Clare Island Lyrics And Chords By The Saw Doctors
Tin Whistle Sheet Music Available Below. Song Meaning: "Clare Island" by The Saw Doctors"Clare Island" is a well-known song by the Irish rock band The Saw Doctors, released in 1996. The song is a nostalgic and heartfelt tribute to Clare Island, a small island off the coast of County Mayo, Ireland. The island is historically significant and known for its rugged beauty, making it a symbol of home and roots for many.
This song is one of the band's biggest hits.
Return to the Saw Doctors Lyrics And Chords for more of these Galway boys hits .
Return to the Saw Doctors Lyrics And Chords for more of these Galway boys hits .
[D]Will you meet me on Clare [G]Island
Summer [D]stars are in the [A]sky
We’ll[D] get the ferry out from[G] Roonagh
And [D]wave all our [A]cares good[D]bye
And we’ll go dancing at the ceili
We’ll go kissing on the strand
Take our clothes off in the moonlight
Skinny-dipping hand in hand
And we’ll start drinking in the twilight
Keep it up until the dawn
In both the bars
Because there’s no guards
To take our names and send us home.
Will you meet me on Clare Island
Summer stars are in the sky
We'll get the ferry out from roonagh
And wave all our cares goodbye.
Gettin’ weary of the city
Seems so many things have changed
Let’s head off for Nora Dalys home
Where she’s walked
It never rained
So will you meet me on Clare Island
Summer stars are in the sky
We'll get the ferry out from roonagh
And wave all our cares goodbye
And if there’s wild and tall white horses
And the swell rolls in the bay
I won’t care if the boat can’t sail
Sure we’ll get home
Some other day
So will you meet me on Clare Island
Summer stars are in the skys
We'll get the ferry out from roonage
And wave all our cares goodbye
Summer [D]stars are in the [A]sky
We’ll[D] get the ferry out from[G] Roonagh
And [D]wave all our [A]cares good[D]bye
And we’ll go dancing at the ceili
We’ll go kissing on the strand
Take our clothes off in the moonlight
Skinny-dipping hand in hand
And we’ll start drinking in the twilight
Keep it up until the dawn
In both the bars
Because there’s no guards
To take our names and send us home.
Will you meet me on Clare Island
Summer stars are in the sky
We'll get the ferry out from roonagh
And wave all our cares goodbye.
Gettin’ weary of the city
Seems so many things have changed
Let’s head off for Nora Dalys home
Where she’s walked
It never rained
So will you meet me on Clare Island
Summer stars are in the sky
We'll get the ferry out from roonagh
And wave all our cares goodbye
And if there’s wild and tall white horses
And the swell rolls in the bay
I won’t care if the boat can’t sail
Sure we’ll get home
Some other day
So will you meet me on Clare Island
Summer stars are in the skys
We'll get the ferry out from roonage
And wave all our cares goodbye
Framed photo of a girl playing the tin whistle
🎶 “Clare Island” — The Saw Doctors
Key: G major Tempo: ♩ = 80 (but played briskly, in 2/4 feel)
Time Signature: 2/16 (effectively feels like 4/4)
Tuning: Standard (EADGBE)
🎸 1️⃣ STRUMMING PATTERN — “Irish Folk Rock Drive”
Use a light, choppy folk groove with up-front accents and muted offbeats for that Saw Doctors bounce.
Pattern (per bar):
↓ ↓ ↑ ↑ ↓ ↑
Count it as:
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
↓ ↓ ↑ ↑ ↓ ↑
Play bass note (root) on beat 1.
Keep beats 2 & 4 accented for a folk-rock feel.
Use palm muting for verses; open up on choruses.
