My Irish Molly O Chords And Lyrics
Written by W.M Jerome with the music from Jean Schwartz 1905-Recorded by De Dannan And Maura O'Connell who also sang the Foster And Allen Song Maggie, also by Frank Patterson, The Dublin City Ramblers, Mary Duff, Emmet Cahill and Kathy Durkin. The guitar chords are in chordpro.
My Irish Molly Words And Chords In The Key Of C Major
[Am]Molly dear now did you hear the [C]news that's[G] going [Am]round
Down in a corner of my heart a love is [C]what you've [G]found
[Am]Every time I look into your [C]Irish [G]eyes so [Am]blue
They seem to whisper "Darling boy, my [C]love is [G]all for [Am]you"
[G]Oh, [C]Molly, my Irish Molly, my sweet achusla [Dm]dear
I'm [E7]fairly off my [Am]trolley, my Irish [Dm]Molly when you are [G]near
[C]Springtime you know is [G]ringtime, come dear now don't be [E]slow
[Am]Change your name, go out with game,
begorrah wouldn't I do the same [C]my Irish [G]Molly [C]O
Molly dear now did you hear I furnished up the flat
Three little cosy rooms with bath and "welcome" on the mat
It's five pounds down and two a week, we'll soon be out of debt
It's all complete except they haven't brought the cradle yet
Oh, Molly, my Irish Molly, my sweet achusla dear
I'm fairly off my trolley, my Irish Molly when you are near
Springtime you know is ringtime, come dear now don't be slow
Change your name, go out with game,
begorrah wouldn't I do the same my Irish Molly O
Molly dear and did you hear what all the neighbours say
About the hundred sovereigns you have safely stowed away
They say that's why I love you, Ah but Molly that's a shame
If you had only ninety-nine, I'd love you just the same
Oh, Molly, my Irish Molly, my sweet achusla dear
I'm fairly off my trolley, my Irish Molly when you are near
Springtime you know is ringtime, come dear now don't be slow
Change your name, go out with game,
begorrah wouldn't I do the same my Irish Molly O.
Other popular Irish songs about the name Molly include the most famous
Dublin song Molly Malone which is known the world over.
Lyrics And Chords K - M
[Am]Molly dear now did you hear the [C]news that's[G] going [Am]round
Down in a corner of my heart a love is [C]what you've [G]found
[Am]Every time I look into your [C]Irish [G]eyes so [Am]blue
They seem to whisper "Darling boy, my [C]love is [G]all for [Am]you"
[G]Oh, [C]Molly, my Irish Molly, my sweet achusla [Dm]dear
I'm [E7]fairly off my [Am]trolley, my Irish [Dm]Molly when you are [G]near
[C]Springtime you know is [G]ringtime, come dear now don't be [E]slow
[Am]Change your name, go out with game,
begorrah wouldn't I do the same [C]my Irish [G]Molly [C]O
Molly dear now did you hear I furnished up the flat
Three little cosy rooms with bath and "welcome" on the mat
It's five pounds down and two a week, we'll soon be out of debt
It's all complete except they haven't brought the cradle yet
Oh, Molly, my Irish Molly, my sweet achusla dear
I'm fairly off my trolley, my Irish Molly when you are near
Springtime you know is ringtime, come dear now don't be slow
Change your name, go out with game,
begorrah wouldn't I do the same my Irish Molly O
Molly dear and did you hear what all the neighbours say
About the hundred sovereigns you have safely stowed away
They say that's why I love you, Ah but Molly that's a shame
If you had only ninety-nine, I'd love you just the same
Oh, Molly, my Irish Molly, my sweet achusla dear
I'm fairly off my trolley, my Irish Molly when you are near
Springtime you know is ringtime, come dear now don't be slow
Change your name, go out with game,
begorrah wouldn't I do the same my Irish Molly O.
Other popular Irish songs about the name Molly include the most famous
Dublin song Molly Malone which is known the world over.
Lyrics And Chords K - M
Alternative guitar chords
[Bm]Molly dear now did you hear the [D]news that's[A] going [Bm]round
Down in a corner of my heart a love is [D]what you've [A]found
[Bm]Every time I look into your [D]Irish [A]eyes so [Bm]blue
They seem to whisper "Darling boy, my [D]love is [A]all for [Bm]you"
[A]Oh, [D]Molly, my Irish Molly, my sweet achusla [Em]dear
I'm [F#7]fairly off my [Bm]trolley, my Irish [Em]Molly when you are [A]near
[D]Springtime you know is [A]ringtime, come dear now don't be [F#]slow
[Bm]Change your name, go out with game,
begorrah wouldn't I do the same [D]my Irish [A]Molly [D]O
[Bm]Molly dear now did you hear the [D]news that's[A] going [Bm]round
Down in a corner of my heart a love is [D]what you've [A]found
[Bm]Every time I look into your [D]Irish [A]eyes so [Bm]blue
They seem to whisper "Darling boy, my [D]love is [A]all for [Bm]you"
[A]Oh, [D]Molly, my Irish Molly, my sweet achusla [Em]dear
I'm [F#7]fairly off my [Bm]trolley, my Irish [Em]Molly when you are [A]near
[D]Springtime you know is [A]ringtime, come dear now don't be [F#]slow
[Bm]Change your name, go out with game,
begorrah wouldn't I do the same [D]my Irish [A]Molly [D]O
Irish folk music has a hypnotic effect on people. Once the spell is cast, the victim has no choice but to surrender. The magic of Irish folk music can be traced back to pre-Christian times. The first reference one finds to the music is in The Book Of Invasions, a collection of myths and legends featuring the stories of the Tuatha De Danan, a mythical race who ruled Ireland. The Book Of Invasions describes the three bardic moods of this early example of Irish folk music: the Geantrai or joyous strain, the Goltrai or sad strain, and the Suantrai or sleep strain. One story in particular weaves together all three strains: In the time of the Tuatha De Danan, Lug, a minstrel and warrior, proved himself expert in every art in the Tuatha hierarchy - his musical contribution was an immaculate performance of all the Geantrai, Glotrai, and Suantrai.
