Martin Verling (1946-2007)
Biography
The late Martin Verling was born in the old brickyard in Coolfin, Portlaw, Co. Waterford, in 1946. His father, Patrick Verling was a forestry inspector from Cóbh, and his mother Johanna O'Hickey, was a niece of Professor Micheál Ó hIcí, the first professor of Irish in Maynooth College, of whom there is a statue in Carrick-on-Suir. He attended the national school in Portlaw, and in Mallow, Co. Cork. He received his secondary education in the Presentation College, Cork. He obtained both his B.Sc. (in Zoology) and his M.A. (in Folklore) in University College, Cork. He worked as a biology teacher in theDe La Salle College, Waterford, for thirty years before his early retirement in 2005. He was married to Emma Murphy (Ní Mhurchú), of Eyeries, Beara, West Cork, and they lived for a long time in Butlerstown, Co Waterford, with their two children, Cáit and Emma, not far from his native sod.
Maidhc Dháith's book: stories and lore of Ring, Co. Waterford
Martin Verling's volume, which is entirely as Gaeilge, went to the printers shortly before his death on 3 March 2007. This is a courtesy summary for those without Irish.
This book begins with the life of Michéal Turraoin ("Michael Terry")--known locally as Maidhc Dháith (1878-1966), from Baile Uí Churraoin, Ring, Co. Waterford. Compiled with great thoroughness by the editor, Martin Verling, from a number of sources, it gathers for the first time in one volume, all the oral tradition and lore taken down from Maidhc over three decades by a number of well-known collectors. The richness of this lore is wonderful, covering all aspects of country life, indoors and outdoors, including household and farm implements, animals and birds. There is lore of the sea and of the land here. And there is a mass of material about the human being--the parts of the body, people of different temperaments, religion, pishogues and magic. There is a fascinating section on historical lore.
Maidhc was more a teller of lore than of tales, although there are a few traditional and instructional tales here. There are quite a few songs too: elegies (caointe), humorous stories, and songs which he himself composed. Games, especially children's games, are not forgotten. There is a final piece entitled "personal tales"; but the truth is that the personal dimension fills the whole body of the work and it is this which makes the collection come alive.
Besides this main core of material, the volume includes extensive variant versions, notes, indexes of people and places, a detailed note on the method of editing the material so as to show the peculiarities of the dialect, and a full bibliography. To crown the whole work there is a very full "Vocabulary of Maidhc Dháith", which gives some indication of the great wealth of Ring Irish, with descriptions in phonetic script. With this--sadly posthumous--magnum opus of great scholarship the late Martin Verling (1946 - 3 March 2007) has done an immense favour to Irish Studies in the Ring Gaeltacht in particular, and to the furtherance of the study of the oral tradition in Ireland in general. It will be constantly referred to as an indispensable fons et origo of knowledge on Ring, its culture, its way of life and its unique dialect of Irish.
The book is complemented by two precious CDs of of Maidhc Dháith as recorded over half a century ago. The originals are kept in the Sound Archive of the Folklore Department of UCD; now digitally remastered by Harry Bradshaw, we can marvel once again at the wonderful expressiveness of one of the masters of Irish speech.
Any additional material relating to Maidhc Dháith will be gratefully received by Martin's wife: Emma Verling, Kilronan, Butlerstown, Co. Waterford.
This book begins with the life of Michéal Turraoin ("Michael Terry")--known locally as Maidhc Dháith (1878-1966), from Baile Uí Churraoin, Ring, Co. Waterford. Compiled with great thoroughness by the editor, Martin Verling, from a number of sources, it gathers for the first time in one volume, all the oral tradition and lore taken down from Maidhc over three decades by a number of well-known collectors. The richness of this lore is wonderful, covering all aspects of country life, indoors and outdoors, including household and farm implements, animals and birds. There is lore of the sea and of the land here. And there is a mass of material about the human being--the parts of the body, people of different temperaments, religion, pishogues and magic. There is a fascinating section on historical lore.
Maidhc was more a teller of lore than of tales, although there are a few traditional and instructional tales here. There are quite a few songs too: elegies (caointe), humorous stories, and songs which he himself composed. Games, especially children's games, are not forgotten. There is a final piece entitled "personal tales"; but the truth is that the personal dimension fills the whole body of the work and it is this which makes the collection come alive.
Besides this main core of material, the volume includes extensive variant versions, notes, indexes of people and places, a detailed note on the method of editing the material so as to show the peculiarities of the dialect, and a full bibliography. To crown the whole work there is a very full "Vocabulary of Maidhc Dháith", which gives some indication of the great wealth of Ring Irish, with descriptions in phonetic script. With this--sadly posthumous--magnum opus of great scholarship the late Martin Verling (1946 - 3 March 2007) has done an immense favour to Irish Studies in the Ring Gaeltacht in particular, and to the furtherance of the study of the oral tradition in Ireland in general. It will be constantly referred to as an indispensable fons et origo of knowledge on Ring, its culture, its way of life and its unique dialect of Irish.
The book is complemented by two precious CDs of of Maidhc Dháith as recorded over half a century ago. The originals are kept in the Sound Archive of the Folklore Department of UCD; now digitally remastered by Harry Bradshaw, we can marvel once again at the wonderful expressiveness of one of the masters of Irish speech.
Any additional material relating to Maidhc Dháith will be gratefully received by Martin's wife: Emma Verling, Kilronan, Butlerstown, Co. Waterford.
Other publications
Martin's other published books are:
- Gort Broc. Scéalta agus Seanchas ó Bhéarra. Máirtín Verling a chóirigh is a chuir in eagar (collected from Pádraig Ó Murchú, known as "Patsy Ghort Broc"). Coiscéim, Baile Átha Cliath, 1996
- Béarrach Mná ag Caint. Seanchas Mhairéad Ní Mhionacháin. Cló IarChonnachta, Indreabhán, 1999
- [English translation of 2. above] Beara Woman Talking: The Lore of Peig Minihane - Folklore from the Beara Peninsula, Co. Cork (collected by Tadhg Ó Murchú). Mercier, Dublin, 2003
