The following breaks down the pronunciation of Cailleach An Airgid (Sí do mhamó í).
The translation and history are provided below. This version of the lyrics is an excerpt of the most commonly sung versus taken from a much longer version in Leabhar Mór Na nAmhrán. A commentary can also be found in the back of this excellent book. A translation of that commentary on the song can be found below. To purchase the book with included CDs: https://www.siopaleabhar.com/en/tairgi/leabhar-mor-na-namhran-2024-edition/
Extra space has been provided around each line so you can print this page out and make notes as needed.
Authors: The following was prepared by Mícheáilín Nic Sheoin with the phonetics provided by Breandán an Píobaire
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181. CAILLEACH AN AIRGID (Sí do mhamó í)
Note: “mhaimeo í” (the m is slender in connacht)
Rann 1
Dhá bhfeicfeása an steam ag gabháil siar Tóin Uí Fhloinn,
[RAW VEK-aw-sun STEAM] [gwell SHEER TOW-nee LEAN]
Note ag-> a’ before consonant. You may hear this essentially be left out in singing.
Some versions of this are written as "Dá Bheicteása", with "ga" being in some of the reccordings provided below
Is a cuid rothaí ag dul timpeall siar óna ceathrúnaí,
[Suh kwij ROH-hee gwell CHEEM-pull] [SHEER ownuh KyAR-oo-nee]
While "ag dul" is standard Irish, we've put in the phonetics for ag gabháil here
Dhá gcorraínnse an stiúir naoi n-uaire ar a cúl,
[raw GORE-een-shin SHTOOR] [nee NOORh airh uh KOOL]
Ni choinneodh sí siúl le cailleach an airgid.
[nee HWIN-yowt-shee SHOOL] [leh KAWL-yuchh uh NAE-rhih-gij]
Curfá 1
Sí do mhamó í, sí do mhamó í,
[SHEE duh WUM-yoy] [SHEE duh WUM-yoy]
Sí do mhamó í, sí cailleach an airgid,
[SHEE duh WUM-yoy] [SHEE KAWL-yuchh uh NAE-rhih-gij]
Si do mhamó í, ó bhaile Iorrais Mhóir í,
[SHEE duh WUM-yoy] [ow WUH-leer-ish WARh-ee]
Is chuirfeadh sí cóistí ar bhóithrí Chois Fharraige.
[SWIR-hut shee KOWsh-che] [erh WAR-rhee HOSH-aerh-ih-gih]
Rann 2
Tá beirt ag goil ag pósadh, beirt ag goil ag pósadh,
[taw BER-chih gwell POW-suh] [BER-chih gwell POW-suh]
Beirt ag goil ag pósadh ar an mbaile sin againne,
[BER-chih gwell POW-suh] [erh uh MULL-ih shin UGG-in-yih]
Tá beirt ag goil ag pósadh, beirt ag goil ag pósadh,
[BER-chih gwell POW-suh] [BER-chih gwell POW-suh]
Seán Shéamais Mhóir agus Máire Ní Chathasaigh.
[SHAWN heym-wish WARh] [ugg-uss MAW-rhih nee HUH-huh-suh]
Curfá 2
Sí do mhamó í, sí do mhamó í,
[SHEE duh WUM-yoy] [SHEE duh WUM-yoy]
Sí do mhamó í, sí cailleach an airgid,
[SHEE duh WUM-yoy] [SHEE KAWL-yuchh uh NAE-rhih-gij]
Si do mhamó í, ó bhaile Iorrais Mhóir í,
[SHEE duh WUM-yoy] [ow WUH-leer-ish WARh-ee]
Is d'iosfadh sí feoil Dé hAoine is Dé Sathairn.
[‘sJees-huh she fyol] [Jay heenya ‘sJay Sa-her-in]
Rann 3
Muise, measann tú an bpósfaidh, an measann tú an bpósfaidh,
[mush-uh MASS-un too BOO-suh] [MASS-un too BOO-suh]
Measann tú an bpósfaidh cailleach an airgid?
[MASS-un too BOO-suh] [KAWL-yuhh uh NAE-rhih-gij]
Dhera, Tá a fhios agamsa nach bpósfaidh,
[yer-ruh TAW sam-sah nahh BOO-suh]
tá sé ró-óg
[TAW sheh row-OGUE]
Ó, tá sé ina réice agus d'ólfadh sé an t-airgead
[Ow TAW shin-uh reck] [ugg-uss DOOL-uh shen TAR-ig-yud]
Curfa 1
Sí do mhamó í, sí do mhamó í,
[SHEE duh WUM-yoy] [SHEE duh WUM-yoy]
Sí do mhamó í, sí cailleach an airgid,
[SHEE duh WUM-yoy] [SHEE KAWL-yuchh uh NAE-rhih-gij]
Si do mhamó í, ó bhaile Iorrais Mhóir í,
[SHEE duh WUM-yoy] [ow WUH-leer-ish WARh-ee]
Is chuirfeadh sí cóistí ar bhóithrí Chois Fharraige.
