Brian Ó Domhnaill (Donncha Ó Baoill)

(Dinny Pháidí Duncaí), Leitir Catha, Loch an Iúir. His father, Páidí Duncaí (Duncan), was from Loch an Iúir. Páidí married Bidí Thomáis Fheidhlimí from An Airdmhín. They had six daughters and two sons–Peigí, Mary, Lizzie (Sibéal), Annie, Rosaleen, Kitty, Tom and Dinny (Donncha). Dinny was principal of the national school in Gort an Choirce. He married May Ní Channóin who died at a young age. He had a wealth of lore and local history. He collected old songs and was in touch with Enrí Ó Muirgheasa during his work on Dhá Chéad de Cheolta Uladh (Ó Muirgheasa 1943, 137). He lived from c. 1901 to the 1960s. He held dances in the dance hall in Leitir Catha on Sunday and Wednesday evenings. On 1 February 1945, Ennis wrote that he had received a letter from Donncha Ó Baoill, O.S., a few days previously requesting a handful of songs. Ennis wrote in Irish that ‘he gave me a great number of music and songs and was particularly helpful during my visit to Donegal…. I stayed with his family in Leitir Catha while I was working in Na Rosa and they were always lovely people’ (See NFC 1296: 288). 

Ennis and Dinny were firm friends as observed in Ennis’ diary. The two men were passionate about music and song and also about fishing. The diary comments on the dances and other social occasions they attended together and Dinny. Ennis wrote for example on 16 August 1943: ‘I spent the evening from eight o’clock until two o’clock with Dinny and his sister and wrote several songs down from them. They have only some of the words, but Dinny has written them down, he says. He and his sister, Lizzie, are very tuneful singers.’  The folklore collector Seán Ó hEochaidh also contributed songs at one collecting session. Ennis wrote on 24 August 1943: ‘I went to Dinny Boyle with my book and we decided to go out to the beach to write and swim. We met Seán Ó hEochaidh in Gort an Choirce and I sat on the seat at the Hotel at 11 A.M. to write songs from him in the sun. Dinny sat down and they were both providing me with songs until three o’clock. We went to dinner and I went to Dinny again after that and I wrote more from him until seven o’clock.’  A shared  interest in fishing is underlined in Ennis’ description of a September morning as he wrote on 3 September 1943: ‘I spent the morning with Dinny [Ó Baoill] fishing from a boat on Loch an Iúir – caught five small fish,’ and on the 27th of the same month the following year he wrote:  ‘Dinny was at home last night when I visited. We spent the day fishing today. We only caught a few white fish. He rose one salmon but lost it.’