

Pap Murphy
Pap & Kathryn Murphy (Pádhraic S. Ó Murchú) has been collating the lore, songs and knowledge of the area around Cartúr, Clochar on the Mullet Peninsula in the Erris Gaeltacht of Co Mayo for over 50 years.
Their cultural centre has over 1 million artefacts, many are being digitised at https://archive-cartlann.turassiar.ie
Their cultural centre has over 1 million artefacts, many are being digitised at https://archive-cartlann.turassiar.ie
Caibleadh
Spirit voices heard in the distance at sea on calm nights.
Damhsa na gCoinín
The rabbits dancing in the warren, also the term for a hooley, or house dance where the dancers would dance with such zeal that the sand scattered on the floor would rise up, like from the rabbits paws in the warren.
Rince vs Damhsa
Damhsa means the dancing of humans, while rince is what the young calf would be doing when it was let out first out of the stables, buck-leaping around, bedazzled by the sun.
Uaigneas an chladaigh
The sense of loneliness of the shore, a haunting presence of people who lived and died long ago.
Coinnic
A dangerous, churning whirlpool between 2 strong currents, with sheer sudden drops in the water of up to 3 metres deep.
Cearchaill
A thick plank, or piece of a baulk, found on the shore as drift wood. It was laid on stones and used as a roost for hens.(Also, a shaft of bogwood, pillow, girder.)
Clocha Mairc
Stones marking seaweed plots. Often big flat stones, buried about 2 ft down and the rest sticking up. Also known as clochaí teorainne or stáicí.
Admhaid faoi thír
Driftwood collected on shore at maybe 4am as the tide was coming in. First to find them owned them, though there were many disputes about who saw it first.
Corr
Period of time between when you set the lobster pots in the evening and check them in the morning. A good corr meant many lobsters. Also a bout of rabbit snaring, or a round of wrestling, Also loner or oddball.
Hen Wars
Seaweed collecting was a cause of war, but hens caused even more wars. This is a bit off topic, but listen for the full details.
Stopóg
Shallow, rocky seabed out beyond where the sleámógaí and the leathach grow -where the lobsters & crúbógaí (spider crab) make their home.
Damhsa na nGíorraíocha
Hare's Dance, in early March when hares get lusty, a group will dance around in circles with front paws up, Similar to the swing in a dance set or boxing
Gleo
The sound of the sea when loud and ominous, akin to loud human or machine noise, foretells bad weather.
Tuaim
The sound of sea banging against land.Any natural sound created by nature, as opposed to torann which is a man-made sound, or more associated with physical things, Doohuama - Duthaigh Thuama (sound of sea against sand dunes).
Dumha Thuama
Doohooma (placename) - The sound of the sea against the sand dunes.
Cúr
Froth or foam, when seen coming in on the tide a distance from the shore on a calm day it meant the coming of south-easterly wind which was feared on the Mullet Peninsula.
Tarraingt a' bhFarraige
The irregular pull of the tide, when wave come in a metre or two, only to pull back forcefully a greater distance. A sign of bad weather up to 3 days in the future.
Gaineamh séidte
Wind-blow sand. Fine sand that scattered on floors and used in hen house.
Bainis a' tSagairt
The Priest's Wedding - slang for the party after the Stations were held in a house. The remains of the feast served to the priest were shared, with dancing & drink.
Cladach mín/ cladach réidh
Close shoreline, under the houses where they were taking the stones all the time. Stones were smaller here and tended to stay put.
Cladach Garbh
Rough shore, where bigger stones are. Mostly not accessible. The shore around the headland, or the point, where the tide was always pulling and dragging stones around.
Tornógaí
Dry kiln, built above the high water mark, made from a line of large stones, built up like a short fence. 6m. Sea rods thrown across them to harden & dry. Then tied in bundles and sold by the hundred.
Dribeáiltí báití, Dribeáiltí fliuch
Somebody who had just come in off a stormy sea, or had fallen in at high tide.
Corrghearr
A fighting stance – if someone laid the corrghearr on you you’d start going from side to side, and you’d be going about as if you had some sort of dizziness until eventually you’d fall down.
Sciorrthach
A flat coastal rock standing on its edge, often not fully vertical, but half-sloping.
Istigh sa gcloich
"Within the rock" - where you place lobster pots, in at the face of the stopóg. The stopóg often begins directly outside the sciorrthachs, or outside the carraic. The lobsters would be going in under the large flagstones there.
Ceannruáin
Blenny, a short, stumpy fish with a wide girth, spines & a big, hard red head. Very difficult to catch, and dangerous.
Péist a’ dá shúil déag
Worm of the 12 eyes - small lamprey. Only has 2 eyes, but with six spots on either side of his back like false eyes to confuse predators.
Focail Farraige & Sea Terms - Leithinis an Mhuirthead, Co Maigh Eo (The Mullet Peninsula, Co Mayo)