Before the great collections of songs such as Amhran Mhuighe Seola and Donal O'Sullivan's Songs Of The Irish were compiled, songs were passed down orally. Early collectors Dr. George Petrie and Edward Bunting made important contributions in documenting this music. Bunting, for example, collated material at the 1792 Belfast Harp Festival. And in the mid-19th century in Chicago, Captain Francis O'Neill began work on his three very influential collections, O'Neill's Music Of Ireland, O'Neill's 1,001 Gems Of Irish Music, and Dance Music Of Ireland.
It was at this time - during the Great Famine of 1845-47 - that more than one million people in Ireland died from starvation. The only escape was emigration, and many Irish people who fled on the coffin ships found new lives in America. In migrant communities they met and mixed with people from other ethnic minorities - experiences that would shape their music. In the early 1900s the Industrial Revolution took root in Northern Ireland. The lives of the workers in the flax mills of Belfast and County Down - and the harsh conditions there - were the subject of many Irish folk songs. The best-known collection of Ulster music is Sam Henry's Songs Of The People. It featured some songs from the industrial period, songs of emigration, as well as more lyrical pastoral love songs. Many of these were collected from a number of regional singers in the areas of Fermanagh, South Tyrone, and in the counties of Derry and Down.
Ireland in the '20s experienced a period of political and economic change with the Rising of 1916, the War of Independence in 1921, and the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. This turmoil sparked a new wave of emigration. County Sligo musicians Michael Coleman, Paddy Killoran, James Morrison, and others all went to the United States, where they established careers in performing and recording. During the vaudeville era such artists as The Flanagan Brothers, John McGettigan & His Irish Minstrels, and Dan Sullivan's Shamrock Band emerged. But with the advent of World War II, records were melted down for shrapnel, and many Irish classics of this period, including some of the popular Flanagan Brothers recordings, were never heard again.
The late '40s saw the birth of the Ceili bands. Usually the lineup of these groups consisted of fiddle, flute, accordion, piano, drums, and bass with either banjo or saxophone and a singer. Their repertoire featured reels, jigs, waltzes, barn dances, and hornpipes, generally with some extra items (Fox Trots, military Two-Steps, and other popular dances of the day). The two big Ceili bands during this period were the Tulla Ceili Band from East Clare and their North Clare neighbors The Kiltenora Ceili Band.
In the '50s Irish emigrants again chose
London and New York as their primary points of destination. London's Irish strongholds were Camden Town, Fulham Broadway, Cricklewood, and Shepherd's Bush. The first traditional Irish pub session in London was held in 1953 at the Devonshire pub in Camden Town, and shortly thereafter other sessions were held at The Favourite in Holloway Road and The White Heart in Fulham. The Sunday morning jam sessions were thronged with musicians from Kerry, Clare, and Galway, and the music had a raw, vibrant quality.
In New York the venues were ballrooms, and leading names from this period are singers Connie Foley and Ruthie Morrissey and bandleaders Mickey Carton and Paddy Noonan. Archivists Seamus Ennis, Peter Kennedy, Diane Hamilton, and Sean O'Boyle made field recordings during this time. Ennis recorded material for his BBC radio series, As I Roved Out, while Ciaran MacMathuna recorded for his RTE radio program Ceolta Tire. Liam Clancy, from Carrick-on-Suir, County Waterford, accompanied Hamilton on her journey through Ireland.
But Liam Clancy would soon move to America with his brothers Patrick and Tom. Struggling actors in New York, they sang part- time with their new acquaintance Tommy Makem in Greenwich Village coffeehouses, where they quickly became the rage. They recorded for Tradition Records and later signed with Columbia. A spot on The Ed Sullivan Show in the early '60s made them national superstars virtually overnight. Meanwhile at home, The Dubliners were becoming the new attraction. The voices of Ronnie Drew, Luke Kelly, and Ciaran Bourke to the fore and Barney McKenna's instrumental virtuosity combined to give birth to an Irish folk legend. They caught the imagination of Dublin audiences in O'Donoghues in Merrion Row, The Abbey Tavern in Howth, and The Embankment in Tallaght.
In the late '60s a new generation of artists emerged - including The Johnstons, Sweeney's Men, Christy Moore, Paddy Reilly, Anne Byrne, Jessie Owens, and Olive Bayle - within a thriving and diverse music scene in Dublin. Ballad groups and traditional music found a home in venues like The Tradition Club and The Four Seasons Bar. Folk and rock musicians met other like-
minded spirits in Toners Pub on Baggott Street and in The Orphanage, a house on Mount St. rented by "Orphan Annie" (Patricia Mohan), a crash pad for the psychedelic set. Several new folk clubs came onboard during this time, including The 95 Club on Harcourt Street and The Neptune Rowing Club in Islandbridge.
