The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #53201   Message #891598
Posted By: Bonnie Shaljean
16-Feb-03 - 01:21 PM
Thread Name: Tune Req: O'Reilly of County Cavan
Subject: RE: Tune Req: O'Reilly of County Cavan
In Colm O Lochlainn's "Irish Street Ballads " (volume one) on page 186 there is a song with similar words to Kitten's version - i.e. same story & theme, same metric scansion, many identical lines (including Noreen's "swan" verse above) which is titled "O'Reilley From The County Leitrim" with the alternative name "The Phoenix of Erin's Green Isle" though I have also heard it called by its opening line, "When first I came unto this country". Its melody is different from Anac Chuain but fits both Kitten's & Noreen's words, so it might be worth checking out. In addition to O Lochlainn, Jimmy Crowley has recorded it on one of his CDs, though I don't know which one. This is one of my favourites of the Irish "great airs".