Dúlamán

(type of seaweed)
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This is a traditional Irish song arranged by Altan. It appears on their fourth studio album Island Angel released in more...

This is a traditional Irish song arranged by Altan. It appears on their fourth studio album Island Angel released in 1993. See also two other versions by Clannad and Anúna.

Dúlamán is Irish for “channelled wrack”, a type of edible seaweed. The text of the song relates to the Irish practice of gathering seaweed for various purposes, dating from lean times when seaweed was valuable as a defence against famine.

Comment from Philippa

The mother telling the daughter that the men are coming and the girl wanting to look like she’s good housewife material, i.e., showing them she can spin.In the second verse, the mother and daughter are talking about how unattractive the fellow is (the dulaman gaelach); however, in the third and fourth verse they’ve decided that he looks like he could afford to spend some money on them, as he can dress himself fairly well. In the fifth verse, the fellow promises the girl a present as an enticement to marriage. However, in the sixth verse the girl’s daddy (who is also a ‘dulaman gaelach’ – the names change in this verse) demands to know the fellow’s (the ‘dulaman maorach’ now) intentions; and, the daddy declares in the last verse that he’ll not let the fellow take his daughter away. However, the upstart says that he’ll just kidnap her!

Note by Tim Eagen

In Ireland certain men made their livings by collecting and selling different types of seaweed, and were frequently nicknamed for the particular types in which they dealt. Dúlamán Gaelach is a seaweed used in dying cloth, while dúlamán maorach is an edible variety. The song is a conversation between two seaweed collectors. Dúlamán Gaelach has a beautiful daughter whom Dúlamán Maorach wishes to marry. Gaelach is not exactly thrilled with the idea of having Maorach as a son-in-law, but Maorach elopes with his daughter anyway.

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Irish

English

Oh gentle daughter
Here come the wooing men
Oh gentle mother
Put the wheels in motion for me

Chorus (after each verse):
Seaweed from the yellow cliff
Irish seaweed
Seaweed from the ocean
The best in all of Ireland

There is
On the Irish seaweed
There are two blunt ears
On the Irish seaweed

I would go to Dore
With the Irish seaweed
"I would buy expensive shoes,"
Said the Irish seaweed

The Irish seaweed
Has beautiful black shoes
The Irish seaweed
Has a beret and trousers

I spent time telling her the story
That I would buy a comb for her
The story she told back to me
That she is well-groomed

"What are you doing here?"
Says the Irish seaweed
"At courting with your daughter,"
Says the stately seaweed

"Oh where are you taking my daughter?"
Says the Irish seaweed
"Well, I'd take her with me,"
Says the stately seaweed

Can you provide a better translation?

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