Origins: Isle of Innisfree (Richard Farrelly)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ISLE OF INNISFREE
From: GUEST,Guest Inga
Date: 24 Feb 04 - 04:41 PM

Never heard of this song, I'm trying to find it for a friend. Does Sharron Singers sing thats song -Isle of Innisfree- also?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ISLE OF INNISFREE
From: GUEST,Inga
Date: 24 Feb 04 - 05:01 PM

Hi Guys,

I found the whole song on here, scroll all the way down. A guy sings it tho'

http://home.swipnet.se/~w-134536/mel441.htm

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ISLE OF INNISFREE
From: Com Seangan
Date: 24 Feb 04 - 05:20 PM

Right. The Inisfree that Yeats wrote about had no connection with the more recent song. But don't anyone denegrate the beauty of Yeat's verse - which he wrote while he was in Liondon. Inisfree is a Gaelic for Island of Heather (Inis Fraoich).

Keep it swinging lads (and lassies) !

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: ISLE OF INNISFREE
From: GUEST,Paul
Date: 03 Apr 04 - 09:21 AM

Hello Inga,

You will find a wonderful version and the correct one too, (there are so many versions with wrong words on melody), log on to the website of Singer-Sinead Stone and Musican-Gerard Farrelly. The website is www.stoneandfarrelly.com

Gerard is the son of the composer Dick Farrelly. You can order their album which is called "legacy Of A Quiet Man".

It was through some postings on Mudcat that I heard of them.

All the best.

Subject: RE: Origins: Isle of Innisfree (Richard Farrelly)
From: GUEST
Date: 22 Jan 05 - 01:15 PM

Subject: RE: Origins: Isle of Innisfree (Richard Farrelly)
From: GUEST,Alley
Date: 22 Jan 05 - 04:35 PM

I'm so glad there are so many people interested in the song "The Isle of Innisfree". I have listened to this song by Danniel O'Donnell as well as Sinead Stone on the CD "Legacy of a Quiet Man." In each case they pronounce Innisfree as (Inn-ish-free). Apparently this is correct, however, I'm not sure where they get the (ish). The title has nothing to do the "The Lake Isle Of Innisfree", but rather the song is about Ireland. Dick Farrelly used the name Innisfree to refer to Ireland.

Subject: RE: Origins: Isle of Innisfree (Richard Farrelly)
From: GUEST,Com Seangan
Date: 22 Jan 05 - 07:57 PM

I hope that this not sound pedantic. It is not meant to be. But "Inis" in Irish is correctly pronounced Inish. LIke Inisheer (of the Aran Islannds) Inisfree really means Inis Fraoich (in Connaught Irish pronounced Inish Free) meaning the Island of heather - Inis Fraoich.

Subject: RE: Origins: Isle of Innisfree (Richard Farrelly)
From: GUEST,Alley
Date: 23 Jan 05 - 01:24 PM

Thanks so much for letting me know about the correct pronunciation of "Innisfree." I did not consider it pedantic at all. Thanks again.

Subject: RE: Origins: Isle of Innisfree (Richard Farrelly)
From: GUEST
Date: 24 Feb 05 - 03:34 PM

Hi All,

Sure hope you can help with this!

I am seeking a version of "Isle of Innisfree" by a female vocalist for a production of a play set in Ireland entitled "The Anthem Sprinters."

In the play it is supposed to be Deanna Durbin who sings it as a part of a film's soundtrack (she actually never did, so there is no recording) so the version needs to use an "old-fashioned" sounding vocalist, yet still embody that filmaic sound of the 1930's. Tough task to find such a recording!

Can you help me? If you can provide guidance, please reply to me personally: [e-mail]


Thanks!

Mary McDonald-Lewis
Portland OR
USA

Subject: RE: Origins: Isle of Innisfree (Richard Farrelly)
From: Peace
Date: 14 Apr 05 - 11:50 PM

Refresh

Subject: RE: Origins: Isle of Innisfree (Richard Farrelly)
From: GUEST,GUEST, Stan
Date: 19 Aug 05 - 06:31 PM

For all of the fans of this beautiful song, you will appreciate a haunting rendition arranged by David Downes and performed by soloist/harpist, Orla Fallon, on the CD and DVD, "Celtic Woman". This 2004 concert was recorded live in Dublin, and features three other soloists, a violinist, chorus and orchestra on some 20 songs. This will become your favorite. The web site is as follows:

http://www.celticwoman.com/site.html

Enjoy!

Subject: RE: Origins: Isle of Innisfree (Richard Farrelly)
From: GUEST,Lighter at work
Date: 20 Aug 05 - 07:59 AM

Okay, am I insane for thinking that the first strain of "Innisfree" (1949) is almost identical to the first strain of the theme music of the movie "The Longest Day" (1961) ?

Subject: RE: Origins: Isle of Innisfree (Richard Farrelly)
From: GUEST,jk
Date: 12 Sep 06 - 10:33 PM

What is the movie called that The poem is in?

