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Òran Ghairisgeir

Track Information

Original Track ID

SA1959.104.B3a; B3b

Original Tape ID

SA1959.104

Summary

A woman from Ardivachair was in love with the husband of a young wife from the same place. One day, she took the young wife with her to get shellfish and let the sea surround her on Gairisgeir. Before the young wife drowned she composed this song and the other woman memorised it.

The woman married the widower and they had a child. One day, the man heard her singing to the child the song which his first wife composed before she was drowned. The song told how it happened. The man and wife parted.

In the song, a woman is collecting barnacles and the sea is coming in around her and she is drowning. She asks the lady who is on the shore to help her but she does nothing for her.

Recording Location

County - Inverness-shire

Island - South Uist

Parish - South Uist

Item Location

County - Inverness-shire

Island - South Uist

Parish - South Uist

Language

Gaelic

Collection

SoSS

Source Type

Reel to reel

Audio Quality

Good