. 301, 340,

(fl.

346, 402.

Mac Cairtain, Conchubhar (tl737), 362.

Gaiside, Eamonn (fl. 1690), 276 Add.
Caoimh, Art g (fi. 1620), 30, 348.
Mac Crthaigh, Diarmaid mac Shein Bhuidhe
(tl705), 331, 401, 409.

Cleirigh,

Lughaidh

(jl.

1615), 313.

379,

385.

See also Index of Texts.

Cobhthaigh, Muircheartach (16th c). 104 Add.
Columcille (t597), 51, 277, 330. See also Betha
Colaim Chille (Index of Texts).

Sean (fl. 1655), 358.

Conchubhair, Cathal (1710-1791). 396.
Mac Conmidhe, Brian Ruadh (15th c). 360.
Conaill,

Giollabrighde

(fl.

1249). 385.

Cormac mac Airt (3rd c), 104, 279. See

Tecosca Cormaic (Index of Texts).
Cormac mac Cuileannin (t908). 282.

Mac

Cniitin, Aindrias

(fl.

also

1703-1734). 409.

Aodh Buidhe (tl755), 350.

Dlaigh, Aonghus mac Cearbhaill Bhuidhe
(tl420), 299.

Aonghus Fionn

(fl. 1600). 104, 163,

213, 285, 312, 343, 358.

Donnchadh Mor

(tl244), 104.

Gofraidh Fionn (tl387). 14 Add.,

104. 28]

166

286. 326, 408.

Albanach

Muireadliach

{fl.

I-213>.

281.

Doirnin, Peadar (.11768), 400.

Domhnaill, Aodh {fl. 1610), 14, 301, 404.

Magbnus

(11563), 319, 410.

See

Index of Texts.
Magluuis (fl. 1700), 397.
also

Donnaoile, Eoghan

1689), 413.

(fl.

Dubh-d-thuath (t783), see p. 169.

Dubhghaill, Feidhlim (Pdate), 280.
Dubthacli moccu Lugair (oth c), 322.
Mac Eochadha, Feari^hal mac Tomis (16th c),

Mac

191.

Feiriteur, Piaras

{fl.

1040), 346.

Finghein (9th c), see p. 169.

Gadhra, Sean (fl. 1710), 346.
Mac Gearailt, Muiris mac Dhibh Dhuibh

{fl.

circ. 1620), 364.

Mac Giollapdraig, Brian (tl652),

Glosin, Toms (18th c), 355.

358.

Gormlaith (t919). 61.

Haiceud, Pdraign (tl654), 117, 341, 356, 369.
396.

C Heoghusa, Eochaidh

{fl.

1595), 75, 173 Add.,

344, 404.

Giollabrighde (tl614), 336, 344.

(^.1600), 153 Add.
Muircheartach (17th c), 279.
Hui-inn, Cormac (fl. 1590). 157 Add.

Hifearnin, Mathghamhain

_
.

Maoileachlainn

(fl.

1600), 282.

Maohnhuire (fl. 1600), 75,

-Mathgha-mhain (16th c),
Tadhg Dall (fl. 1580), 200,

331.
363.

285. 316,

322, 338.

Tadhg Mor

(tl315), 13.

-Tadhg Og (tl448). 313.

167

314.

 Hurthailf. Sen son of Muiris

Mac Lochlainn, Domhnall Gorm

(16th
{fi.

c. ?),

circ.

341.

1700),

301.

C Maolchonaire, Fearfeasa
Merriman, Brian (tl805),

(fi.

1646), 285.

329. 383.

Mac Muireadhaigh, Diarmaid

(fl.

circ.

1685),

14 Add.
Miirchadha, Sen na Rithineach (1700-1762),
3.

Dilliam (an Mhaolin)

(fl.

circ.

Add.

1700), 61

Raftery, Antoine (tl83o), 100.

Raithile, Aogn ift. 1720). 399.

Ruanadha, Niall (ff. circ. 1590),

334.

Slibhn, Giollacomhghaill (tl031). 289.

Silleahhin, Diarinaid

mac Dhomhnaill,

etc.

(18th c). 365.

O Tuama,

Manx

Tom Ru.ndh (tl848). 401 Add.

Sen (tl77o), 224.

proverbs quoted

4. .36, 50, 104, 130,

149,

189, 229, 287, 331, 357.

*Wels]i proverbs quoted:

75. 76,

104, 128, 134,

175, 209, 275, 277, 279. 287. 306. 324. 330,

345, 346, 398.

Northern English proverbs quoted (mostly borrowed from Scottish Gaelic): 3, 4, 42, 83,
88, 97 Add., 230, 331, 335, 357, 408: pp. 126,

148.

English and Scottish-Gaelic proverbs are quoted

passim.
' In ccnnection with these Welsh proverbs
I
have to thank
Picfessor Ifor Williams, of Bangor, for help in tracing
the eprl'esl printed examples of each.

