old woman. He died for love of me: many a man has died for love of me.
peter [aside to bridget]. Her trouble has put her wits astray.
michael. Is it long since that song was made? Is it long since he got his death?
old woman. Not long, not long. But there were others that died for love of me a long time ago.
michael. Were they neighbours of your own, ma’am?
old woman. Come here beside me and I'll tell you about them. [michael sits down beside her at the hearth.] There was a red man of the O'Donells from the north, and a man of the O'Sullivans from the south, and there was one Brian that lost his life at Clontarf by the sea, and there were a great many in the west, some that died hundreds of years ago, and there are some that will die tomorrow.
michael. Is it in the west that men will die to-morrow?
old woman. Come nearer, nearer to me.
bridget. Is she right, do you think? Or is she a woman from beyond the world?
peter. She doesn’t know well what she's talking about, with the want and the trouble she has gone through.
bridget. The poor thing, we should treat her well.