[SWIR-hut shee KOWsh-che] [erh WAR-rhee HOSH-aerh-ih-gih]
Translation:
If you saw the steam going west at Tóin Uí Fhloinn,
With its wheels spinning around behind from her quarters,
Even if I turned the steering nine times in reverse,
It wouldn’t keep pace with the money hag.
She is your granny, she is your granny,
She is your granny, she is the money hag,
She is your granny, from the town of Iorras Mhór,
And she’d put coaches on the roads of Cois Fharraige.
There are two getting married, two getting married,
Two getting married in that town of ours,
There are two getting married, two getting married,
Seán son of Séamas Mór and Máire Ní Chathasaigh.
She is your granny, she is your granny,
She is your granny, she is the money hag,
She is your granny, from the town of Iorras Mhór,
And she would eat meat on Friday and on Saturday.
Well now, do you think she’ll marry, do you think she’ll marry,
Do you think the money hag will marry?
Ah sure/hmph, I know she won’t marry—He’s too young,
Oh, he’s a rake and he’d drink all the money.
She is your granny, she is your granny,
She is your granny, she is the money hag,
She is your granny, from the town of Iorras Mhór,
And she’d put coaches on the roads of Cois Fharraige.
Links to listen to song :
Leabhar Mór Na nAmhrán, CD 2, #16, Dara Bán Mac Donnchadha:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Ed73jHPrVxLJNLFGEItgRubeioWmDh_M/view?usp=sharing
Róisín Elsafty: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4CCZKJjmf4&t=35s
Stiofán Ó Cualáin - Cailleach an Airgid | Corn Uí Riada 2013:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FOpVbxbdT4
History(Translation below):
Amhrán grinn éadrom a shíolraíonn as Conamara, mar is léir as na logainmneacha ann. Is iondúil 'Cailleach an Airgid' a thabhairt air, ach tugtar 'Is í do mhamó í' go coitianta air, leis. Tá meascán téamaí ann. Amhrán chun páiste a luascadh é go bunúsach, dealraíonn sé, agus sa churfă tá an mháthair ag tabhairt le fios dá leanbh gur ábhar maíte dó mamó shaibhir a bheith aige. Ach ansin tá magadh faoin gcailleach féin agus an fear óg a bhfuil sí le pósadh (cosúil le téama as seanamhrán sníomhacháin), agus, i leagan Dhara Bháin, scéal faoi sheoltaí stractha atá le deisiú. Tá sé ráite ag Fionán Mac Coluim gur Peig Ní Chathasaigh ab ainm do Chailleach an Airgid. Bean í a raibh suim mhór aici i loingeas agus seoltóireacht, agus bhíodh sí go minic ar na céibheanna ag feitheamh ar na báid. Bhailigh George Petrie an fonn, ar port rince é, ón bpíobaire uilleann Paddy Conneely i gContae na Gaillimhe in 1845 faoin teideal 'I was Born for Sport', agus bhailigh Séamus Ennis leagan den amhrán féin do Choimisiún Béaloideasa Éireann ó Mháire Nic Dhonnchadha i bhFínis i 1942. Tá an-tóir ar an amhrán tríd an tír uilig, a bhuí sin do Sheán Mac Dhonncha a chuir ar cheirnín den chéad uair é i 1957. Ní fios cé a chum.
A light, humorous song that comes from Connemara, as is clear from the place names mentioned. It is usually called “Cailleach an Airgid,” but it’s also commonly referred to as “Is í do mhamó í.” There’s a mix of themes. Essentially, it appears to be a lullaby for rocking a child, and in the chorus, the mother lets her child know he should be proud to have a wealthy grandmother. Then there’s some mockery of the hag herself and the young man she’s about to marry (similar to a theme from older spinning songs), and in Dara Bán’s version, a story about torn sails in need of repair.
It was stated by Fionán Mac Coluim that the real name of “Cailleach an Airgid” was Peig Ní Chathasaigh. She was a woman with a great interest in ships and sailing, and she often waited for boats at the piers. George Petrie collected the tune—which is a dance tune—from the uilleann piper Paddy Conneely in County Galway in 1845 under the title “I was Born for Sport,” and Séamus Ennis collected a version of the song itself for the Irish Folklore Commission from Máire Nic Dhonnchadha in Fínis in 1942. The song has become very popular throughout the country, thanks to Seán Mac Dhonncha, who was the first to record it on disc in 1957. Its composer is unknown.
— Nicholas Carolan