Seán Ó Riada became a professor of music at University College, Cork. He formed a "folk orchestra" using traditional musicians and arrangements that included both folk and classical elements. His group, Ceoltoiri Cualann, began life in 1961, taking solo players from different parts of the country and uniting them in a new setting. Indirectly, this gave birth to a spin-off group, The Chieftains. Ó Riada wrote film scores incorporating traditional tunes and contemporary classical music before his untimely death in 1971.
In the '70s Irish musicians experimented with traditional and rock forms.
Bands like Horslips combined rock and traditional music into a high-energy fusion and turned on a new generation to their Celtic heritage. Terry and Gay Woods helped form the influential Steeleye Span and the Woods Band. Mellow Candle reflected the airy, semiclassical folk-rock strains of bands like Pentangle, Renaissance, and Fotheringay, while still possessing their own distinctive identity. Doctor Strangely Strange was a psychedelic folk band in the Incredible String Band mold. Planxty was formed in 1971 and combined the best elements of both traditional and folk styles. Between 1972 and 1974 they released three groundbreaking albums. Then Planxty's Donal Lunny formed The Bothy Band, which blended serious traditional players with a rhythmic, almost rock, backing and approach. Another new outfit with strong local connections was the Donegal-based Clannad, who blended folk and jazz in their early recordings before moving into the realms of new age music. Later groups such as Midnight Well and Scullion created an Irish world music sound, adding Balkan, Eastern European, and Arabic touches to contemporary folk influences.
In the '80s Moving Hearts created a full- fledged fusion of folk, rock, and jazz, while The Pogues combined the adrenaline of punk with the exuberance of the '60s ballad revival. The acoustic-based bands of the late '80s, such as Altan and Dervish, again turned the spotlight on the regional styles of Donegal and Sligo. Then in the '90s, the success of Bill Whelan's Riverdance - both the album and the stage show - raised the visibility of Irish music to new heights. And the emergence of several new Irish-American acts, including Black 47, Solas, and Susan McKeown & The Chanting House, demonstrated the new wave of creativity and enthusiasm blowing through Irish-American music circles. Recent developments have seen Irish music traverse other ethnic idioms, experimenting with African and Indian elements as well as rap and trip-hop beats.
Song Notes The Holy Ground" -
Thc Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem The contribution to Irish folk music by The Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem cannot be understated. They did more to increase American awareness of Irish folk in one appearance on The td Sullivan Shun' than anyone before or since. Thc name of the first song on this compilation comes from Queenstown Harbor in Cobh in County Cork. which was known as The Holy Ground. Irish emigrants sailed to America from Cobh beginning In the 19th century up to the 1930s. The Holy Ground is also an allegorical reference to Ireland.
"Rocky Road To Dublin' -
the Dubliners This song was printed in 1930 by archivist Cohn Lochlainn in his first collection. Irish Sorer Ballads. This rollicking ballad. based on a well-known 9/8 time slip lig. tells a tale of racism and bigotry, and how the song's Irish hero deals with it. At the time of this recording In 1064, The Dubliners were Luke Kelly.. Barney McKenna. Ronnie Drew. and Cieran Bourke. This track appeared on their first Transatlantic album. The Dubliners (in Session).
"The Dublin lack Of All Trades" - The lohnstons CoIm O'Lochlainn also included this track In Irish Street Ballads. The Johnstone were a family from (lane in County KikLuc. They scored a *I Irish single with "The Travelling People in 1966 and had several other hits. Mick Moloney and Paul Brady joined The Johnston in 1967 when they signed to Transatlantic. where they would record six albums of traditional and contemporary material. They disbanded in the early 'Ms, but they are still considered to be one of Ireland's most influential groups.
'The Handsome Cabin Boy" - Sweeney's Men Formed In 1966. Sweeney's Men had two Irish charting singles with Waxies Dargle and "Old Maid In A Garrett." The original lineup was Andy Irvine, Johnny Moynihan. and Joe Dolan. Terry Woods' replacement of Dolan helped create the definitive Sweeney's Men sound. Moynihan sings lead vocals on "The Handsome Cabin Boy." which appeared on their 1968 self-titled debut album on Transatlantic. Instrumentally they featured Bouzouki. mandolin. whistle, and 12-string guitar. This tune is from a Fenian ballad, "Erin's lovely Home." and has also been recorded by Kate Bush.
"Marcshlua Uí Neill (O'Neill's March)" -
Seán Ó Riada, Agus Ceoltóirí Cualann
Ceoltóirí Cualann's first lineup included John Kelly, Martin Fay, Seán Keane, Michael Tubridy, Seán Potts, Sonny Brogan, Paddy Moloney, Seán Ó Riada, and Darach O Cathain. "An Poc Ar Buile," featuring Seán O' Se, was a Gaelic song from Cul Aodha that became the first Irish-language hit record. "Marcshlua Ut Neill (O'Neill's March)" is from Ó Riada Sa Gaiety, a 1969 recording of a concert in Dublin's Gacity Theatre. It is the clan march of the O'Neills and is also called "O'Neill's Cavalcade." The O'Neills were a very important Irish family and boasted such warriors as Hugh O'Neill in their ranks.
