Deirdre Ni Fhloinn--any information?

Subject: deidre nifhlionn--any information?
From: johnm (inactive)
Date: 01 Feb 99 - 10:16 AM

Does anyone have information about a singer named Deidre NiFhlionn? I have one old LP called Irish Traditional Songs, but have not seen anything else by her.

Subject: RE: deidre nifhlionn--any information?
From: Alice
Date: 01 Feb 99 - 10:25 AM

John, can you provide a list of the songs on the record and the name of the recording company? alice

Subject: RE: deidre nifhlionn--any information?
From: johnm (inactive)
Date: 01 Feb 99 - 12:11 PM

Alice It will take a day to get the record--it is in the public library. Here are the songs 1-Don Do Shuile -(Close Your Eyes) 2-An Mainen Rua -The Fox 3-Maidein in Behrra -A Morning in Beara 4--Fa an Coileach ag Fogairt an Lae--The Cock Awakens the Day 5--Seothole Thoil--Hush a bye my dear 6--Jimmy Mo Mhile Stor - Jimmy My 1000 treasures 7--Ig Conntae Chlair--Fair Day At County Clare 8--Laoi Finnuala--Finola's Lady 9-Mo Theaghlach--My house 10-Na Connerys--The Connnerys 11-Brid Og NiMhalille--Young Brid O'Malley 12-An Habit Shirt 13--Fein Mo Leanbh a'Cholladh--Put My Child to Sleep 14--Faill-il-oro 15-Carraig Donn 16--Ceol a Phiobaire--The Piper's Music 17--Fath Mo Bhuartha --The Cause of My Sorrow

It is an old record. She sounds something like Mary O'Hara but does not sing as high.

Subject: RE: deidre nifhlionn--any information?
From: Alice
Date: 01 Feb 99 - 01:48 PM

thanks, John, is that a library in the US?

Subject: RE: deidre nifhlionn--any information?
From: johnm (inactive)
Date: 01 Feb 99 - 06:20 PM

Yes it is the New Rochelle, NY public library. The LP is Folkways FW 8762. Date 1958 There are a few other songs that I left off by mistake-Da 1-Bhfaghainn Mo Rogha--If I had my choice

2-Gan Peata Mhaoir Agam, The Stewards Daughter

Cuaichim Gleann 'Neifin.. The Cuckoo if Glen Neifin and in the first message it should An Maidrin Rua and Maidean Im Be-arra

Subject: RE: deidre nifhlionn--any information?
From:
Date: 01 Feb 99 - 08:19 PM

Intriguing, to say the least. Some of these songs listed are great, perhaps 5 or 6. The others are children's songs or "translations". I must say, I've never heard of Deirdre N¡ Fhloinn. I suspect she's not traditional but I could be very wide of the mark. Annraoi

Subject: RE: deidre nifhlionn--any information?
From: johnm (inactive)
Date: 01 Feb 99 - 09:35 PM

Annraoi Unfortunately the notes for this LP were apparently lost. The jacket has no information about her. It said the songs were recorded in Ireland by Dick Camerron. She accompanies herself on the harp. Has a lovely voice. John

Subject: RE: deidre nifhlionn--any information?
From: Alice
Date: 02 Feb 99 - 10:45 AM

John, please email to me. I am interested in getting a copy of this record if possible. alice
[e-mail]

Subject: RE: deidre nifhlionn--any information?
From: Big Mick
Date: 02 Feb 99 - 12:02 PM

Alice

Do me a favor and let me know what you find out on this one. It intrigues me, much the same, I suspect as it does you. Annroi, same on your end, please, if you find anything, I would be grateful if you would share it.

All the best,

Mick

Subject: RE: deidre nifhlionn--any information?
From: Big Mick
Date: 02 Feb 99 - 12:03 PM

OOPS, sorry Annraoi, for the misspelling of your name. Just noticed it.

Mick

Subject: Re: Deirdre Ní Fhloinn -- same person?
From: keberoxu
Date: 25 Feb 16 - 07:53 PM

This could be entirely off the mark...then again...?

