Victory in the Time of Famine

There was ma man named McBrien
He lived somewhere in Rossdoney, in the Point of Rosdoney as they call it. And he had a wife
and five children
five young children
And they hadn't a haet;there was no food. there was no food
and they were in a starving condition
And he said he'd fish
he'd try and fish in the Arney River ,
that run along his land,
that was convenient to his land.
He said he'd fish
try and fish to see would he get a few fish to eat that'd keep them from dying.
So he did; he went out this day,
and he caught seven fish.
Well he went every day
well for a good many days
And he caught seven fish every day
And one of the children died anyway.
And he caught six then.
And he caught six every day.
The number went down to six.
Aye, I heard that too, about the time of the Famine.
That happened in Rossdoney, the townland of Rossdoney,
along the Arney River there. Now that happened; it was told anyway.
It came down from the famine days.

From: Irish Folk Tales. Henry Glassie, ed. Harmonsworth: Penguin, 1987, p. 232.