Going to the Well for Water: The Seamus Ennis Field Diary 1942-1946

4 A Visit to Carna

4 A Visit to Carna 8 to 28 May 19431 Saturday 8.5.43 I took the train to Galway. An icy wind was blowing in Galway. I went for a meal, and as the afternoon was so miserable and cold, I stayed there. Visit to the Keys family. They are all well and they welcomed me heartily. They gave me accommodation that night. Sunday 9.5.43 I went to the first Mass because I wanted to receive Holy Communion.2 The morning was very miserable because of rain showers. The rain became persistent at 11 o’clock and continued until three o’clock. I had intended going to Conamara today but the weather was not suitable. There was a cold, strong, northwest wind. Kitty Keys and I went out to Ros Cathail to see Gearóid Ó Laidhigh, O.S. He and his family are in fine form. I thanked him on behalf of the Commission for the folklore book3 he sent to us a little while ago. We remained there for a long while and returned to Galway. It was a good thing we did not stay longer, because it started pelting rain that night after we reached home. Gearóid Ó Laidhigh (Courtesy of the late Roibeárd Ó Laidhigh) 69 Monday 10.5.43 It was a cold windy day. There was snow on the roads in Galway but it did not lie long.4 I set out. I met Gearóid Ó Laidhigh on the road and I spent a while in his company smoking our pipes. But we did not stay long because the wind would freeze you. I had dinner at Crois an Mháma [An Teach Dóite] and visited Stiofán Ó hOisín in Ros Muc. I had tea with him and we chatted awhile. He gave me the name of one person he thinks has songs (in Ros Muc). I will visit him some other time. I continued to Cill Chiaráin. Tomás Mac Fhlannchaidh’s wife [Eibhlín] would not give me accommodation (because she is pregnant, I think). I stayed in An Coillín, Carna. They are well here and always speak highly of Seán Ó Súilleabháin and Séamus Ó Duilearga. It is a nice, comfortable house, quiet enough and plenty of company come to it. Dr [Pádraic] Ó Beirn and Uinseann de Brún, O.S., are still staying there. Pádraig (Mac Con Iomaire) is well and is sowing potatoes now. His son Ciarán is at home helping him. Tuesday 11.5.43 There was severe frost last night in some places, especially at the bottom of Cnoc an Choillín. A lot of Pádraig’s potato crop [Mac Con Iomaire] was destroyed. The rain started at 10 o’clock – a heavy drizzle and a freezing northwest wind. I wrote a few letters and I went to Carna after dinner to the post. I got the two parcels of paper and other material from the office. I went, after tea, to Beairtle Dhonncha’s family, Cora na gCapall, Aill na Brón. I reread with them a lot of what I had written previously from them. I came home and went to bed at twelve o’clock. Wednesday 12.5.43 It was a dry sunny day and very windy. I wrote a letter to Seán Ó S. The Mac Con Iomaire house, An Coillín Seán Bhille Ó hUaithnín’s house 70 Going to the Well for Water [Ó Súilleabháin] before dinner. I spent the afternoon with Máire (Williamín) McDonagh, An Aird Mhóir. She gave me some music last year, but her lyrics were not worth writing because she has learned them from books and has not acquired them from the oral tradition. I see now that she got the words of ‘Mailsín Chnoc ar Easair’ [‘Mailsín from Cnoc ar Easair’] that I had written from her previously from Ceol na nOileán5 and many others as well. I went to Maínis after tea with Maidhcilín (Choilmín) Folan, Carna, to the house of Peaitín William Greene, a fiddle player. He was not at home but came home at ten o’clock. We played some music (I had the flute). But we did not stay long as it was so late. We decided to come another night and to invite...