Máirtín Ó Cadhain - Graveyard Clay - Cré na Cille

— My own cross and Jack the Scológ’s cross going up together …

— And Tomás Inside’s cross is what’s causing the delay now …

— My own cross and Jack the Scológ’s cross …

— Everybody says, Caitríona, that yours is nicer than Cite’s cross, and Nóra Sheáinín’s cross, and even Siúán the Shop’s cross …

— My own cross and Jack the Scológ’s cross …

— It’s nicer than Jack the Scológ’s cross, Caitríona. My … the Schoolmistress says she’d prefer it to Peadar the Pub’s cross …

— It’s of Island limestone so, Billyboy? …

— That’s a thing I don’t know, neighbour. In McCormack’s in Brightcity it was bought, anyhow …

— Bloody tear and ’ounds for a story, how would that little pipsqueak know, and he laid up on the flat of his back this long while? …

— If it’s not of Island limestone, Billyboy, it’s not worth a blind nut to me …

— I thought the Island limestone was used up …

— Shut your mouth, you little brat! …

— It is of Island limestone! …

— It’s not of Island limestone! …

— I’m telling you it’s of Island limestone! …

— I’m telling you it’s not of Island limestone! …

— They don’t have crosses of Island limestone in McCormack’s. In Moran’s they have them …

— Oh, what are you talking about? Didn’t Nóra Sheáinín’s cross and Cite’s cross come out of there, and aren’t they of Island limestone! …

— And Bríd Terry’s cross …

— And Siúán the Shop’s cross …

— I heard sure enough, Caitríona, my neighbour, that the cross your Nell is putting on order for herself is of Island limestone …

— … The Big Butcher from Brightcity came to my funeral. He often told me that he had regard for me on account of the regard his father had for my father …

— … Nóra Sheáinín’s cross is of Island limestone …

— … I was Twenty and I led with the Ace of Hearts …

— … Cite’s cross …

— … La Libération …

— … Bríd Terry’s cross … Siúán the Shop’s cross …

— I was the first corpse into this graveyard. Don’t you all think the oldest inhabitant should have something to say? Permission to speak, then! Permission to speak! …

— Allow him to speak! …

— Tear away! …

— … Nell’s cross …

— Speak! …

— Speak now, you blockhead! …

— … Neither my cross nor yours, Jack the Scológ …

— … After all your bluster for the past thirty-one years, looking for permission to speak …

— … True for you, Master dear! Now you’re talking! Two dogs …

— … is of Island limestone …

— … You have permission to speak now, but it seems you prefer to be deathly dumb …

— … Neither your cross nor mine is of Island limestone …

THE END

Texts by Máirtín Ó Cadhain

1939. Idir Shúgradh agus Dáiríre . Dublin: Oifig an tSoláthair.

1948. An Braon Broghach . Dublin: Oifig an tSoláthair.

1949. Cré na Cille: Aithris i ndeich n-eadarlúid . Dublin: Sáirséal agus Dill.

1953. Cois Caoláire . Dublin: Sáirséal agus Dill.

1963. Bás nó Beatha . Dublin: Sáirséal agus Dill.

1964. Irish above Politics . Dublin: Press Cuchulainn.

1964. Mr. Hill/Mr. Tara . Dublin: N.p.

1964. Cosnaítear an Creideamh-Chu[a]la Tú faoi Rath Cairn? Drogheda:

Clódóirí Dhroichead Átha.