My childhood had this Folkways album in the house, booklet and all. The name was spelled Deirdre Ní Fhlionn. And the booklet, for those of you who lacked it, said NOTHING WHATEVER about the artist: it was all about the music and the lyrics. She sings Danny Boy in Gaelic, and has to struggle for the high notes, although she wins the day; her voice is clear but it does sit in a more mezzo-soprano than soprano place.

So here I am, all these years later, using the Internet to see if there is anything more to be scared up about this musician. I can confirm that the Internet shows no more recent recording of songs with her name on them. If she went on singing, it was away from the recording studio.

Ah, but I tripped across the following. Now, what with two vowels switched in order, this could be the name of a different person altogether. And yet...the singer on that Folkways album sang the Gaelic very naturally, no affectation to my ears. Maybe this is she, after all?   I found this at a Trinity College, Dublin website listing documentaries broadcast on RTE.

Date: 30 January, 2003
Language: English (hmmmm)
Length: 25 minutes
Channel: RTE 1
Program/Episode: LEARGAS "Faoi Scáth An Tsléibhe"

description:
"Report on the people of Leitriúch and Corca Dhuibhne [Corkaguiny]. At the foot of Cnoc Bréanainn [Brandon Mountain], exists the small Gaeltacht community of Leitriúch. Separated from the western Gaeltacht, the natural resources of the area are advantageous to them; however, little development has occurred in the area for a long time. Many people travel to Tralee, Dingle, and Castlegregory in search of work, and there is little in the area to keep the young people there. Deirdre Ní Fhloinn visited Cloghane [gClochán] to meet the local people and hear their story."

This appears to reference the Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry.

Subject: RE: deidre nifhlionn--any information?
From: MartinRyan
Date: 26 Feb 16 - 03:09 AM

Interesting. I didn't notice this thread at the time - but the confusion is easy to explain. The singer's name appears to have been misspelled on the original album - and then variously misspelled again in the thread.

Deirdre Ni Fhloinn is the correct spelling. Assiduous use of Google will turn up direct and indirect references to the artist and her recording.

Regards

Subject: RE: deidre nifhlionn--any information?
From: GUEST,Gealt
Date: 26 Feb 16 - 06:20 AM

It is possible that the singer was also known as Deirdre O'Flynn - Soprano & Harpist.

Subject: "Deirdre Flynn as she then was" -- same person?
From: keberoxu
Date: 26 Feb 16 - 02:22 PM

Again, I am going out on a limb here, but this sounds interesting.

"Travels With My Harp" is the latest book of memoirs from Mary O'Hara, published a few years ago. Anyone who knows O'Hara's story, recalls how she learned the harp in the first place: for a pageant on Thomas Moore and his songs, at school, with Ursuline nuns. O'Hara was one of three young women chosen to sing whilst playing a small harp. Another of the three was "Deirdre Flynn as she then was."

"Travels With My Harp" goes on to relate O'Hara's history, bringing us to her first marriage to a man who was diagnosed with a terminal illness and died too suddenly and too young, in his native United States where she lived with him. O'Hara relates how, after her husband's death, she returned to Ireland, and the same "Deirdre Flynn" was at the airport to welcome here. Her book states that the two remained in contact over the years, and considered each other friends.

I wonder....?

Subject: Deirdre Ní Fhloinn, harpist
From: keberoxu
Date: 26 Feb 16 - 03:06 PM

In 23 May 1959, the Nenagh Guardian newspaper -- this is archived on the Internet -- mentions
"Harpist Deirdre Ní Fhloinn, daughter of Tipperary County Manager, Mr. John P. Flynn." She is listed as a performer in Nenagh at "Gael-Linn's Concert."

Subject: RE: deidre nifhlionn--any information? (Ní Fhlionn)
From: GUEST,Martin Ryan
Date: 26 Feb 16 - 04:03 PM

Yes - I'm sure it's the same person.

