Baile Locha Riach - Loughrea
getting a rise out of Antaine Ó Raifteirí, the blind poet

One day in Ireland before the famine times, the blind poet Raftery was traveling in Galway and was invited by John Joyce to have pints at a tavern with his friends. Little did the great poet realize, but this invitation was prelude to a big joke about to be played on him, but in good fun, so that the boys might get a funny poem from Raftery as a result of what they were going to put him through. It was a rainy day, and the poet with but a shilling to his name, gratefully agreed to the offer, and joined the men for great amusement and feats of eloquence. Their money was well-spent, but then, one-by-one each of them disappeared, until finally only the blind old genius was left to contend with the innkeeper himself. Money was demanded from Raftery to pay for all the rounds everyone had enjoyed, and the demand was too great for a normal man's finances, never mind one dependent on Irish people to support his traditional arts. This poem is Raftery's telling of the situation he found himself in. He escaped any real harm when John Joyce and the boys of Loughrea let him in on the joke and paid for the rounds, as they had consumed them and originally promised.
(with acknowledgment to the research of Cristóir Ó'Flynn: credits to his book below.)

BAILE LOCHA RIACH
le Antaine Ó Raifteirí (1784-1835)

1.
A Bhaile Locha Riach, is fada 'bheas trácht ort
ón lá úd a tharla mé ann,
Nó gur dhruid mé go dlúth leis na cárta
's gur thógadar ríl in mo cheann.

2.
Ar maidin ag dul tríd an tsráid dom
shíl mé nach ndéanfainn aon mhoill,
Nó gur rug John Joyce ar bharr láimhe mé
go dtí teach pléaráca agus grinn.

3.
Chas Dia aon scilling amháin chugam
agus a shíl mé go raibh mo dhíol ann,
Nuair a shíl mé nár ghlaos ach dhá chárta
bhí ag Conúr im aghaidh trí is bonn

4.
Bhuail mise an bord leis an gcárt
is Maolamhnaigh 'se tháinig go teann,
D'fhiafraíos cén chiall an cás seo
is a ghiorracht ó thangamar ann.

Fear an Tábhairne:

5.
"Is é an dlí a bhíos againn ins an áit seo
an reicneáil nach n-íoctar in am,
Má éiríonn na daoine ón gclár-
An fear deiridh bheith síos leis an leann,"

Raifteirí:

6.
"A Chonúir ar m'ainim ná tráchtaigh,
tháinig mé gear, is b'annamh liom,
Dá dtugthá-sa beagáinín spáis dom
bheinn anseo amárach in am."

Fear an Tábhairne:

7.
"Dá mba sagart thú a thiocfadh , nó bráthair,
ní bhfaighfeá-sa cairde faoin leann,
Ach íocfaidh tú mise ar an tairne
má tá an hata crua fáiscthe ar do cheann,"

Raifteirí:

8.
"An gcuirfeá-sa amach mé lá báistí,
i mo sheasamh, lár sráide, im cheann
Is a fheabhas agus d'ólfainn do shláinte
ach mo sparán bheith láidir is teann?"

Fear an Tábhairne:

9.
"Nár dhúirt me leat cheana gan trácht air,
go raibh taxes agus license an-teann?
Is dá dtrustfainnse réic nó fear fánach
ní bheathóinn mo bhean is mo chlann."

Raifteirí:

10.
"Go bhfeice mé tusa i do stáca
I do sheasamh, lár sráide, in do cheann,
Do chosa ins an lathaigh faoi ghága,
is tú ag suathadh na láibe go lann

GETTING A RISE OUT OF O'RAFTERY IN LOUGHREA
by Criostóir Ó'Flynn

1.
O Loughrea, 'tis long you'll be talked of,
since to there on my travels I went,
I settled down to the drink in good order
and was left with a reel* in my head.

2.
When I came to the street on the morning
I thought I'd be on my way,
But John Joyce took my hand and he brought me
to a house of good fun and great play.

3.
With a shilling that the good God provided
I thought I'd enough and to spare,
What a shock then when Connor confided
for two quarts three-and-six I must pay.

4.
I clattered the jug on the table
and Molony came running to hear,
I asked what he meant by this statement
when so short was the time we'd been there.

Bartender:

5.
"The rule that in this house we favour
any reckoning not paid as they sup,
Whoever is last at the table
for all that they drank must pay up."

Raftery:

6.
"Don't say any more, my good Connor,
I'm found short and that's seldom my state,
But give me at least till tomorrow,
I'll come early and clean off my slate."

Bartender:

7.
"If you were even a priest or a friar,
no credit for drink would you get,
Just pay on the nail what's decided
or I'll have that hard hat off your head."

Raftery;

8.
"Would you put me outside and it raining
bareheaded to stand in the street,
When your health I'd be loudly proclaming
if my purse all expenses could meet?"

Bartender:

9.
"I told you already, don't argue!
the taxes and license are hard,
Trusting wild rakes and wanderers like you
my wife and my children would starve."

Raftery:

10.
"May I live to hear yet of the time
you'll be put there yourself on the street,
With your head bare as you have made mine
and you tramping the mud in bare feet!"


From:
Blind Raftery by Criostóir Ó'Flynn,
Cló Iar-Chonnachta, Connemara, Ireland, 1998