1966. An Aisling . Dublin: Coiste Cuimhneacháin Náisiúnta.

1967. An tSraith ar Lár . Dublin: Sáirséal agus Dill.

1969. Páipéir Bhána agus Páipéir Bhreaca . Dublin: An Clóchomhar.

1970. An tSraith dhá Tógáil . Dublin: Sáirséal agus Dill.

1970. Gluaiseacht na Gaeilge: Gluaiseacht ar Strae . Dublin: Misneach.

1973. As an nGéibheann: Litreacha chuig Tomás Bairéad . Dublin: Sáirséal agus Dill.

1977. An tSraith Tógtha . Dublin: Sáirséal agus Dill.

1995. Athnuachan . Dublin: Coiscéim.

1999. Tone: Inné agus Inniu . Dublin: Coiscéim.

2002. An Ghaeilge Bheo/Destined to Pass . Dublin: Coiscéim.

2002. Barbed Wire . Dublin: Coiscéim.

Editions of Cré na Cille

1949. Sáirséal agus Dill (First Edition).

1965. Sáirséal agus Dill, An Dara Cló (Second Printing).

1970. Sáirséal agus Dill, An Tríú Cló (Third Printing).

1979. Sáirséal agus Dill, An Ceathrú Cló (Fourth Printing).

1996. Sáirséal Ó Marcaigh, editor Tomás de Bhaldraithe, An Dara hEagrán (Second Edition).

2007. Sáirséal Ó Marcaigh, editor Cathal Ó Háinle, An Tríú hEagrán (Third Edition).

2009. Cló Iar-Chonnacht, reproduction of 1965 edition, designated An Cló Seo (This Print).

Translations

Bammesberger, Alfred. 1984. A Handbook of Irish: Twentieth-Century Irish Prose , Vol. 3. Heidelberg: Universitätsverlag Winter.

Deane, Seamus (ed.). 1991. The Field Day Anthology of Irish Writing , Vol. 3. Derry: Field Day.

de Paor, Louis, Mike McCormack, and Lochlainn Ó Tuairisg. 2006. Dhá Scéal/Two Stories . Galway: Arlen House for the Cúirt International Festival of Literature.

Munch-Pedersen, Ole (trans.). 2000. Kirkegardsjord: Genfortaelling i ti mellemspil . Arhus: Husets.

Ní Allúráin, Eibhlín, and Maitiú Ó Néill (trans.). 1991. “ Cré na Cille —Churchyard Clay.” Krino 11:13–25. Corrandulla: Anna Livia Press.

Ó Tuairisc, Eoghan. 1981. The Road to Brightcity: Short Stories . Dublin: Poolbeg Press.

Rekdal, Jan Erik (trans.). 1995. Kirkegardsjord: Gjenfortellinger i ti mellomspil . Oslo: Gyldendal Norsk.

Titley, Alan (trans.). 2015. The Dirty Dust: Cré na Cille . New Haven: Yale University Press.

Trodden Keefe, Joan (trans.). 1984. “Churchyard Clay: A Translation of Cré na Cille by Máirtín Ó Cadhain, with Introduction and Notes.” Ph.D. dissertation, University of California, Berkeley.

Secondary Literature

Bramsbäck, Birgit, and Martin Croghan (eds.). 1988. Anglo-Irish and Irish Literature: Aspects of Language and Culture , Vol. 2. Uppsala: Almqvist & Wiksell International.

Briody, Mícheál. 2009. “Is Fearr an tAighneas ná an tUaigneas: Máirtín Ó Cadhain agus Bailiú an Bhéaloidis.” Bliainiris 9:7–49.

Cleary, Joe. 2007. Literature, Partition and the Nation State: Culture and Conflict in Ireland, Israel and Palestine . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Cló Iar-Chonnacht. 2009. Sáirséal Ó Marcaigh (Sáirséal agus Dill): Catalóg agus Leabharliosta 1945–2009 . Indreabhán, Conamara: Cló Iar-Chonnacht.

Costigan, An tSiúr Bosco, and Seán Ó Curraoin. 1987. De Ghlaschloich an Oileáin: Beatha agus Saothar Mháirtín Uí Chadhain . Béal an Daingin: Cló Iar-Chonnachta.

Cronin, Michael. 2001. “It’s time for Cré na Cille in English.” Irish Times , 7 April 2001, B13.

Devine, Francis. 1992. “Obituary: Mattie O’Neill.” Saothar: Journal of the Irish Labour-History Society 17:7–9.

Denvir, Gearóid. 1989. “Ó Chill go Cré.” In Léachtaí Uí Chadhain 1:134–51.

—. 1987. Cadhan Aonair: Saothar Liteartha Mháirtín Uí Chadhain . Dublin: An Clóchomhar.

—. 1998. “Peacaí an Fhíréin: Smaointeachas Mháirtín Uí Chadhain.” In Criostalú: Aistí ar Shaothar Mháirtin Uí Chadhain , ed. Cathal Ó Háinle, 53–86. Dublin: Coiscéim.