Regards

Subject: RE: deidre nifhlionn--any information? (Ní Fhlionn)
From: Reinhard
Date: 26 Feb 16 - 04:57 PM

Irish Traditional Songs, Folkways FW 8762, 1958


ceolta éireann - Amhráin leis an gCruit, Gael-Linn CEF 006, ca. 1960

Subject: RE: deidre nifhlionn--any information? (Ní Fhlionn)
From: gillymor
Date: 27 Feb 16 - 07:23 AM

I'm listening to "Irish Traditional Songs" on Spotify. Pretty good stuff.

Subject: Re: Deirdre Ní Fhloinn: Deirdre O'Callaghan?
From: keberoxu
Date: 27 Feb 16 - 01:52 PM

Anyone ever hear of an Irish harpist named Deirdre O'Callaghan? The name is completely new to me.

I have just come across a photograph of Ms. O'Callaghan from 2013, at a public screening of The Quiet Man (the film had been given some technical treatment -- "digitally remastered," whatever that means. Screening in Dublin.

Ms. O'Callaghan is a harpist, well-known in Ireland at least. She was married to Noel Carroll who died unexpectedly. The two raised four children. She then married Pat Heneghan who is in the "Quiet Man" screening photograph with her. She has lovely silver-gray hair and appears to be the age that Deirdre Flynn / Ní Fhloinn would be today.

Ms. O'Callaghan is said to have been a classmate of Mary O'Hara and Kathleen Watkins. After working at RTE (before marriage), and raising her family, she went to University College, Dublin, and in finishing her degree, she wrote her thesis on....wait for it....Thomas Moore.

Okay, maybe the two Deirdres are NOT the same person, however it sounds as though they know the same people and are the same age....!

Subject: RE: deidre nifhlionn--any information? (Ní Fhlionn)
From: MartinRyan
Date: 27 Feb 16 - 08:17 PM

They're not the same person - but both were harpists of a particular generation. I'm trying to think of a collective noun for what were sometimes known as "harpies"... ;>)>

Regards

Subject: RE: deidre nifhlionn--any information? (Ní Fhlionn)
From: GUEST,Martin Ryan.
Date: 28 Feb 16 - 06:01 AM

Best I can come up with is a borrowing from starlings (no - not starlets) - "a murmuration of harpies".

That generation was much given to fluttery, vibrato-rich singing backed with soft plucking.

Regards

Subject: RE: deidre nifhlionn--any information? (Ní Fhlionn)
From: GUEST,Philippa
Date: 28 Feb 16 - 08:31 AM

keberoxu - I think Deirdre Ní Fhlionn the harpist would be rather old to be presenting a documentary in 2003 (though not impossible). It's not such an uncommon name really.

I remember the lp, which I got in the US in 1960s-70s, but I know nothing more about this musician than what is already on the thread.

Subject: RE: Deirdre Ni Fhloinn--any information?
From: keberoxu
Date: 28 Feb 16 - 02:59 PM

My ignorance is obvious from my posts to this thread. Greatly value and appreciate all the Mudcatters whose responses are so edifying. Won't surprise you, I suppose, to hear that I had never before heard of Delia Murphy and The Spinning Wheel, nor of Mary O'Hara for that matter...partly a question of which generation I come from.

My childhood upbringing, the collection of my parents' records, it was the sort of thing where one of my parents was a voracious reader of magazine reviews of long-playing records, and a radio listener....but these were not people with direct connections to the circles in which music was actually made, it was always at some remove.

Therefore said record collection had a great many Folkways-labeled LPs just because that is what got the reviews in the magazines. At most, in their university days, one or both of my parents might have gone to a concert performance whilst students. So they would have heard Pete Seeger for example. They would know who Odetta was. Jean Ritchie would have been on the radar. But Delia Murphy and Mary O'Hara were unknowns to them.

Possibly I speak for a number of other members, guests, or lurkers here. I'm genuinely grateful that you all help me learn something new.