"Heaven Heath" Mellow Candle
Dublin-based Mellow Candle formed in the early '60s when Clodagh Simonds, Alison, O'Donnell, and Maria Hezman met at the Holy Child School in Killiney County Dublin. Their first single, "Feeling High"/"Tea With The Sun," was released in 1968. Clodagh and Alison re- formed the band in 1969 with David Williams on guitar and Pat Morris on bass - who was subsequently replaced by Frank Boylan - and drummer William Murray. After signing to Decca records, they recorded Swaddling Songs in 1971 in London. Their music is similar to that of Pentangle, Renaissance, and Fotheringay. "Heaven Heath" features Alison O'Donnell's ethereal vocals out front.
"Raggle Taggle Gypsy/Tabhair Dom Do Lámh" - Planxty
The first song tells of the seduction of a young woman by a traveling gypsy. Christy Moore picked it up from County Roscommon traveling singer John Riley. "Tabhair Dom Do Lamh" ("Give Me Your Hand") is an air composed by the 17th century harper Ruairi Dall O'Cathain (Blind Rory Keane). These two pieces open their first album, the self-titled Planxty. The group, which featured Uillean piper Liam O'Flynn, Andy Irvine, Donal Lunny, and Christy Moore, introduced a new generation to traditional music by featuring new and exciting elements.
"Pretty Peg/Craig's Pipes" - The Bothy Band Playing traditional music in an energetic high-spirited manner, The Bothy Band injected their sound with rock 'n' roll excitement. Founded by Donal Lunny in 1974, the band included flautist Matt Molloy, fiddler Tommy Peoples, and piper Paddy Keenan, flanked by the brother-and-sister team of Micheal and Triona Ni Dhomhnaill from Ranafast in the Donegal Gaelteacht. The group toured Ireland and Europe until 1979, when they split up. "Pretty Peg"features I riona's distinctive vocals while "Craig's Pipes" has Paddy Keenan leading the charge. This track appeared on their debut album. The Bothy Band 1975
"The Plains Of Kildare" - Andy Irvine / Paul Brady From Strabane, on the borders of counties Donegal and Tyrone. Paul Brady's brief partnership with ex Sweeney's Men and Planxty member Andy Irvine produced some explosive live performances and one important album: Andy Irvine Paul Brady. The 107( album include, both Brady's epic version of "Arthur McBride" and "The Plants 01 Kildare." Irvine, an Englishman with Irish parents, provides the vocals on the blistering opening track 'The Plains Of Kiklare.' with Kevin Burke on fiddle. The song rises to an explosive climax, proving that this duo was a gifted and inspired. if short-lived, pairing.
"My Irish Molly-0" - De Danann Named after the mythical pre-Christian race that ruled Ireland, De Danann was formed In Galway in the mid-1970s. the group was composed of Frankie Gavin, Alec Finn, Johnny "Ringo' N1cDonagh, and Dolores Keane. By 1981 the lineup had changed, and singer Maura O'Connell and accordionist Jackie Daly had joined. Their album De Danann Stars. the .Star Spangled Molly recalls the Irish-American vaudeville era. Irish Molly-0" is remembered from the repertoire of The Flanagan Brothers, an Irish-American trio made up of Mike. Joe, and Louis Flanagan, who were American vaudeville stars in the '20s.
"Ride On Christy Moore Born in Newbridge. County Kildare, Moore began his career with a part-time group, The Rakes Of Kildare. employed as a bank clerk he went to England during the bank strike of 1966, where has professional music career began. In 1071 he recorded Prosperous In Prosperous County Kildare, along with Andy !nine, Donal Lunny. Liam O'flynn. and others. He formed Planxty and then went solo in 1971. PLanxty re-formed in 1978. Christy also sang with Moving Hearts until 1982. when he went solo again. "Ride On." written by Cork singer-songwriter Jimmy McCarthy, uses equine Imagery to tell a stogy of love and loss.
"A Pair Of Brown Eyes' - The Pogues Formed in north London in late 1983. The rogues were originally named Peg Mo thone, Gaelic for kiss my ass. combined the adrenaline of punk with the raucous ballad') of the Dubliners and The Clancy Brothers. Shane MacGowan was part barroom poet and one hell of a song writer, and 'Terry Wools, Jent finer, and Spider Stacey added musical clout. "A Pair Of Brown Eyes" is from their second album, Rum Sodomy & The Lash, produced by Elvis Costello. One of The Pogues' mellower moments, "A Pair Of Brown Eyes" shows the sensitive side to MacGowan's usually rough exterior.
"The Wild Cry" - Clannad
Translated from Irish, their name means the family- the clan - from Dobhair. Clannad, formed in 1970, is indeed a family unit, as the Brennans and their uncles, the Duggan brothers, come from Gaoth Dobhair in the Donegal
Gaelteacht. Their music developed from an early jazz-folk fusion to their present distinctive sound. "The Wild Cry," from their 1985 album Macalla, has Máire Brennan's angelic vocals allied to an ethereal backing of rock, electronics, and new age elements, including a storming sax solo from ex- King Crimson member Mel Collins.
"May Morning Dew" - Dolores Keane
Dolores Keane's voice has its roots in
traditional music, though she is able to interpret the works of contemporary composers with equal ease. From Caherlistrane County Galway, she learned many songs from her aunts, a cappella singers Sarah and Rita Keane. Dolores has recorded with The Chieftains, Reel Union, and De Danann. Since 1988 she has worked solo and released five albums, including a Best Of and Tideland with Norwegian singer Rita Erikson. "May Morning Dew" is sung in the traditional manner with Martin O'Connor's accordion accompanying. It's from her 1988 solo debut, Dolores Keane.
