Áine de Paor agus an ‘Midnight Court’ le Brian Merriman – Brigid the Bard Supplement

Áine de Paor and the ‘Midnight Court’ by Brian Merriman

As part of Brigid the Bard Celebrations 2026 Áine de Paor will be performing extracts from ‘Midnight Court’ le Brian Merriman/ the ‘Midnight Court’ by Brian Merriman on Saturday 7 February 2026, 4pm to 6pm at the Baroque Room | Carrington Hotel, Katoomba NSW (details and tickets from https://events.humanitix.com/https-prankqueans-com).

Áine previews the performance below.

The Irish language poem The Midnight Court written by Brian Merriman in the 18^th Century is at once hilarious and outrageous while also showcasing the beauty and musicality of the Irish language. The themes of the poem are the sexual frustration experienced by young Irish women of the time who often ended up married to much older men. Offering convincing arguments for free love and sex outside marriage the poem castigates the celibacy of the clergy of the Catholic Church.

Merriman puts himself at the centre of the poem as at its outset he ambles in the beautiful countryside of County Clare on Ireland’s western Atlantic coast. I won’t be translating each word or even line of this poem as I think despite its many English language versions it is only in its original Irish language form that its true beauty becomes obvious. So picture our poet now as he strolls on a lovely summer’s morning but things soon change:

Ba gnáth mé ar siúl le ciumhas na habhann
Ar bháinseach úr is an drúcht go trom
In aice na gcoillte, i gcoim an tsléibhe
Gan mhairg, gan mhoill ar shoilseadh an lae

Ba ghairid mo shuain nuair a chuala shíl mé
An talamh máguaird ar luascadh im thimpeall
Anfa aduaidh is fuadach fíochmhar

Suddenly a Cailleach or old hag appears before our young handsome poet and begins to berate him & his unmarried state. She sees him as a representative of the young men of Ireland at the time.

Chonaic me chugham le ciumhas an cuain
An mhásach bholgach tholgach thaibhseach
Chnámhach cholgaach ghairdeach ghaibhdeach.

She informs him that he needs to make an appearance as the accused in a court case that is already underway. He represents a generation of young men who the court sees as responsible for the current diminishing Irish population.

Múscail! Corraigh a chodaltaigh ghránna
Is dubhach do shlí bheith sínte I do shliasta
Is cúirt ina suí is na mílte ag triall ann
Cúis dár ndóigh ná geobhaidh tú saor tríd

Cnú na hóige dá feo le faolras
Is easnamh daoine suite ar Éire

Tá an chúirt seo seasamh feasta sa bhFiacail
Siúlse is freagair í, Caithfidh tú triall ann

So our poet finds himself in the dock in this assembled Midnight Court. He’s the accused as representing the men of his generation. Presiding over the proceedings is the chief female judge Aoibheall, a Fairy Queen from Celtic Mythology who among her other triumphs prophesised to Brian Boru the Great Irish Warrior that he would die in the Battle of Clontarf. The first witness for the prosecution is about to speak …
a young woman who is not happy that young Irish men such as our poet either get seduced by older women or wait until they are past it and old themselves to begin seducing the younger ones. She for one has had enough of sexual frustration.

Sé chrá mo chroí is do scaoil gan chiall mé
Is d’fhág mo smaointe is m’intinn traochta
Nuair a fheicim preabaire calma croíúil
Buaite ceannaithe ceangailte pósta
Ag fuaid a Cailleach, ag amaid nó ag óinmhid
Is mé chomh leabhair, chomh modhúil, chomh breá seo.

Well she may be making a case for young women not to end up with older men who are past it but up jumps a witness for the defence who’s own marriage to a younger woman did not end well so he has no time for what she has to say.

Preabann anuas go fuadach fíochmhar
Seanduine suarach is fuadach nimhe faoi

‘Is feasach don taobh seo den tsaol mar bhí mé
Chailleas le bean mo bhrí is mo shláinte.’

As with all courts however it is left to the judge to make the final decision about the fate of our poet, and it doesn’t end well. Aoibheall basically invites the women assembled to vent their anger and frustration on him in whatever way they so wish.

Fágaim fúibhse tionsal páise
A mhná na dúile dubhadh le háilíos
Cúnaigh deirim libh, beir air, tóg é
A Úna gairim thú is fág dom córda
Ceangailse a Mháire a lámha ar taobh thiar de

Just as things couldn’t be getting any worse for our poet as the accused he gets a reprieve. This poem follows the ancient Aisling tradition in which the protagonist has a visionary dream during which he sees a woman who often represents Ireland. Luckily those who experience an Aisling wake up however … as does our poet…

Do scaras lem néal, do réideas mo shúile
Is do phreabas de léim on bréin dom dhúiseacht…

Dr Áine de Paor is a Dublin born woman who for decades has combined high school drama teaching in Sydney with occasional work as an actor and performer. In her native Dublin as a young adult Áine appeared regularly in performances by ‘The Dublin Shakespeare Society’. Continuing her passion for theatre when she arrived in Sydney she worked with a number of independent theatre companies before joining forces with the Irish Consulate to coordinate and present cultural programs. Áine’s academic credentials include an honours education degree from Trinity College Dublin, a course work Masters degree in Theatre Studies from the University of New South Wales and an honours Masters degree (Research) from Sydney University. In 2022 Áine successfully concluded her PhD studies at the Department of Performance Studies, Sydney University, with a thesis entitled, ‘Staging Ireland Down Under’. As a passionate and fluent Gaeilgeoir (Irish language speaker) Áine enjoys celebrating her native language as well as the strong bonds between Ireland and Australia through literary and cultural events that celebrate all that is Irish Australian and fabulously female.