Subject: RE: Deirdre Ni Fhloinn--any information?
From: keberoxu
Date: 04 Mar 16 - 02:47 PM

Here is one more bit of data -- datum? -- naming Deirdre Flynn.

Online it is possible to read, in its entirety, the 2003 thesis submitted by Oona Linnett toward her MA degree at the University of Wales, Bangor. The subject of the thesis is The Irish Harp, focusing on the gut-stringed harp rather than the brass/wire - strung harp associated with Celtic harps of antiquity.

As with most such submissions, the thesis author itemizes every source of information that went into the thesis content. One such is the Feis Ceoil programme for the 2003 season. This is relevant to one footnote.

Linnett's thesis summarizes the Sion Hill pageant, in the early 1950's, on the subject of Thomas Moore, featuring harp students supervised by the convent's Mother Jordan, and tutored by Máirin Ní Shéa   [sometimes Ní Sheaghdha]. Among these harp students are named Deirdre O'Callaghan, Kathleen Watkins, Mary O'Hara, and Deirdre Flynn.

Deirdre Flynn's name has a footnote indicated, which says that at present [2003] she is the President of the Feis Ceoil Association.

Subject: RE: Deirdre Ni Fhloinn--any information?
From: MartinRyan
Date: 04 Mar 16 - 04:53 PM

Yes - the Dominican College, Sion Hill, in Dublin (a girls secondary school) was a very potent source of popular harpist/singers throughout the middle of the last century - at least.

Regards

Subject: RE: Deirdre Ni Fhloinn--any information?
From: Helen
Date: 04 Mar 16 - 05:16 PM

Martin,

Not long after I bought my first harp, I was stranded in isolation from all harp-related help in trying to learn it - one of those impulse buys you make when you see something intriguing in the music shop window!!

Anyway, back to the story: Mary O'Hara was just making her way back into performing after retreating from the world following her husband's untimely death. She performed in my local city of Newcastle, Australia so I was compelled to go to her concert. Apart from seeing Harpo Marx playing the harp on the Marx Brothers movies, plus a couple of quick panning shots on some classical concerts shown on TV, I had never seen anyone play the harp.

Your description above aptly describes why I was disappointed:

"That generation was much given to fluttery, vibrato-rich singing backed with soft plucking."

Believe me, it's not a slight on Ms O'Hara's ability at all, but it just wasn't the style of music I prefer.

So thanks for that description. I have been struggling for years to pinpoint why I was not as happy as I had hoped I would be to see Ms O'Hara perform live. I also wasn't sure whether re-launching her career after such a long time might have meant that her playing was a bit rusty, so I tried to be gracious about it.

My favourite harp performers are the direct opposite of your description. The best descriptive word I can find for the Scottish harp duo called Sileas, with Patsy Seddon and Mary McMaster, is raucous. They are brilliant!

So it was just a matter of musical taste interfering with my enjoyment of Mary O'Hara's music.

Helen

Subject: RE: Deirdre Ni Fhloinn--any information?
From: MartinRyan
Date: 04 Mar 16 - 06:25 PM

Thanks for the story, Helen. I think I heard Mary O'Hara once, live, in the small Irish Midlands town in which I worked - must have been mid to late '70's, at a guess. She was very popular - but not to my taste. "Tot homines..."

As I think I mentioned elsewhere, there are now a number of harpists who approach traditional Irish music with much more attack and with, perhaps, greater sympathy for the musical form - but I still find it difficult to get much pleasure from its use as accompaniment to singing.

Regards

Subject: RE: Deirdre Ni Fhloinn--any information?
From: GUEST,Gealt
Date: 04 Mar 16 - 06:35 PM

Gay Byrne's excellent jazz orientated program is on on Sunday afternoon at 2pm on RTE lyric fm . He accepts listeners' queries. If anyone is brave enough to ask he maybe be able to help as his wife is Kathleen Watkins, the ex Sion Hill harpist mentioned in keberoxu's post above.

