in seanfhocail na mumhan by an seabhac, his comment on the curse - bás na gcat sa dúluachair chughat - he writes bás gan bainne.
now does this phrase have any idiomatic meaning or special connotation?
hoping someone here can help

It translates something like "death of the cats in the depths of winter to you" and "bás gan bainne" means "death without milk".
Cows go dry for a time before they are bred again to give milk and I expect this would happen in the winter, so the cats wouldn't have milk in the winter.
The meaning for humans would be something like 'death without comfort', I would imagine.

aye thanks for the suggestion liz. it's the best i've had so far.

this isn't a seanfhocal but maybe it should be - is olc an bás gan bainne é ach is measa an bheatha gan pórtar é