from the album "Sona do Cheird" by Doimnic Mac Giolla Bhríde
Bean an Fhir Ruaidh
Ó is táilliúr óg aerach mé ’ deanamh éadaigh i dtigh an fhir ruaidh nó go dtug mo chroí spéis dona béilín meala gan ghruaim agus thug mo chroí spéis dona béilín ba bhinne ná an chuach, is a charad mo chléibh, dá n-éalófa liom ón fhear rua.
Nuair a théim suas ar cuairt go Contae na Mí is cluinim an fear rua á luadh le rúnsearc mo chroí, nuair a chluinim ní fhaighim suaimhneas ná néal de chodladh na hoích’ ’s gurb í bean an fhir ruaidh a rinne gual domhsa in aice mo chroí.
A bhruinneall gan smál a bhfuil na dealraíocha deasa in dó ghruaidh, An fiosach thú a fhiafraí caidé a chloífeadh aigneadh an fhir ruaidh? Ní iarrfainnse aon spás ar an Ardrí atá i bhFlaitheas na Naomh Ach an t-aon amharc amháin a fháil ar ghrá geal mo chroí.
Tá crann ins an gharradh a bhfásann air an bláth buí,-’S nuair a leagaim mo lámh air is láidir nach scoilteann mo chroí. -Ní cheilfinnse ar aon neach caidé an fáth a bhfuil ormsa gruaim,- Ainneoin eaglaise ’s Parthais ,’s í grá mo chroí bean an fhir ruaidh.
Dá gcuirfí mé síos i bpríosún dhubh dhorcha chruaidh, na boltaí ar mo chaolchorp agus na mílte glas as sin suas, órú d’éireochainn de rúchladh mar a d’éireochadh an eala ón chuan Ar acht suí síos seal oíche le bean an fhir ruaidh.
from Sona do Cheird, released November 20, 2015
Story connected to the song, told in Irish by John Ghráinne Ó Duibheannaigh (Devenny) http://www.rannnafeirste.com/bean-an-fhir-ruaidh-an-sceal (includes some non-standard spellings to adhere to dialect of the storyteller). Basically it says that a fair haired man and a red-haired man were both in love with the tailor's daughter, and that she married the red-haired man. Both men were employed by the tailor, and the red-haired man planted stolen food in his colleague's bag and got him in trouble. The falsely accused man spent 6 months in prison and so the tailor's daughter married the red-haired apprentice. Upon release from jail, the fair-haired man went of to America. When he returned as an old man, young people didn't know him and older people didn't recognise him, and he got employment in the house of the red-haired man. It was then he wrote this song.