Subject: RE: Deirdre Ni Fhloinn--any information?
From: keberoxu
Date: 15 Apr 16 - 08:52 PM

Am just listening to an anthology from the Gael Linn label titled "Amhráin Ghrá," with a selection of eight artists, all singers and all women, and some seventeen tracks of songs which they recorded for Gael Linn during their careers.

Deirdre Ní Fhlóinn gets exactly one song on this album, "Mo Mhuirnin Bán."

If you don't fancy the kind of singing described in previous posts on this thread, then this recording will just reinforce your position, for it fits the description precisely.

Of all eight singers on the album, she is the only one I grew up with, in terms of recorded voices in my parents' collection at home. And I recognize her voice, all right. She still sounds more of a mezzo, every so slightly lower in pitch/tessitura, than the very high sound of Mary O'Hara. And Ní Fhlóinn's voice still has that throaty warm quality that I recall, not over-cultivated, conversational. It is as one American soldier in the Second World War is reputed to have said of American singer Dinah Shore, back in the day:

"She has the kind of voice that you want to take home to Mother."

Thanks for the memories, Ms. Ní Fhlóinn.

Subject: RE: Deirdre Ni Fhloinn--any information?
From: keberoxu
Date: 18 Apr 16 - 04:03 PM

About "Mo Mhuirnín Bán," by the way:

This is a different Irish-language lyric than "Fath Mo Buartha", which is one of the tracks on the Folkways album. I can't compare the tunes, but the words are altogether different. I say this even though I have no Gaelic to speak of.

Thanks to Mudcat, I was able to locate the "Fath Mo Buartha" text in the original Irish, and once I had a copy, I sat down with the Gael-Linn "Amhráin Ghrá" album and listened to Deirdre Ní Fhlóinn singing "Mo Mhuirnín Bán," to make certain, one way or the other, which song this was. And although this is not one of my languages, while I had the "Fath Mo Buartha" lyrics right in front of me, and the CD playing on the player at the same time, I am positively confident that the Gaelic that Ms. Ní Fhlóinn was singing, was an entirely different Gaelic lyric: it begins with the words "Mo mhuirnín bán," and then goes on to a set of verses entirely different from what I had printed out. They are two different poems, at least.


About the Folkways album, though, there was a point I did not make clear, and now is a good time to do it:
the third track, "Maidean I mBearra," is the Gaelic-language version of "Danny Boy."

Subject: RE: Deirdre Ni Fhloinn--any information?
From: Felipa
Date: 30 Jun 16 - 05:55 PM

is "mo mhuirnín bán" the same song or similar to "mo chailín bán"?

here is a thread for 'S é fáth mo bhuartha (you should be able to find instrumentals of that tune on line, maybe youtube, also was on a Dubliners recording)
One example: Tim Dennehy

Subject: RE: Deirdre Ni Fhloinn--any information?
From: keberoxu
Date: 01 Jul 16 - 01:12 PM

Until I learn how to cut and paste, my contributions cannot be links, but will be limited to URL addresses where something may be found.


"Mo Mhuirnín Bán," sung by Deirdre Ní Fhloinn and re-released on the "Amhráin Ghrá" compact disc anthology by Gael Linn, can be heard here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9E3ijZ6sUss

Subject: RE: Deirdre Ni Fhloinn--any information?
From: Felipa
Date: 01 Jul 16 - 01:28 PM

but giving the url IS making a link,Keberoxu, it's just not clickable
You could do the same for referencing related Mudcat threads; I refer to my comment re your new discussion thread about the song Caoineadh na dtrí Mhuire.

I also have my technical limitations as I don't have speakers on computer and dont usually want to use headset. That's why I give you links to make your own comparison. And sometimes to introduce you to some different singers.

