'Who was that Peig Sayers?’

She was anything but the maudlin and old-fashioned Peig remembered by generations of school children. From the descriptions of those who met her, the real Peig emerges as a warm, wise and humorous woman, with an addiction to tobacco, a fondness for a sup of whiskey and a mastery of the art of ‘spin’.

Born in Dún Chaoin in County Kerry in 1873, Peig learned the art of storytelling at her father’s knee, and quickly became known for her sociable nature and excellent memory. Marrying a fisherman from the Great Blasket, she enjoyed a full life with a large extended family and the care of her six living children.

I Will Speak to You All collects, for the first time, in both Irish and English, the recordings made by the BBC and RTÉ of Peig Sayers in 1946, 1947 and 1953. They illustrate Peig’s repertoire, ranging from religious stories and prayers to humorous, romantic, even supernatural tales, as well as descriptions of an island life that is passing from living memory.

Including a QR link to the original audio material, now we can listen to Peig’s own voice as she tells us her stories and meet her in a way never possible before.

‘Ach cérbh í Peig Sayers?’

Níorbh í in aon chor an tseanbhean ologónach í ar chuir na glúnta de dhaltaí scoile aithne uirthi. Is léir ó chuntais uathu siúd arbh eol dóibh í gur bhean ghrámhar thuisceanach í a raibh acmhainn grinn inti; bean a fuair blas ar ghal tobac agus ar bhraoinín fuisce, agus a bhí oilte ar chraiceann a chur ar scéal.

Saolaíodh Peig i nDún Chaoin i gCo. Chiarraí i 1873. Thug sí bua na scéalaíochta léi óna hathair agus tugadh a sárchuimhne agus an lé a bhí aici le comhluadar faoi deara go luath. Phós sí iascaire ón mBlascaod agus chaith sí saol cruógach i dteaghlach líonmhar ag déanamh cúraim don seisear leanbh léi a mhair.

Tugann Labharfad le Cách le chéile den chéad uair na taifeadtaí a thóg an BBC agus RTÉ uaithi i 1946, 1947 agus 1953, mar aon le haistriúcháin Bhéarla orthu. Léiríonn siad fairsinge repertoire Pheig idir scéalta cráifeacha, paidreacha, scéalta rómánsacha, scéalta faoin osádúr agus cuntais ar an saol a caitheadh tráth ar an oileán ach go bhfuil a chuimhne ag dul i léig anois.

BO ALMQVIST was Emeritus Professor and a Former Head of the Department of Irish Folklore, University College Dublin. He specialised in Scandinavian and Irish folk literature and folk beliefs, and published widely on these topics. He also collected many stories from Blasket Islanders, in particular Peig Sayers’ son, Mícheál Ó Gaoithín, and other storytellers in Dún Chaoin, such as Bab Feiritéar. He was a co-editor of the publication of her stories, Ó Bhéal an Bhab. With Pádraig Ó Héalaí, he edited Peig Sayers: Labharfad Le Cách | I Will Speak to You All (New Island, 2009). He died in 2013.

’Ollamh Gradaim agus Iarcheann Roinn Bhéaloideas Éireann é BO ALMQVIST sa Choláiste Ollscoile, Baile Átha Cliath. Traidisiúin bhéil agus tuiscintí traidisiúnta Chríoch Lochlann agus na hÉireann a réimse speisialtóireachta agus tá a lán foilsithe aige ar na hábhair seo. Tá cuid mhór bailiúcháin déanta aige ó Bhlascaodaigh, go háirithe ó Mhícheál Ó Gaoithín, mac Pheig Sayers agus ó scéalaithe eile i nDún Chaoin, Bab Feiritéar mar shampla. Comheagarthóir é ar bhailiúchán dá scéalta, Ó Bhéal an Bhab. Chuir sé féin agus Pádraig Ó Héalaí in eagar Peig Sayers: Labharfad le Cách | I Will Speak to You All (New Island, 2009). D’éag sé sa bhliain 2013.

PÁDRAIG Ó HÉALAÍ is a retired Senior Lecturer in Modern Irish at NUI, Galway. His area of specialisation is Irish folklore and he has published on many aspects of this topic, including religious tradition, Blasket heritage and beliefs and practices associated with the supernatural. He is a former editor of the journal Béaloideas and with Bo Almqvist, he edited Peig Sayers: Labharfad Le Cách | I Will Speak To You All (New Island, 2009). Most recently he edited An Blascaod Trí Fhuinneog na Scoile (2015), a young teacher’s account of her experience of life on the Great Blasket when it was still home to a vibrant community.

Iarléachtóir Sinsearach i Scoil na Gaeilge, Ollscoil na hÉireann, Gaillimh, é PÁDRAIG Ó HÉALAÍ. Béaloideas na tíre seo a shainréimse léinn agus tá foilseacháin iomadúla aige ar ghnéithe éagsúla den ábhar sin. Tá spéis faoi leith curtha aige i scéalta cráifeacha, in oidhreacht an Bhlascaoid agus i dtraidisiúin faoin osnádúr. Is iareagarthóir é ar an iris Béaloideas, agus mar aon le Bo Almqvist chuir sé eagar ar Peig Sayers: Labharfad le Cách | I Will Speak to You All (New Island, 2009). An Blascaod Trí Fhuinneog na Scoile (2015) an leabhar is déanaí uaidh, saothar eagarthóireachta ar chuntas múinteora ar a tréimhse ag teagasc ar an mBlascaod nuair a bhí gus fós sa phobal ann.