"R. A. MaCavoy - The Grey Horse" - читать интересную книгу автора (MacAvoy R A)

THE GREY HORSE
R. A. MacAvoy
BANTAM BOOKS TORONTO тАв NEW YORK тАв LONDON тАв SYDNEY тАв
AUCKLAND
To the people of Carraroe
NAMES OF THE PEOPLE
Anra├н ├У Reachtaire - Henry Raftery, sometimes called Anra├н Thurlaigh, or
Henry, son of Turlough, after his father
├Бine N├нAnluain - Anne Raftery, his wife
Seosamh ├У Reachtaire - Joe Raftery, their son
Ruair├н MacEibhir - Rory MacEever
Eibhear, pronounced "Eever" - Granite: Ruairfs father
Gaoth, pronounced "Gwee" - Wind: Ruairfs mother
Donncha MacSiadhail - Donald MacSheel
M├бire N├нStand├║n - Mary Stanton
Eibhl├нn N├нStand├║n - Eileen Stanton, her sister
Se├бn Stand├║n - John Stanton, their father
Tadhg ├У Murch├║ - Tim Murphy, priest of the parish
Diarmuid ├У Cadhain - Dermitt Cain
I went from door to door in Carraroe, with an introduction from Peig
Bean Ui Cheallaigh and accompanied by one of the ├У Ceallaigh boys, trying
to find out the history of the place. Everyone told me there had been none:
that the great events of the last century and more in Ireland had passed that
parish cleanly by.
At last, in the parlor of the rectory, I discovered one fact: that in the early
years of the Land League, a group of Carraroe women had held off an
eviction by their combined strength. Around this one bit of history I have
woven a great deal of fiction.
None of my characters are based on real people of the time. Tadhg ├У
Murch├║ was not priest of the parish. I expect there was always more than
one. There are many ├У Reachtaires in Connaught, none of them related to
Anra├н, the trainer. Stand├║n, or Stanton, is another common name.
MacEibhir is a name I made up.
I am indebted to the ├У Ceallaigh family of An Sruth├бn for their
hospitality to a stranger and for the "protection of their name" all the time I
was with them. And I am indebted to Dr. Peadar Macanlomaire for his
support in an effort he may have thought a little bit mad. I feel a great debt
to all the people of the Cois Fhairrge area of Connemara, because folk such
as they are the hope of the world.
CHAPTER ONE


An Sruth├бn, or The Eddies
The sky was full of the grey scum of a soup kettle on the boil. The wind
blew from the east, or the north ; or south from Galway Bay; it was always
changing. Anra├н ├У Reachtaire came along the Cois Fhairrge Road holding
his hand up against his forehead as a sort of makeshift hat brim, equally
ineffective against the pinching hail and the unexpected flashes of sunlight
that made his eyes water.
Anra├н's hair was thin on top, and the wind was doing its best to thin it