Subject: RE: Deirdre Ni Fhloinn--any information?
From: AmyLove
Date: 12 Feb 17 - 06:12 PM

Nice photo of Deirdre Ní Fhloinn:

A979 - 1959 Gael Linn singing competition and concert at Dungannon, Co. Tyrone

Subject: RE: Deirdre Ni Fhloinn--any information?
From: keberoxu
Date: 13 Feb 17 - 12:08 PM

Yes, this is very much what Jim Carroll was talking about on the Maire Ni Scolai thread, in this photograph:
the world of Oireachtas and the Gael Linn cabaret, that's what the harpist is dressed for.

Subject: RE: Deirdre Ni Fhloinn--any information?
From: Thompson
Date: 14 Feb 17 - 02:11 AM

Great suggestion from GUESTgealt to email
Gay Byrne's programme on Lyric FM; I have no doubt that the RTE music library would have this album and Gay would play a track from it. You can usually get the programme on internet services like TuneIn Radio, and I think it is podcast afterwards too.

Is this
WorldCat entry the same album?

There are a couple of versions of the cover online, including this one from the Irish Traditional Music Archive.

I'm all agog now to hear this throbby alto! Some of the songs she sings would be favourites of mine.

Subject: RE: Deirdre Ni Fhloinn--any information?
From: Thompson
Date: 14 Feb 17 - 02:14 AM

Not rich enough or curious enough right now to buy the album, but if anyone has $17 in their back pocket, it's for sale here on Rakuten.

Subject: RE: Deirdre Ni Fhloinn--any information?
From: GUEST,keberoxu
Date: 14 Feb 17 - 10:44 AM

Questions about Deirdre Ni Fhloinn/Flynn 's recordings:

Look earlier in this thread, for the post from Reinhard dated February 2016. This post makes clear that we are speaking of two different recordings. One or two songs may appear on both albums, true; but they are two different albums. The Gael Linn album is something of an extended-play album, and there are songs on it which do not appear on the longer Folkways recording.

The Gael Linn collection is not familiar to me. It is the Folkways recording, with twenty tracks, that I grew up listening to. If I went back and listened again, no doubt every song would have places that trigger memory recall. But today when I look at the listings of songs, some titles draw a blank, and some I recall very vividly.

Clearest in my memory, from the Folkways collection:
no. 1, the lullaby
no. 2, the macaronic song in which the farmer speaks with the fox
no. 3, the Gaelic version of Danny Boy (the high notes are too high for Miss Ni Fhloinn, bless her, she struggles up there!)

no. 7, a mother and a daughter disagree about the daughter's love for a shoemaker. This is the Fair in County Clare song. Charming melody.

no. 8, the lament of Finnuala. Ni Fhloinn's teacher, Mairin Ni Shea, was partial to this short, affecting song. For those who don't know, this is a moment from one of the three Sorrows tales: not the tragedy of Deirdre and Naoise, but another Sorrows tale, of siblings who are changed into birds by their evil stepmother.

no. 10, Na Connerys, about transport to Australia. The song is Gaelic, but at the end of every chorus I can hear the phrase with the English place name, "New South Wales."

no. 12, about the steward's daughter

no. 19, Ceol a Phiobaire: vivid memory of this tune from childhood.

Finally: Maire Ni Scolai, as I have confessed elsewhere, is rather new to me, her singing is. The voices of Ni Scolai and Ni Fhloinn are very distinct from each other. Ni Scolai has a bigger, more powerful instrument; she actually did straight theater, as opposed to cabaret; and Ni Scolai's teacher gave her the kind of technique that she could use as an opera singer would use, in a big house with no artificial amplification; and finally, Ni Scolai's voice sits lower and deeper, to my ears.

Deirdre Ni Fhloinn was vocally schooled by Mairin Ni She, and it is a style of technique and singing better suited to the recital hall, the salon, and the more intimate venue, not to speak of singing into a microphone. Her voice is not as large and low as Ni Scolai's. When she isn't steeling herself to sing Danny Boy's high notes, poor thing, she can work the highest notes in her range with light quick dexterity, sort of twittering like a songbird up there. Ni Fhloinn's diction is well-suited to a microphone, it is not the exaggerated theatrical diction of the opera singer or the singer of Broadway musical theater.