"You Couldn't Have Come At A Better Time" - Luka Bloom
Bloom, whose real name is Barry Moore, is Christy Moore's younger brother (he adopted his stage name to create his own identity). He toured the U.S. as an opening act for The Pogues and as a solo act. He describes his music as "stadium folk for the bedroom." "You Couldn't Have Come At A Better Time" is based rhythmically on the traditional tune "The Kesh Jig." Taken from his debut album, Riverside, which was released in 1990, it features fiddler Eileen Ivers of Riverdance and Hothouse Flowers singer Liam O'Maonlai.
"Only A Woman's Heart" - Eleanor McEvoy McEvoy's work straddles both the folk and rock idioms. A graduate of Trinity College, Dublin, and a former first violinist with the RTE Symphony Orchestra, she played briefly with Mary Black's touring band. In 1992 her song "Only A Woman's Heart" gave its name to a best-selling compilation album and tour featuring Dolores Keane, Frances Black, Sharon Shannon, and Maura O'Connell. Eleanor signed with Geffen Records, and her 1993 debut album, Eleanor McEvoy, which included "Only A Woman's Heart," established her as a major voice both in Ireland and America.
"Dúlamán" - Altan
Altan's music is based in the Donegal style with Scottish and Cape-Breton influences. Traditional music lost one of its finest exponents when founding member Frankie Kennedy died from cancer in 1994. "Dulamán," from the 1993 Island Angel album, is a popular children's ssong that uses nonsense rhymes to refer to a kind of seaweed that was gathered to fertilize the land long ago. Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh first heard it sung by the Curran family (Clann Ut Churr-in) from Machaire Gathlan, Gaoth Dobhair, County Donegal. Today, Altan is composed of Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh, Mark Kelly, Ciarán Tourish, Ciarán Curran, and Dermot Byrne.
"The Flowing Bowl/Máire Breathnachs #1/The Doon/The Mason's Men"
Solas
One of the most exciting new Irish- American traditional music bands, Solas consists of John Williams from Chicago on accordion, Winifred Horan from Boston on fiddle, multi- instrumentalist Seamus Egan from Hatboro, Pennsylvania (Uillean pipes, flute, whistle, banjo, mandolin, tres, and guitar), John Doyle from Dublin playing guitar, and singer Karan Casey from Ballyduff Lower in County Waterford. This medley of reels is from their debut album, Solas, released in 1996. It won the Naird Award and impressively demonstrates their extraordinary playing ability.
Through its constant evolution, Irish music has managed to retain contact with its roots, and it now has easier access to a wider audience. Most of the new innovators credit the older singers and musicians for their inspiration, and that's as it should be. Passed down through the centuries, Irish folk is a unique form of ethnic music that is still vibrant and exciting because it is
ever-changing.
-John O'Regan
Before the great collections of songs such as Amhran Mhuighe Seola and Donal O'Sullivan's Songs Of The Irish were compiled, songs were passed down orally. Early collectors Dr. George Petrie and Edward Bunting made important contributions in documenting this music. Bunting, for example, collated material at the 1792 Belfast Harp Festival. And in the mid-19th century in Chicago, Captain Francis O'Neill began work on his three very influential collections, O'Neill's Music Of Ireland, O'Neill's 1,001 Gems Of Irish Music, and Dance Music Of Ireland.
It was at this time - during the Great Famine of 1845-47 - that more than one million people in Ireland died from starvation. The only escape was emigration, and many Irish people who fled on the coffin ships found new lives in America. In migrant communities they met and mixed with people from other ethnic minorities - experiences that would shape their music. In the early 1900s the Industrial Revolution took root in Northern Ireland. The lives of the workers in the flax mills of Belfast and County Down - and the harsh conditions there - were the subject of many Irish folk songs. The best-known collection of Ulster music is Sam Henry's Songs Of The People. It featured some songs from the industrial period, songs of emigration, as well as more lyrical pastoral love songs. Many of these were collected from a number of regional singers in the areas of Fermanagh, South Tyrone, and in the counties of Derry and Down.
Ireland in the '20s experienced a period of political and economic change with the Rising of 1916, the War of Independence in 1921, and the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. This turmoil sparked a new wave of emigration. County Sligo musicians Michael Coleman, Paddy Killoran, James Morrison, and others all went to the United States, where they established careers in performing and recording. During the vaudeville era such artists as The Flanagan Brothers, John McGettigan & His Irish Minstrels, and Dan Sullivan's Shamrock Band emerged. But with the advent of World War II, records were melted down for shrapnel, and many Irish classics of this period, including some of the popular Flanagan Brothers recordings, were never heard again.
The late '40s saw the birth of the Ceili bands. Usually the lineup of these groups consisted of fiddle, flute, accordion, piano, drums, and bass with either banjo or saxophone and a singer. Their repertoire featured reels, jigs, waltzes, barn dances, and hornpipes, generally with some extra items (Fox Trots, military Two-Steps, and other popular dances of the day). The two big Ceili bands during this period were the Tulla Ceili Band from East Clare and their North Clare neighbors The Kiltenora Ceili Band.
