What is ‘oilskin’? Ans: ‘Oilskin’ or oilcloth is a sheet dipped in oil and dried to be used as a waterproof cover. or Oilskin is a type of waterproof fabric made of cotton or another natural fiber treated with oil or another waterproofing agent.
What does the spinning wheel indicate? Ans: It indicates that the womenfolk of the Aran Islands used to supplement the family’s income by spinning thread at home.
What is ‘kneading’? Ans: Kneading is the process of mixing flour with resins, eggs, milk, etc. as a mixture for making a cake.
What is Donegal? Ans: Donegal is a country in North Ireland where the body of Michael is recovered.
Who is Michael? Ans: Michael is the fifth son of Maurya. He was drowned in the sea and his dead body was recovered in Donegal.
What is a hooker? Why is the hooker tacking? Ans: A hooker is a kind of small Irish sailing boat. ‘Tacking’ means moving in a zigzag manner in order to adjust its sail so as to come towards the island.
Why doesn’t Bartley want to miss the boat to Connemara? Ans: Bartley does not want to miss the boat to Connemara because no boat will be available for two weeks or more for the trip to the fair where horses will be sold at high prices.
What will Bartley sell at Connemara? Ans: Bartley will sell at Connemara two horses—his red mare and Michael’s grey pony.
What was the color of Michael’s horse and what color was Bartley’s mare? Ans: Michael’s horse was grey and Bartley’s mare was red.
How does Maurya rate the worth of a son? Ans: Maurya rates the worth of a son above any amount of money. To her, the worth of a son is more than the price of a hundred and thousand horses.
What is a ‘jobber’? Ans: A jobber is a broker engaged in selling cattle and horses.
What is a pier? Ans: Pier is a structure of wood, iron, etc built in the sea and joined to the land at one end, used by boats to allow passengers to get on and off.
Why doesn’t Maurya bless her son Bartley on the eve of his departure? Ans: On the eve of Bartley’s departure, Maurya could not bless him because there was an ominous touch. She is so desperate with grief and agony that she utters ominous words instead of blessing him.
What premonition of Bartley’s death did Cathleen have? Ans: Cathleen had the premonition of Bartley’s death when she discovered that they had forgotten to give him bread and he had eaten nothing since the sunrise.
Why did Maurya go to the spring well? Ans: Maurya went to the spring well to give her son Bartley his bit of bread and to say, ‘God speed you.’
How was Michael’s dead body found? Ans: The dead body of Michael was found by a boatman. When two boatmen were rowing with illicit liquor, poteen, before dawn, the oar of one of them caught Michael’s floating dead body.
What is poteen? Ans: Poteen is a strong alcoholic drink made illegally, usually from potatoes.
What premonition of Bartley’s death did Maurya have? Ans: Maurya had the premonition of Bartley’s death when she saw Bartley riding on his red mare and the ghost of Michael chasing him on the grey pony.
What story is associated with ‘Bride Dara’? Ans: The story associated with Bride Dara is that she had a vision that her dead husband had taken her little child in his arms. It was a sign of the coming death of the child.
Who are the first to die in Riders to the Sea? Ans: It is not specifically mentioned who is first to die. But we may assume that Maurya’s sons Stephen and Shawn are the first to die in Riders to the Sea.
Who are Stephen and Shawn? How did they die? Ans: Stephen and Shawn are the two sons of Maurya. They were drowned together in a violent storm.
Who is Sheamus? How did he die? Ans: Sheamus was one of the sons of Maurya. He was perished in the sea on a dark night.
What is a curragh? Ans: A curragh is a type of small boat covered with, water-tight material used for fishing on the west coast of Ireland and the island nearby.
What is Samhain? Ans: Samhain is the name of the Celtic festival of ‘the departing Sun’- held on November 1 which is the beginning of the Celtic year. It is the Gaelic word for ‘late Autumn’.
Who is the last to die in Riders to the Sea? Ans: Bartley, the youngest son of Maurya, is the last to die in Riders to the Sea.
Why did Bartley go to the Galway fair? Ans: He went to the Galway fair to sell two horses.
What did the priest inform Cathleen and Nora? Ans: The priest informs Cathleen and Nora that a body that may be their brother Michael has washed up on shore in Donegal, far to the north.
How many sons did Maurya have and who were they? Ans: Maurya had six sons. They were Stephen, Shawn, Sheamus, Patch, Michael, and Bartley.
How did Bartley die? Ans: When Bartley is riding the red mare with the grey pony running behind him, the grey pony knocks him over into the sea and he is carried by the strong high waves to the white rocks and dashed against them.
How do Nora and Cathleen become sure about their clothes of Michael? Ans: Nora and Cathleen become sure about their clothes of Michael by the stitching of the stocking.
Who are the ‘Riders’? mentioned in the play ‘Riders to the Sea’? Ans: On the surface, the ‘riders’ are Maurya’s father-in-law, husband, and her six sons. But on the general level, the fishermen of the Aran Islands are all riders.
What is Galway fair? Ans: It is fair to be held at Galway, a western country of Ireland, just opposite of Aran Islands.
What is the message of ‘Riders to the Sea’? Ans: The message of the play is that no man at all can be living forever and we must be satisfied even at one’s premature death if one gets a decent burial.
Where did Michael buy the stick for his mother? Ans: Michael brought the stick for his mother from Connemara.
Who were the surviving children of Maurya at the beginning of the play? Ans: Bartley.
What kind of play is ‘Riders to the Sea’? Ans: ‘Riders to the Sea’ is a one-act tragedy.
Name the sons of Maurya who died in the sea? Ans: Maurya’s sons who died in the sea are Stephen, Shawn Sheamus, Patch, Michael, and Bartley.
Where was the dead body of Michael found? Ans: We learn from Nora that Michael’s dead body was found by two smugglers who were trafficking illegal whisky by a small boat in the far north near the black cliff. It was found before the cockcrow morning while their oar stuck to the clothes of the floating dead body of drowned Michael.
Why does Maurya want Bartley not to sail to Connemara? Ans: Maurya does not want Bartley to sail to the mainland/ Connemara because she fears that the boat journey to Connemara shall be very dangerous as the storm blows hard from the south and west will make the sea turbulent.
What is Galway Fair famous for? Ans: The Galway fair is famous for the trading of cattle or horses and other commodities of the people from around.
What does the ‘Holy water’ signify? Ans: “Holy water” is water consecrated by the prayers of priests. Such water is believed to be capable of driving away evil spirits.
Why did Bartley want to go to the Galway fair? Ans: Bartley wanted to go to the Galway fair to sell his horses.
How does Maurya console herself at the end of the play? Ans: At last Maurya resigned himself to his cruel fate. She consoles herself by saying, “No man at all can be living forever, and we must be satisfied.”