Note 11 — Chapter V
Reading edition
It is worth while to quote some of these hitherto unpublished verses from a copy in my possession. The author, Andrew Mac Curtin, a good scholar and poet of Munster, knew of course perfectly well that Donn was a Milesian, yet he, embodying in his poem the popular opinion on the subject, treats him as a god or superior being, calls him brother or cousin of Áine and Aoife [Eefi] and "of the great son of Lear [i.e. Manannán], who used to walk the smooth sea," and relates him to Angus Óg, and Lugh the Long-handed, says that he witnessed the tragedy of the sons of Usnach, the feats of Finn mac Cool, and the battle of Clontarf, and treats him as still living and powerful. The poem begins, Beannughadh doimhin duit a Dhoinn na Dáibhche. It goes on to say—
"Nach tu bráthair Áine as Aoife A's mic an Deaghadh do b' árd-fhlaith ar tíorthaibh, A's móir-mhic Lir do ritheadh an mhín-mhuir Dhoinn Chnuic-na-ndos agus Dhoinn Chnuic Fírinn'? Nach tu gan doirbhe do h-oileadh 'san ríogh-bhrogh Ag Aongus óg na Bóinne caoimhe, Do bhi tu ag Lugha ad' chongnamh i gcaoinsgir [cath] Ag claoidh Balair a dhanar 's a dhraoithe. Do bhi tu ag maidhm anaghaidh mic Mhiledh Ag teacht asteach thar neart na gaoithe: 'S na dhiaigh sin i gciantaibh ag Naoise; Do bhi tu ag Conall 'san gcosgar do bh' aoirde Ag ceann de'n ghad de cheannaibh righteadh: Budh thaoiseach treasa i gcathaibh Chuinn thu."
The allusion in the last line but one is to the heads that Conall Cearnach strung upon the gad or rod, to avenge the death of Cuchulain, for which see later on.
Curtin finally asks Donn to let him into his fairy mansion, if not as a poet to enliven his feasts, then at least as a horse-boy to groom his horses.
"Munar bhodhar thu o throm ghuth na taoide No mur bhfuarais bás mar chách a Dhoinn ghil," &c.
I.e., "unless thou hast grown deaf by the constant voice of the tide, or unless, O bright Donn, thou hast died like everybody else!"