Example (G chord):
e|--3---3---3---3---|
B|--0---0---0---0---|
G|--0---0---0---0---|
D|--0---0---0---0---|
A|--2---2-----------|
E|--3---------------|
↓ ↓ ↑ ↑ ↓ ↑
🎵 2️⃣ CHORDS USED
Chord Fingering Comment
G 320003 home key
Bm x24432 bar chord or Bm7 (x20202) for easier playing
Am x02210
Em 022000
F#m 244222 or F#m7 (2x222x)
C x32010
D xx0232
Gsus4 320013 adds tension
Gmaj7 320002 gentle verse color
Cmaj7 x32000
Dsus4 xx0233 for chorus lift
🎼 3️⃣ SUGGESTED CHORD PROGRESSION
(based on your ABC phrases)
Line Lyrics Chords
1 Will you meet me on Clare Island Bm – Am – G – Em
2 Summer stars are in the sky G – Am – G
3 Get the ferry up from Roonagh Bm – Am – G – Em
4 And wave all our cares goodbye Am – F#m – G
5 We’ll go dancing at the Céilí Bm – G – Am – G
6 We’ll go kissing on the strand Em – Am – G
7 Take our clothes off in the moonlight Bm – G – Am
8 Skinny dipping hand in hand G – C – G – G9
9 We’ll start drinking in the twilight G – Gsus4 – F#5 – C/G
10 Keep it up until the dawn G – C/G – G
11 In both the bars because there’s no Gards G – C/G – Gsus4 – Cmaj7/G
12 To take our names and send us home Gsus2 – D – D/F# – Bm – G
🎸 4️⃣ FINGERPICKING PATTERN (Rolling Folk Style)
For verses or intros, use a Travis-style alternating bass pattern.
Pattern: P – i – m – P – i – m
(Thumb on bass; index & middle on G and B strings.)
Example (G chord):
G
e|---------3---------3-|
B|-------0---0-----0---|
G|-----0-------0-0-----|
D|----------------------|
A|---2------------------|
E|-3--------------------|
P i m P i m
Example (Bm chord):
Bm
e|---------2---------2-|
B|-------3---3-----3---|
G|-----4-------4-4-----|
D|---4------------------|
A|-2--------------------|
E|----------------------|
🎵 5️⃣ FINGERPICKING TAB — Intro & Verse Example
“Will you meet me on Clare Island, summer stars are in the sky…”
Bm Am
e|---------2---------2---------|---------0---------0---------|
B|-------3---3-----3---3-------|-------1---1-----1---1-------|
G|-----4-------4-4-------4-----|-----2-------2-2-------2-----|
D|---4--------------------------|---2-------------------------|
A|-2----------------------------|-0---------------------------|
E|------------------------------|-----------------------------|
Will you meet me on Clare Island, summer stars are in the sky
G Em
e|---------3---------3---------|---------0---------0---------|
B|-------0---0-----0---0-------|-------0---0-----0---0-------|
G|-----0-------0-0-------0-----|-----0-------0-0-------0-----|
D|---0--------------------------|---2-------------------------|
A|-2----------------------------|-2---------------------------|
E|-3----------------------------|-0---------------------------|
Get the ferry up from Roonagh, and wave all our cares goodbye
💡 PERFORMANCE TIPS
Keep verses fingerpicked and choruses strummed.
Slightly push the rhythm on lyrical accents (“Clare Island”, “moonlight”, “twilight”).
Add Gsus4 or Gmaj7 for variety between verses.
On “Keep it up until the dawn,” open up into full strums for that Saw Doctors festival vibe.
🎧 OPTIONAL OUTRO (build-up strum)
Finish on a strong G major, ringing open strings:
Key: G major Tempo: ♩ = 80 (but played briskly, in 2/4 feel)
Time Signature: 2/16 (effectively feels like 4/4)
Tuning: Standard (EADGBE)
🎸 1️⃣ STRUMMING PATTERN — “Irish Folk Rock Drive”
Use a light, choppy folk groove with up-front accents and muted offbeats for that Saw Doctors bounce.
Pattern (per bar):
↓ ↓ ↑ ↑ ↓ ↑
Count it as:
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
↓ ↓ ↑ ↑ ↓ ↑
Play bass note (root) on beat 1.
Keep beats 2 & 4 accented for a folk-rock feel.
Use palm muting for verses; open up on choruses.