Subject: RE: Deirdre Ni Fhloinn--any information?
From: Thompson
Date: 14 Feb 17 - 03:41 PM

The fair in County Clare has her in love with a shoemaker? I don't remember that bit! Pretty startling, as the mother's reason for not wanting to be nagged is "You're not 10 or 11 yet, when you're 13 you can go"!

Na Connerys is a mallacht - it's putting a curse on the people who informed on the Connery family and had them shipped to what the song calls, charmingly using the plural, "Na New South Wales".

The one for sale on Rakuten is the Folkways one. Pounce, quick!

Subject: RE: Deirdre Ni Fhloinn--any information?
From: GUEST,keberoxu
Date: 14 Feb 17 - 04:19 PM

The Conntae Chlair song includes this couplet/verse:

Tá 'nion beag agam is tá si óg
Is tá si i ngrá leis an ghreasaí bróg

And:

Táim-se i ngrá le ghreasaí bróg
Mur' bhfaigh mé é ní bheidh mé beo

Subject: RE: Deirdre Ni Fhloinn--any information?
From: AmyLove
Date: 15 Feb 17 - 10:16 PM

As I posted in the 'All the dear Spinning Eileens' (Irish harpists) thread, I received some of the lyrics from Amhráin Ghrá, including the first verse to Mo Mhuirnín Bhán, the Deirdre Ní Fhloinn song:

Mo Mhuirnín Bhán

Mo Mhuirnín bhán , is dubhach mar atáim
Faoi mbuachaill báire a mheall tú uaim,
Is is tabhartha tláth le buaireamh grá
A chaithim gach lá faoi ghruaim, faoi ghruaim,
A chaithim gach lá faoi ghruaim.

Deirdre Ní Fhloinn
Traic 11

Subject: RE: Deirdre Ni Fhloinn--any information?
From: AmyLove
Date: 15 Feb 17 - 10:18 PM

I meant to specify that I received the lyrics from Máire Harris at Gael Linn.

Subject: RE: Deirdre Ni Fhloinn--any information?
From: Thompson
Date: 16 Feb 17 - 02:21 AM

Yes! now that you say it, I remember that, Amy! Dark doings in Connemara childhoods!

Subject: RE: Deirdre Ni Fhloinn--any information?
From: keberoxu
Date: 16 Feb 17 - 03:24 PM

AmyLove, thank you!

I had no more luck than you in searching the Internet for the lyrics for that particular song. Good on you for going to Gael Linn and asking someone there.

Mo Mhuirnín Bán is recorded with three verses, and one is better than none, to be sure. Having the words to that one verse confirms what I presumed, in my posts in April 2016, that this is a different lyric/song than 'S é fath mo buartha or Mo chailín bán.

I wonder if the song recorded by Deirdre Ni Fhloinn for Gael Linn came out of her cabaret/banquet/"stone castle" repertoire.
As in "all the dear spinning Eileens."

Subject: RE: Deirdre Ni Fhloinn--any information?
From: AmyLove
Date: 16 Feb 17 - 05:44 PM

Thompson,

Glad it sparked some memories.


keberoxu,

You're welcome. And thank you for all your efforts in getting the lyrics for most of the songs from Amhráin Ghrá. Yes, I searched and searched and searched for those lyrics. When I got that one verse, I hoped I'd be able to find the others but no. Though maybe you or someone else here has more sophisticated searching methods than I do and will be able to find those elusive verses. Or maybe someone who speaks Irish will simply listen to the song and tell us what the verses are. Oh, to be at the point of being that familiar with the Irish language.

This is something I find confusing - according to the Amhráin Ghrá liner notes, the source for the song is this (lyrics to songs included)

Amhráin leis an gCruit (CEF06)

You've probably already looked at this page, but I provide the link in case others would like to see it. Anyway, obviously Mo Mhuirnín Bhán isn't included on the album, so I don't know why it's listed as the source. Another mystery.