In the '50s Irish emigrants again chose
London and New York as their primary points of destination. London's Irish strongholds were Camden Town, Fulham Broadway, Cricklewood, and Shepherd's Bush. The first traditional Irish pub session in London was held in 1953 at the Devonshire pub in Camden Town, and shortly thereafter other sessions were held at The Favourite in Holloway Road and The White Heart in Fulham. The Sunday morning jam sessions were thronged with musicians from Kerry, Clare, and Galway, and the music had a raw, vibrant quality.
In New York the venues were ballrooms, and leading names from this period are singers Connie Foley and Ruthie Morrissey and bandleaders Mickey Carton and Paddy Noonan. Archivists Seamus Ennis, Peter Kennedy, Diane Hamilton, and Sean O'Boyle made field recordings during this time. Ennis recorded material for his BBC radio series, As I Roved Out, while Ciaran MacMathuna recorded for his RTE radio program Ceolta Tire. Liam Clancy, from Carrick-on-Suir, County Waterford, accompanied Hamilton on her journey through Ireland.
But Liam Clancy would soon move to America with his brothers Patrick and Tom. Struggling actors in New York, they sang part- time with their new acquaintance Tommy Makem in Greenwich Village coffeehouses, where they quickly became the rage. They recorded for Tradition Records and later signed with Columbia. A spot on The Ed Sullivan Show in the early '60s made them national superstars virtually overnight. Meanwhile at home, The Dubliners were becoming the new attraction. The voices of Ronnie Drew, Luke Kelly, and Ciaran Bourke to the fore and Barney McKenna's instrumental virtuosity combined to give birth to an Irish folk legend. They caught the imagination of Dublin audiences in O'Donoghues in Merrion Row, The Abbey Tavern in Howth, and The Embankment in Tallaght.
In the late '60s a new generation of artists emerged - including The Johnstons, Sweeney's Men, Christy Moore, Paddy Reilly, Anne Byrne, Jessie Owens, and Olive Bayle - within a thriving and diverse music scene in Dublin. Ballad groups and traditional music found a home in venues like The Tradition Club and The Four Seasons Bar. Folk and rock musicians met other like-
minded spirits in Toners Pub on Baggott Street and in The Orphanage, a house on Mount St. rented by "Orphan Annie" (Patricia Mohan), a crash pad for the psychedelic set. Several new folk clubs came onboard during this time, including The 95 Club on Harcourt Street and The Neptune Rowing Club in Islandbridge.
Seán Ó Riada became a professor of music at University College, Cork. He formed a "folk orchestra" using traditional musicians and arrangements that included both folk and classical elements. His group, Ceoltoiri Cualann, began life in 1961, taking solo players from different parts of the country and uniting them in a new setting. Indirectly, this gave birth to a spin-off group, The Chieftains. Ó Riada wrote film scores incorporating traditional tunes and contemporary classical music before his untimely death in 1971.
In the '70s Irish musicians experimented with traditional and rock forms.
Bands like Horslips combined rock and traditional music into a high-energy fusion and turned on a new generation to their Celtic heritage. Terry and Gay Woods helped form the influential Steeleye Span and the Woods Band. Mellow Candle reflected the airy, semiclassical folk-rock strains of bands like Pentangle, Renaissance, and Fotheringay, while still possessing their own distinctive identity. Doctor Strangely Strange was a psychedelic folk band in the Incredible String Band mold. Planxty was formed in 1971 and combined the best elements of both traditional and folk styles. Between 1972 and 1974 they released three groundbreaking albums. Then Planxty's Donal Lunny formed The Bothy Band, which blended serious traditional players with a rhythmic, almost rock, backing and approach. Another new outfit with strong local connections was the Donegal-based Clannad, who blended folk and jazz in their early recordings before moving into the realms of new age music. Later groups such as Midnight Well and Scullion created an Irish world music sound, adding Balkan, Eastern European, and Arabic touches to contemporary folk influences.
In the '80s Moving Hearts created a full- fledged fusion of folk, rock, and jazz, while The Pogues combined the adrenaline of punk with the exuberance of the '60s ballad revival. The acoustic-based bands of the late '80s, such as Altan and Dervish, again turned the spotlight on the regional styles of Donegal and Sligo. Then in the '90s, the success of Bill Whelan's Riverdance - both the album and the stage show - raised the visibility of Irish music to new heights. And the emergence of several new Irish-American acts, including Black 47, Solas, and Susan McKeown & The Chanting House, demonstrated the new wave of creativity and enthusiasm blowing through Irish-American music circles. Recent developments have seen Irish music traverse other ethnic idioms, experimenting with African and Indian elements as well as rap and trip-hop beats.
Song Notes The Holy Ground" -
Thc Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem The contribution to Irish folk music by The Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem cannot be understated. They did more to increase American awareness of Irish folk in one appearance on The td Sullivan Shun' than anyone before or since. Thc name of the first song on this compilation comes from Queenstown Harbor in Cobh in County Cork. which was known as The Holy Ground. Irish emigrants sailed to America from Cobh beginning In the 19th century up to the 1930s. The Holy Ground is also an allegorical reference to Ireland.