Example (G chord):
e|--3---3---3---3---|
B|--0---0---0---0---|
G|--0---0---0---0---|
D|--0---0---0---0---|
A|--2---2-----------|
E|--3---------------|
↓ ↓ ↑ ↑ ↓ ↑
🎵 2️⃣ CHORDS USED
Chord Fingering Comment
G 320003 home key
Bm x24432 bar chord or Bm7 (x20202) for easier playing
Am x02210
Em 022000
F#m 244222 or F#m7 (2x222x)
C x32010
D xx0232
Gsus4 320013 adds tension
Gmaj7 320002 gentle verse color
Cmaj7 x32000
Dsus4 xx0233 for chorus lift
🎼 3️⃣ SUGGESTED CHORD PROGRESSION
(based on your ABC phrases)
Line Lyrics Chords
1 Will you meet me on Clare Island Bm – Am – G – Em
2 Summer stars are in the sky G – Am – G
3 Get the ferry up from Roonagh Bm – Am – G – Em
4 And wave all our cares goodbye Am – F#m – G
5 We’ll go dancing at the Céilí Bm – G – Am – G
6 We’ll go kissing on the strand Em – Am – G
7 Take our clothes off in the moonlight Bm – G – Am
8 Skinny dipping hand in hand G – C – G – G9
9 We’ll start drinking in the twilight G – Gsus4 – F#5 – C/G
10 Keep it up until the dawn G – C/G – G
11 In both the bars because there’s no Gards G – C/G – Gsus4 – Cmaj7/G
12 To take our names and send us home Gsus2 – D – D/F# – Bm – G
🎸 4️⃣ FINGERPICKING PATTERN (Rolling Folk Style)
For verses or intros, use a Travis-style alternating bass pattern.
Pattern: P – i – m – P – i – m
(Thumb on bass; index & middle on G and B strings.)
Example (G chord):
G
e|---------3---------3-|
B|-------0---0-----0---|
G|-----0-------0-0-----|
D|----------------------|
A|---2------------------|
E|-3--------------------|
P i m P i m
Example (Bm chord):
Bm
e|---------2---------2-|
B|-------3---3-----3---|
G|-----4-------4-4-----|
D|---4------------------|
A|-2--------------------|
E|----------------------|
🎵 5️⃣ FINGERPICKING TAB — Intro & Verse Example
“Will you meet me on Clare Island, summer stars are in the sky…”
Bm Am
e|---------2---------2---------|---------0---------0---------|
B|-------3---3-----3---3-------|-------1---1-----1---1-------|
G|-----4-------4-4-------4-----|-----2-------2-2-------2-----|
D|---4--------------------------|---2-------------------------|
A|-2----------------------------|-0---------------------------|
E|------------------------------|-----------------------------|
Will you meet me on Clare Island, summer stars are in the sky
G Em
e|---------3---------3---------|---------0---------0---------|
B|-------0---0-----0---0-------|-------0---0-----0---0-------|
G|-----0-------0-0-------0-----|-----0-------0-0-------0-----|
D|---0--------------------------|---2-------------------------|
A|-2----------------------------|-2---------------------------|
E|-3----------------------------|-0---------------------------|
Get the ferry up from Roonagh, and wave all our cares goodbye
💡 PERFORMANCE TIPS
Keep verses fingerpicked and choruses strummed.
Slightly push the rhythm on lyrical accents (“Clare Island”, “moonlight”, “twilight”).
Add Gsus4 or Gmaj7 for variety between verses.
On “Keep it up until the dawn,” open up into full strums for that Saw Doctors festival vibe.
🎧 OPTIONAL OUTRO (build-up strum)
Finish on a strong G major, ringing open strings:
Here's the chords in the key of G Major
[G]Will you meet me on Clare [C]Island
Summer [G]stars are in the [D]sky
We’ll[G] get the ferry out from[C] Roonagh
And [G]wave all our [D]cares good[G]bye
[G]Will you meet me on Clare [C]Island
Summer [G]stars are in the [D]sky
We’ll[G] get the ferry out from[C] Roonagh
And [G]wave all our [D]cares good[G]bye
Below is the list of sheet music and tin whistle songs that are in my ebooks. This is the largest collection of tin whistle songs ever put together.[over 1,000 songs ] Including folk, pop and trad tunes plus German And French songs along with Christmas Carols.
All of the sheet music tabs have been made as easy to play as was possible.
The price of the ebooks is €7.50 . Clare Island sheet music and tin whistle notes are included.
Below is the list of sheet music and tin whistle songs that are in my ebooks. This is the largest collection of tin whistle songs ever put together.[over 1,000 songs ] Including folk, pop and trad tunes plus German And French songs along with Christmas Carols.
All of the sheet music tabs have been made as easy to play as was possible.
The price of the ebooks is €7.50 . Clare Island sheet music and tin whistle notes are included.
The Saw Doctors Clare Island Lyrics
Clare Island Old Road Sign
