Activity Summary

This sweet amusing three line lullaby introduces the topic of cattle droving and builds confidence and pronunciation skills for beginner level students from age seven to adult. The small vocabulary is not difficult to quickly memorize and provides an opportunity to work on pronunciation of broad and slender r sounds and aspirated c with a broad vowel (e.g. –ach).

Lesson Structure (30 minutes)

Pronunciation Resources

Listening:

Full spoken pronunciation with a variety of speakers:

• Cadal Ciarach Mo Luran – Robyn C.
• Cadal Ciarach mo Luran –  Sionainn MacM.
• Cadal Ciarach Mo Luran – Heather S.
• Cadal Ciarach Mo Luran – Ed MacD.
  
• Cadal Ciarach Mo Luran – Robert P.

Pronunciation Video Guides with Links:

Although this song is simple it provides an opportunity to enjoy some of the features of Gaelic language consonants. A light-hearted and encouraging approach can be very successful especially when working with beginner students, such as broad and slender R sounds. 

R’s at the beginning of a word, or found as RR elswhere, are generally rolled:

Gaelic sounds – Pronounce R at the beginning of a word

R’s next to Broad Vowels within a word (i.e. A, O, or U):

Cadal ciarach mo luran

Gaelic R’s that are not at the beginning of a word and are next to the vowels A, O, or U are considered BROAD. They are lightly tapped. The tongue taps the roof of the mouth behind the teeth. In ciarach and luran we use the tongue to add a quick R.

Gaelic sounds – Pronounce a non-initial Broad R (00:00 – 00:56)

R’s with Slender Vowels (i.e. E and I):

Chan fhaigh dròbhair a’ chruidh thu

Gaelic R’s that are not at the beginning of a word and that are next to the vowels E or I are considered SLENDER. The R next to a slender vowel is softened and in some dialects resembles an airy English ‘th’ sound.

Gaelic sounds – Pronounce Slender R 00:56

Gaelic CH, with Broad Vowels: A, O, or U:

Cadal ciarach mo luran

Chan fhaigh dròbhair a’ chruidh thu

This sound comes out of the back of the mouth and has been described as the sound a cat makes coughing up a hairball. Have the class all try like a cat. Be silly and use exaggeration. The sillier the better!

Gaelic Sounds – Pronounce CH 

Song Structure:

Examples:

• Nova Scotia — Cadal Ciarach Mo Luran – Robyn Carrigan (feat. Jenny Melvin)
  
• Scotland — Julie Fowlis – Cadal Ciarach Mo Luran

Drovers: Gaelic Culture and History

Chan fhaigh dròbhair a’ chruidh thu! The drover of cattle won’t get you!

The third line of our song has the singer of the lullaby assuring us “Chan fhaigh dròbhair a’ chruidh thu” (The drover of cattle won’t get you). But who were the Drovers? Why might they be mentioned in our song?

Drovers were essentially Scottish Cow-herders or Cowboys, as they are known in North America. Droving is the practice of walking livestock over long distances, often from pasture to market. Economic forces of Scottish history made conditions right for the production of cattle for food far from their markets. The land of the Scottish Highlands and Islands provided meagre soil for planting crops, however the plentiful ranges of land in the mountains and valleys were well suited for raising livestock. Cattle were herded by the Drovers on-foot and brought down to the larger population centres in the south. Drovers started in May by going from farm to farm, negotiating for one or two cows, and gradually gathering them into herds. Their days were long and their diets simple, mainly oats, onions and whiskey. Occasionally they would drain blood from the cows to mix with oats for black pudding. The rugged Drovers were well suited for this difficult, rough and challenging life.      

Variations

Lesson Structure Time:

The lesson easily expands to a longer lesson of 45 or 60 minutes by adding more time in the pronunciation, acquisition, or the Drovers section of the lesson. The pronunciation component easily expands with the use of  example files provided. Create a shorter lesson time by removing the History or Pronunciation component, or focus solely on Acquisition.

For example: 45 Minute Lesson

Other Options:

• Advanced: Compose three new lines in Gaelic suitable for a lullaby.

• Beginner Junior: Divide the lesson into two parts and learn the first two lines in Lesson 1, adding the third in Lesson 2.

Appendix

Further Reading

Haldane, A.R.B. The Drove Roads of Scotland. Edinburgh: Thomas Nelson, 1952.

Witherspoon, Kelly A. “Scottish Cattle Companies on the Western Frontier,” Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History 3, Iss. 2 (2020). Available at: https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/ljh/vol3/iss2/1