Original texts from Dúchas collection            https://www.duchas.ie/en

English translations

All three singers:

"This is the place of your resurrection"

Soprano 1:

Once upon a time a body of soldiers launched a furious raid on Baile Bhuirne and they were busily plundering about them until Saint Gobnait stopped them. She had bees and she sent them after the army. She made soldiers of the bees and they launched a wholesale slaughter on the plunderers.

Informant: Micheál Ó Loingsigh Collector: Seán Ó Cróinín
Location: Ballyvourney, Co. Cork, 1928


Soprano 2:

Once upon a time thieves came to steal the cattle of Baile Bhuirne. The thieves found the animals, gathered them together and were ready to drive them westwards. When Gobnait found out, she sent the bees in pursuit of the thieves. The bees attacked them. Injured and scarred the thieves escaped without so much as a single cow. Every cow and calf was brought back to their rightful owners.

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Mezzo-soprano:
Finín Ó Donnchadha of the Glen and his soldiers went to Baile Bhuirne once on a cattle raid. They reached Baile Bhuirne in the dead of night and immediately started gathering all the animals. It so happened that the locals woke up and they countered the raiders. Finín and his men were too strong for them so they took the animals with them westwards towards the Glen.
The people of Baile Bhuirne put their heads together to find a solution and finally they decided to ask Saint Gobnait to rescue them because at that time she was creating wondrous things with the blessed bees.
Their chief was a pagan and he didn’t want to seek her help but he had no choice. Saint Gobnait promised to return their animals to them on condition that he became a Catholic, which he did. Saint Gobnait went westwards in pursuit of the raiders, barefoot with the beehive in her hand. She caught up with them on the border of the two counties, she shook the beehive in the air and the bees came out. She made soldiers of them. There was a terrible fight between the two groups and in the end the raiders were chased away.
The bees then went back into the beehive and Saint Gobnait went back to Baile Bhuirne with the plunder.

Informant: Pádruig Ó hÉaluigh
Location: Cluain Chaoin, Gleann Fleisce, Cill Airne, Co Chiarraí

Íocón Beiche (Bee Icon) - workshop recording

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