1G8

ADDITIONAL NOTES
The quotations from LL. 147b (supra
104, 275, 278, 279, 284,

78,

nos. 4,

and

286, 288, 292

338) are from a poem beginning Dinmhod messe

had ri red. Since the preceding pages were

written this poem has been edited by Prof.

Tadhg O'Donoghue, in riu ix. pp. 43 ff In
LL. the poem is anonymous, but in other ]MSS.
'

'

ascribed to DubhdThuath or to Finghein.

Ulster versions of proverbs have been quoted
above rather more sparingly than versions from
other provinces.
Those interested in Ulster
proverbs will find a comprehensive collection in
Muirgheasa's
nr
iSeanfhocla Uladh.'
A
few additional Ulster variants are quoted from
MacAdam below.
it is

'

Delete comparison with Cork proverb.

Cf. a dhthchtis tul fair oileamhuin,
Diarmaid Mac Muireadhaigh (Walsh's Glean10.

14.

'

Compare

ings from Irish MSS.,' p. 89).

also

Deallaigh gach c re a cinal,

Every hound takes after its breed,' Gofraidh
Fionn (riu, v. 62) in a poem of circ. 1640,
DiaUach re a chuaine an coUn (Walsh's
Gleanings,' p. 61). In Scottish, gach cuilean
a' dol ri duaUhas (Cameron).

the

proverb

'

'

'

noise,'

50.

an t-uisge is adomhiiine is mo torThe shallowest water makes the greatest

\Se

30.

man,

MacAdam
Cha

271.

dtig an has gan adhhhar,

MacAdam

382.
57.

-^

Quoted by the ex-friar Toms Caiside

in his picaresque autobiography

169

Do

ghlac

me

.^

feair teitheadh maith n

23
35, p. 67).
Is flta duine a gclid dhuine eile,
A
shy in another man's corner,' MacAdam

hhriseadh

'io

ir is

droch-sheasamh
58.

mail

(cf

'

is

185.

An anonymous poem

60, 67.
fo.

69b) begins

A.

(St.

iv.

2,

Beag sochar na sir-mheisge

don droiiig leanas da hasa;
a gcantar U don fhirinne
cuid is fearra da trithe.
61.
A poem by Uiiliam (an Mhaolin)
Murchadha has the line 'S mo ghuala vuiol gan
dearbhrthair (23 C 19, p. 305). Cf. Toll taohh
6 bheith gan h]irthaii\ Buile Shuibhne, p. 54.
63.
Thus in a poem in H. 5. 3, p. 42 (tran-

scribed circ. 1697)

don chanach

Folacli

fcuclt

nach

ttacronn an

liog

Bcatha; da rcir sin dcinsi fas ag do mhnaoi.

76. Compare Daigh neich andiaigh a shula in
Tochmarc tane (Ir. T. i. 123), i.e.
Everyone hopes for (or desires) what he sees.'
This, too, would appear to be the force of the

verse in

'

'

'

\
^^

Sc.

proverb

suil

do

sealhh

(Edinb.

MS.),

The eye
though Nicolson (p. 234) renders it
makes wealth.' In a quatrain in the Rennes
Irish MS. the lines occur Mairg darb sealhh
mar a
Bidh an fsiiil do shior
suil
mbionn an grdh (RC. xv. 81; svi. 420).
78.
Ceilt na hoirbhire an annsa is the first
line of an anonymous bardic poem (St. A. v. 2,
'

fo.

16a).

97.

N.E. has " The priest christens

bairn first."

170

his ain

These two together may be intended

form on proverb, as Prof. Tadhg ODonoghue has suggested to me.
100.
Edward Lhuyd quotes As feurr deughnuklhc no ro dcaghnuidhe (sic) in his preface ia
broken Irish to his Ir.-Eng. Dictionary (Arch.
98-^9.

to

Brit.,

1707, p. 311).

103.

ferred

Another instance
in

to

the

of the proverb reoccurs in the Irish

(St. A. v. 2, fo. 136a)

note

William of Palermo
umhal da thighearna
aseadh
dlli'jJigheas gach gldch.
104.
So in a poem by Muircheartach
Cobhthaigh (23 D 14, p. 67): Ni fc'tghthar tuile
nach trciigh.
'

'

Blh^eith

134.

'|

Compare

Brisidh

also

(leg.

-idh)

go

hohaun cafh ar hur noimdihh, gur ro mara hhur

cclii tr hhiothu,
Three Fragments of Irish
Annals,' p. 182; and the following, spoken by
Conn, in Cath Muighe Leana (p. 100), Aseadh
as coir dhomhsa do dhcanamh, an ni hhus
ceannach hlaidhe, eadhon has, agas maraidh
m' fheidhm agas m' gh a n-aoinfheachf.
152.
The Domhnall Buidke referred to in
the West Muns. proverb was Domhnall Buidhe
Mac Crtha, of South Kerry, who died in 1752
'

'

at the age of 112, after having been five times

married

(see

Kerry Arch. Magazine, Apl.