"Rocky Road To Dublin' -
the Dubliners This song was printed in 1930 by archivist Cohn Lochlainn in his first collection. Irish Sorer Ballads. This rollicking ballad. based on a well-known 9/8 time slip lig. tells a tale of racism and bigotry, and how the song's Irish hero deals with it. At the time of this recording In 1064, The Dubliners were Luke Kelly.. Barney McKenna. Ronnie Drew. and Cieran Bourke. This track appeared on their first Transatlantic album. The Dubliners (in Session).
"The Dublin lack Of All Trades" - The lohnstons CoIm O'Lochlainn also included this track In Irish Street Ballads. The Johnstone were a family from (lane in County KikLuc. They scored a *I Irish single with "The Travelling People in 1966 and had several other hits. Mick Moloney and Paul Brady joined The Johnston in 1967 when they signed to Transatlantic. where they would record six albums of traditional and contemporary material. They disbanded in the early 'Ms, but they are still considered to be one of Ireland's most influential groups.
'The Handsome Cabin Boy" - Sweeney's Men Formed In 1966. Sweeney's Men had two Irish charting singles with Waxies Dargle and "Old Maid In A Garrett." The original lineup was Andy Irvine, Johnny Moynihan. and Joe Dolan. Terry Woods' replacement of Dolan helped create the definitive Sweeney's Men sound. Moynihan sings lead vocals on "The Handsome Cabin Boy." which appeared on their 1968 self-titled debut album on Transatlantic. Instrumentally they featured Bouzouki. mandolin. whistle, and 12-string guitar. This tune is from a Fenian ballad, "Erin's lovely Home." and has also been recorded by Kate Bush.
"Marcshlua Uí Neill (O'Neill's March)" -
Seán Ó Riada, Agus Ceoltóirí Cualann
Ceoltóirí Cualann's first lineup included John Kelly, Martin Fay, Seán Keane, Michael Tubridy, Seán Potts, Sonny Brogan, Paddy Moloney, Seán Ó Riada, and Darach O Cathain. "An Poc Ar Buile," featuring Seán O' Se, was a Gaelic song from Cul Aodha that became the first Irish-language hit record. "Marcshlua Ut Neill (O'Neill's March)" is from Ó Riada Sa Gaiety, a 1969 recording of a concert in Dublin's Gacity Theatre. It is the clan march of the O'Neills and is also called "O'Neill's Cavalcade." The O'Neills were a very important Irish family and boasted such warriors as Hugh O'Neill in their ranks.
"Heaven Heath" Mellow Candle
Dublin-based Mellow Candle formed in the early '60s when Clodagh Simonds, Alison, O'Donnell, and Maria Hezman met at the Holy Child School in Killiney County Dublin. Their first single, "Feeling High"/"Tea With The Sun," was released in 1968. Clodagh and Alison re- formed the band in 1969 with David Williams on guitar and Pat Morris on bass - who was subsequently replaced by Frank Boylan - and drummer William Murray. After signing to Decca records, they recorded Swaddling Songs in 1971 in London. Their music is similar to that of Pentangle, Renaissance, and Fotheringay. "Heaven Heath" features Alison O'Donnell's ethereal vocals out front.
"Raggle Taggle Gypsy/Tabhair Dom Do Lámh" - Planxty
The first song tells of the seduction of a young woman by a traveling gypsy. Christy Moore picked it up from County Roscommon traveling singer John Riley. "Tabhair Dom Do Lamh" ("Give Me Your Hand") is an air composed by the 17th century harper Ruairi Dall O'Cathain (Blind Rory Keane). These two pieces open their first album, the self-titled Planxty. The group, which featured Uillean piper Liam O'Flynn, Andy Irvine, Donal Lunny, and Christy Moore, introduced a new generation to traditional music by featuring new and exciting elements.
"Pretty Peg/Craig's Pipes" - The Bothy Band Playing traditional music in an energetic high-spirited manner, The Bothy Band injected their sound with rock 'n' roll excitement. Founded by Donal Lunny in 1974, the band included flautist Matt Molloy, fiddler Tommy Peoples, and piper Paddy Keenan, flanked by the brother-and-sister team of Micheal and Triona Ni Dhomhnaill from Ranafast in the Donegal Gaelteacht. The group toured Ireland and Europe until 1979, when they split up. "Pretty Peg"features I riona's distinctive vocals while "Craig's Pipes" has Paddy Keenan leading the charge. This track appeared on their debut album. The Bothy Band 1975
"The Plains Of Kildare" - Andy Irvine / Paul Brady From Strabane, on the borders of counties Donegal and Tyrone. Paul Brady's brief partnership with ex Sweeney's Men and Planxty member Andy Irvine produced some explosive live performances and one important album: Andy Irvine Paul Brady. The 107( album include, both Brady's epic version of "Arthur McBride" and "The Plants 01 Kildare." Irvine, an Englishman with Irish parents, provides the vocals on the blistering opening track 'The Plains Of Kiklare.' with Kevin Burke on fiddle. The song rises to an explosive climax, proving that this duo was a gifted and inspired. if short-lived, pairing.
"My Irish Molly-0" - De Danann Named after the mythical pre-Christian race that ruled Ireland, De Danann was formed In Galway in the mid-1970s. the group was composed of Frankie Gavin, Alec Finn, Johnny "Ringo' N1cDonagh, and Dolores Keane. By 1981 the lineup had changed, and singer Maura O'Connell and accordionist Jackie Daly had joined. Their album De Danann Stars. the .Star Spangled Molly recalls the Irish-American vaudeville era. Irish Molly-0" is remembered from the repertoire of The Flanagan Brothers, an Irish-American trio made up of Mike. Joe, and Louis Flanagan, who were American vaudeville stars in the '20s.
