The First Book of Irish Ballads

Subject: The First Book of Irish Ballads
From: GUEST,cleod
Date: 15 Aug 00 - 08:31 AM

I just found this book in the school library. It's "The First Book of Irish Ballads" by Daniel D. O'Keeffe, published by Mercier Press in 1963. Here's the list of the songs inside"

The Man of the North Countrie
The Irish Sailor
John Macananty's Courtship
Boolavogue
Twenty Men from Dublin Town
The Star of the Country Down
The Ploughboy
The Bold Fenian Men
The Castle of Dromore
Donnelly and Cooper
Brennan on the Moor
The Spinning Wheel
Nice Little Jane from Ballinasloe
Over Here
MacKenna's Dream
On the Bromielaw Quay
The Battle Eve of the Brigade
The Low-Backed Car
Song from the Backwoods
The Mountains of Pomeroy
The Blackbird and the Thrush
Mary Le More
Redmond O'Hanlon
Master McGrath
Patrick Sheehan
The Oul' Plaid Shawl
Dirge of O'Sullivan Bear
The Blackbird
Death Lament of John O'Mahony
The Airy Bachelor
She Moved Thro' the Fair
The Three Flowers
The Lamentation of Hugh Reynolds
Garryowen
The Croppy Boy
Bould Thady Quill
The Donovans
Bantry Bay
The Man From God-Knows-Where
St. Kevin
The Boys of Kilkenny
The Lord of Dunkerron
Down by the Tanyard Side
I Know Where I Am Going
The Ballad of Pat O'Donnell
The Humours of Donnybrook Fair
Rossa's Farewell
The Buck From Bonane
Moorlough Mary
The Jackets Green
The Green Autumn Stubble
The Agricultural Irish Girl
Barry of Macroom
The Girl I Left Behind
Kevin Barry
The Fishermen of Wexford
The Old Bog Road
If I Was A Blackbird
Bould Robert Emmet
The Maid of the Sweet Brown Knowe
The Corner
Fare You Well, Sweet Donegal
The Fairy Thorn
The Man From Galway
I Know My Love
The Blazing Star or Drim
The Donkey of Dongourney
'Cork Is the Eden for You, Love and Me'
The Carlow Maid

I know some of these songs are already in the DigiTrad, so I'm just going to post the ones didn't see in there.

Sla/n

Subject: RE: The First Book of Irish Ballads
From: Alice
Date: 15 Aug 00 - 03:07 PM

Cleod, I'd be interested in see the lyrics of "Song From the Backwoods".

Subject: RE: The First Book of Irish Ballads
From: John in Brisbane
Date: 15 Aug 00 - 07:46 PM

Cleod, the index is a great contribution, thenk you. Does this volume have the music scores for each song? As I recall there are a few that we are missing tunes. Regards, John

Subject: RE: The First Book of Irish Ballads
From: GUEST,Bruce O.
Date: 15 Aug 00 - 11:44 PM

There are no tunes in that 1st book. The 2nd book was by James N. Healy and has some tunes in it. I can't find my copy of the third book, which I seem to remember was by Maureen Jollifee, and I don't remember as to whether it has tunes.

That last song above, "The Carlow Maid", was called "The Carlow Lass" in an undated publication with music called 'British Melodies', issued in London by the Polyhymnia Company (i.e. George Walker), c 1810-25. I copied only "The Derby Ram" from it. There were a few other Irish songs in it, all much better known than the "The Carlow Lass"

Subject: RE: The First Book of Irish Ballads
From: cleod
Date: 16 Aug 00 - 03:23 PM

I've just realized I should've posted the song lyrics in this thread rather than start a new one (so people would know it's from this book) - oh well, next time I'll do better ^_^ As of now, the lyrics to 'The Man of the North Countrie', 'The Irish Sailor' and 'John Macananty's Courtship' have already been posted.

Alice, I'll stick to the format I've inadvertently begun with and post the lyrics on another thread soon.

I also know there's another songbook/poetry collection in one of the other school libraries here - I'll try to get my friend to borrow it for me (since that's the only book I;ve seen with the whole 'She Moved Through the Fair', which is definitely more than just 3 or 4 stanzas!) I've got to get my hands on that book!

Sla/n

Subject: RE: The First Book of Irish Ballads
From: Gypsy
Date: 17 Aug 00 - 01:31 AM

And you will post all of the lyrics to She moved thru the Faire, yes? Had no idea that lovely song had more stanzas! Please to share

Subject: RE: The First Book of Irish Ballads
From: cleod
Date: 17 Aug 00 - 02:47 PM

Of course, I will , Gypsy ^_^ i know someone emailed me before asking for the whole lyrics, but alas! i had misplaced my photocopy of the darned thing.

I just checked my library's online catalog...they have the second book of irish ballads as well! now i have something to search for when I go to school on saturday :)

Sla/n

Subject: Lyr Add: BOLD FENIAN MEN (Michael Scanlan)
From: cleod
Date: 17 Aug 00 - 03:33 PM

Got some good advice from Joe Offer and decided to follow it. I'll be posting the rest of the songs on this thread so as not to confuse you more :)

I've found that the DigiTrad has lyrics to Boolavogue (under Boulavogue), Twenty Men from Dublin Town, The Star of the Country Down, and The Ploughboy (The Jolly Ploughboy) but I didn't find any 'Bold Fenian Men' in the database, so here it is.

The Bold Fenian Men by Michael Scanlan

See who comes over the red-blossomed heather,
Their green banners kissing the pure mountain air,
Heads erect, eyes to front, stepping proudly together,
Sure freedom sits throned on each proud spirit there.
Down the hill twining,
Their blessed steel shining,
Like rivers of beauty that flow from each glen,
From mountain and valley,
'Tis Liberty's rally -
Out and make way for the bold Fenian men!

Our prayers and our tears they have scoffed and derided,
And they've shut out God's sunlight from spirit and mind.
Our foes were united and we were divided,
We've met and they scattered our ranks to the wind.
But once more returning,
Within our veins burning
The fires that illumined Aherlow glen;
We raise the old cry anew,
Slogan of Con and Hugh;
Out and make way for the bold Fenian men!

We've men from the Nore, from the Suir and the Shannon,
Let tyrants come forth, we'll bring force against force.
Our pen is the sword and our voice is the cannon,
Rifle for rifle and horse against horse.
We've made the false Saxon yield
Many a red battlefield:
God on our side we will triumph again;
Pay them back woe for woe,
Give them back blow for blow -
Out and make way for the bold Fenian men!

Side by side for the cause have our forefathers battled,
When our hills never echoed the tread of a slave;
In many a field where the leaden hail rattled,
Through the red gap of glory they marched to the grave.
And those who inherit
Their name and their spirit,
Will march 'neath the banners of Liberty then;
All who love foreign law -
Native or Sassenach -
Must out and make way for the bold Fenian men!

Subject: RE: The First Book of Irish Ballads
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 17 Aug 00 - 09:27 PM

It's probably a good idea to try a "Digitrad and Forum" search before going to the trouble of doing all that typing; "Bold Fenian Men" has been posted before, and so can still be found in the Forum, here:  Tune Add: Bold Fenian Men  as may a good few of the songs included in this book, though of course they haven't all found their way onto the DT proper.