1915,

pp. 128-131).
153.

Compare,

in

poem

by

Math.

Hifearnin
An mhaith do hhi, nd hi dhi;
an mhaith at tar tairsi, Have nought to do
with the good that once was; celebrate [instead] the good that now is
(cf. O'Gr. Cat.
:

'

'

392).

171

mbun an

So Gnfh rath a

I7.

Cor-

cliaite,

mac Hniginn, H. 4. 15, p. 101.

Compare tlie following in a poem by
173.
Eothaidh Hegluisa (23 L 17, fo. 77a)
Crad acht taitKhheoqliadh
fearg an aosa ionmhoine?

to'ile

ni ceisd codladh ar chneidh sln,

mar

What

chogadh compn.

sin do

the anger of

friends but the

easy to forget a
it is with the
quarrel of companions.' There is a rerv similar quatrain in an anonymous poem of the
same period (' Studies,' 1921, p. 588)
'

else

is

renewing of affection?

It

wound that rankles not;

is

thiis

Gidh eadh, ni turnamh to'ile

fearg an aosa ionrnhoine
'na dheaghxiidh as daingne a ngrddh,
deadhuil chaingne na ccumpn.
:

And

yet the anger of friends is no lowering of

firmer is the love of comrades after
the breaking of their covenant.'
178.
7s teann gach madodh air a charnan

affection

fin,

MacAdam

180.
we may

210.

has been interpreted correctly,

compare the Scottish Olc mit'n fhar-

If this

'us math
home and good

diilch

similar proverbs

mun

rathad mhr, 'Bad at

abroad,' Nicolson 336 (and

cf.

pp. 170, 173, 290).

Lchrann,' April, 1918.

An

ih.

In An
has printed 41 Triads from the
of Ireland, of which 14 are not included
present volume, the remaining 27 being
identical with or variants of the triads
above Owing to an accident I missed
232

'

ff.

Seabhac

'

'

South
in the

either

given
seeing

this

number

of

'

An Lchrann

until the pre-

'

ceding pages had been printed.

238.
Compare the following lines by Riocard
do Burc (.Dnta Gradha, p. 47)
Beag do hrduigheadh ar dtis
an t-cach, an chi'i, 's an bheun.

A steed, a hound, and a woman were in the

beginning ordained to be small.'
245.
Canon O'Leary's version is Dealrj mnlaighe, fiacal chon, no focal amadin, na tri
ncithe is gcire ar hith (Mo Sgeal Fein, p. 156;
'

Don

Cocht, p. 244).
So in the Irish William of Palermo
.Is ann as mo dearhhthar an caradradh an air
as aidhhhle an t-eigentus, St. A. v. 2 fo. 138a
(also paraphrased in verse, ih. fo. 138b).
274.

'

'

Ni beo necli gan naive ann,

Caiside (ZCP. ii. 363).
282.
Compare Tdinic forcheann mo shoegailsi, 7 nocha nfheduim gan did gus in ionadh in
rocinnedh dhamh eg d'fhaghil, The end of ray
life has come, and I must needs go to the place
in which I am destined to die,' Buile Shiiibhue,
276.

Cf.

amonn

'

p. 104.

The following version occurs

292.

in

the

William of Palermo
Ni re hiomad
riogh no ridireadh brisdear cath no comhlonn
acht re grsaibh an Spiorad Naoimh, St. A. v.
2, fo. 148a (a paraphrase in verse follows, ibid.).
312.
Compare do rinne me maifli ar son an
uilc air, Eaehtra Thomis U Chaiside (cf. 23
Irish

'

'

35, p. 64).

313.

On

dird fhvaidh tig an chabhoir occurs

poem of circ. 1640, Walsh's

from Irish MSS.' p. 63, 1, 2.
also in a

'

Gleanings

338.
Compare an ft biidh tre'tsc do hiteith
a n-uochtar, that the strongest should be on
top,' Pairlement Chi. Tomis, 1. 184 (and still
'

current).
345.

The

ex-friar,

Toms

Caiside, says in

autobiography: Thugas na inide, mo lean,

hheir an duine dona dvihhlcim (cf. 23 O
3o, p. 58),
Alas I made my vows, even as an
unlucky man takes a fatal plunge.'
349.
In Waterford the second phrase referred to runs 6 h'annanih lets an gcat srofhair
a chur air, and is used as in Kerry (Sheehan's
his
\

mar

'

'

Cnuasacht Trgha,'
401.
In a Kerry

CI.

Soluis, 4 Feb.

p. 25).

folk-tale published in

1911, I find:

Sin

An

rnchar
chaorach i
c

'

Uini
no
This agrees with Diarmaid mac
Shein Bhuidhe. (For lim chaorach i nduibhSongs of Toms
eaqn, well known to-day, cf.

an

daill f'n
nlvihheagn.'

hhfaill

'

'

'

Ruadh

O'Sullivan,' p. 112).

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