"Ride On Christy Moore Born in Newbridge. County Kildare, Moore began his career with a part-time group, The Rakes Of Kildare. employed as a bank clerk he went to England during the bank strike of 1966, where has professional music career began. In 1071 he recorded Prosperous In Prosperous County Kildare, along with Andy !nine, Donal Lunny. Liam O'flynn. and others. He formed Planxty and then went solo in 1971. PLanxty re-formed in 1978. Christy also sang with Moving Hearts until 1982. when he went solo again. "Ride On." written by Cork singer-songwriter Jimmy McCarthy, uses equine Imagery to tell a stogy of love and loss.
"A Pair Of Brown Eyes' - The Pogues Formed in north London in late 1983. The rogues were originally named Peg Mo thone, Gaelic for kiss my ass. combined the adrenaline of punk with the raucous ballad') of the Dubliners and The Clancy Brothers. Shane MacGowan was part barroom poet and one hell of a song writer, and 'Terry Wools, Jent finer, and Spider Stacey added musical clout. "A Pair Of Brown Eyes" is from their second album, Rum Sodomy & The Lash, produced by Elvis Costello. One of The Pogues' mellower moments, "A Pair Of Brown Eyes" shows the sensitive side to MacGowan's usually rough exterior.
"The Wild Cry" - Clannad
Translated from Irish, their name means the family- the clan - from Dobhair. Clannad, formed in 1970, is indeed a family unit, as the Brennans and their uncles, the Duggan brothers, come from Gaoth Dobhair in the Donegal
Gaelteacht. Their music developed from an early jazz-folk fusion to their present distinctive sound. "The Wild Cry," from their 1985 album Macalla, has Máire Brennan's angelic vocals allied to an ethereal backing of rock, electronics, and new age elements, including a storming sax solo from ex- King Crimson member Mel Collins.
"May Morning Dew" - Dolores Keane
Dolores Keane's voice has its roots in
traditional music, though she is able to interpret the works of contemporary composers with equal ease. From Caherlistrane County Galway, she learned many songs from her aunts, a cappella singers Sarah and Rita Keane. Dolores has recorded with The Chieftains, Reel Union, and De Danann. Since 1988 she has worked solo and released five albums, including a Best Of and Tideland with Norwegian singer Rita Erikson. "May Morning Dew" is sung in the traditional manner with Martin O'Connor's accordion accompanying. It's from her 1988 solo debut, Dolores Keane.
"You Couldn't Have Come At A Better Time" - Luka Bloom
Bloom, whose real name is Barry Moore, is Christy Moore's younger brother (he adopted his stage name to create his own identity). He toured the U.S. as an opening act for The Pogues and as a solo act. He describes his music as "stadium folk for the bedroom." "You Couldn't Have Come At A Better Time" is based rhythmically on the traditional tune "The Kesh Jig." Taken from his debut album, Riverside, which was released in 1990, it features fiddler Eileen Ivers of Riverdance and Hothouse Flowers singer Liam O'Maonlai.
"Only A Woman's Heart" - Eleanor McEvoy McEvoy's work straddles both the folk and rock idioms. A graduate of Trinity College, Dublin, and a former first violinist with the RTE Symphony Orchestra, she played briefly with Mary Black's touring band. In 1992 her song "Only A Woman's Heart" gave its name to a best-selling compilation album and tour featuring Dolores Keane, Frances Black, Sharon Shannon, and Maura O'Connell. Eleanor signed with Geffen Records, and her 1993 debut album, Eleanor McEvoy, which included "Only A Woman's Heart," established her as a major voice both in Ireland and America.
"Dúlamán" - Altan
Altan's music is based in the Donegal style with Scottish and Cape-Breton influences. Traditional music lost one of its finest exponents when founding member Frankie Kennedy died from cancer in 1994. "Dulamán," from the 1993 Island Angel album, is a popular children's ssong that uses nonsense rhymes to refer to a kind of seaweed that was gathered to fertilize the land long ago. Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh first heard it sung by the Curran family (Clann Ut Churr-in) from Machaire Gathlan, Gaoth Dobhair, County Donegal. Today, Altan is composed of Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh, Mark Kelly, Ciarán Tourish, Ciarán Curran, and Dermot Byrne.
"The Flowing Bowl/Máire Breathnachs #1/The Doon/The Mason's Men"
Solas
One of the most exciting new Irish- American traditional music bands, Solas consists of John Williams from Chicago on accordion, Winifred Horan from Boston on fiddle, multi- instrumentalist Seamus Egan from Hatboro, Pennsylvania (Uillean pipes, flute, whistle, banjo, mandolin, tres, and guitar), John Doyle from Dublin playing guitar, and singer Karan Casey from Ballyduff Lower in County Waterford. This medley of reels is from their debut album, Solas, released in 1996. It won the Naird Award and impressively demonstrates their extraordinary playing ability.
Through its constant evolution, Irish music has managed to retain contact with its roots, and it now has easier access to a wider audience. Most of the new innovators credit the older singers and musicians for their inspiration, and that's as it should be. Passed down through the centuries, Irish folk is a unique form of ethnic music that is still vibrant and exciting because it is
ever-changing.
-John O'Regan
Emmet Cahill song My Irish Molly