Subject: RE: Origins: Isle of Innisfree (Richard Farrelly)
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Jan 08 - 08:03 AM

To Trish ([e-mail])

Hello, i read about your post about you looking for a copy of the score of the dream of olwen. I'm also desperately looking for one for my dad. Can you help me? Do you have a scanned copy of the score, because i dont have the means to buy online. thanks so much



Kate

Subject: RE: Origins: Isle of Innisfree (Richard Farrelly)
From: GUEST,David Cowan-Hannes
Date: 26 Jan 08 - 10:52 PM

Tonight my mother played a snippet of Sinead Stone singing "The Isle Innisfree" on the telephone for me. She said she wanted me to learn the song for her. But every version I've heard pales in comparison to Mrs. Stone's. I was hoping to find a video of her performing on youtube.com. No luck. :( It is a beautiful song when done well.

Subject: RE: Origins: Isle of Innisfree (Richard Farrelly)
From: GUEST,Sheet Music
Date: 27 Jan 08 - 12:26 PM

if you are still looking for sheet music for Isle of Innisfree, go to http://netscape.musicnotes.com/get/music. I downloaded several songs and a very reasonable price for each song. Hope this helps.

Ginger

Subject: RE: Origins: Isle of Innisfree (Richard Farrelly)
From: Genie
Date: 30 Dec 09 - 04:44 PM

Among the many artists who have performed Farrelly's wonderful song are Celtic Woman (with Orla singing it and accompanying herself on harp).

Subject: RE: Origins: Isle of Innisfree (Richard Farrelly)
From: GUEST,scoutniagara
Date: 22 Jan 10 - 04:07 PM

You may enjoy this rendition of "Isle of Innisfree."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xn7rjlOxfc
by Orla, formerly of Celtic Woman

by Richard Farrelly,
Arranged by Randa Kirshbaum
Published under license from Musicnotes, Inc.,
Copyright 1950, Peter Maurice Music Co. Ltd.

Subject: RE: Origins: Isle of Innisfree (Richard Farrelly)
From: GUEST,Learaí na Láibe
Date: 29 Jan 10 - 05:38 AM

Go h-álainn - beautiful.

Thanks for that link, Scout.

I always thought the melody of "Inisfree" was similar to another song "Lovely Cottage by the Lee". A quick google turned up the lyrics right here on Mudcat - and lo and behold who was the composer? the very same Richard Farrely.

Listen here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7Xr46WZ6ek

a pity Joe Lynch's rendition is not available on youtube.

Subject: RE: Origins: Isle of Innisfree (Richard Farrelly)
From: GUEST,Susan McCarthy
Date: 07 Mar 10 - 04:44 PM

Found the following on Wikipedia -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isle_of_Innisfree

May you enjoy the read.

Subject: RE: Origins: Isle of Innisfree (Richard Farrelly)
From: GUEST,Gerard - Dick Farrelly's son
Date: 07 Mar 10 - 05:06 PM

HI NOREEN - As far as I am aware "Isle of Innisfree" and the "Dream of Alwyn" (two totally different and original works in their own right ) got mixed up because some fool put up an awful midi file matching the the melody with the wrong title and it went all over the internet causing a lot of confusion.

HI TIM - the best way to answer your question is to read this from Wikipedia -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isle_of_Innisfree

Best regards,
Gerard farrelly

Subject: RE: Origins: Isle of Innisfree (Richard Farrelly)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 29 Apr 20 - 09:45 PM

Are the Digital Tradition lyrics correct?

Subject: RE: Origins: Isle of Innisfree (Richard Farrelly)
From: cnd
Date: 29 Apr 20 - 10:46 PM

In the first stanza, "Especially when it happens he's an exile" should be "Especially when it happens he's in exile" I believe

Second stanza, wonder should be wonders

In the version I listened to (on Spotify), in the middle of the second to last stanza (after "laugh as they flow") it skips to "but dreams they don't last" instead of the humble shack lyrics, skipping the "And then into a humble shack I wonder" 4 line grouping entirely.

Not really a correction, but the odd and erratic-seeming switches from 4-8 line stanzas is a bit odd to me.

Otherwise, sounds good.

Subject: RE: Origins: Isle of Innisfree (Richard Farrelly)
From: GUEST,patriot
Date: 02 May 20 - 02:04 PM

Go to the village of Dromahair in Co Leitrim & take the Sligo road on the south side of Lough Gill. After a mile or two, there's a lane leading down to a place you can look over to the island which is the object of Yeats' poem-the island is heavily wooded, so not much heather now, if any! You can find the hill where the 'Fiddler of Dooney' played, another Yeats poem- it's on the same road.
It has nothing to do with Richard Farrelly's song, although I'm glad to know it IS an Irish song & not composed in the US for Bing Crosby, as I always thought- thanks for all this!!

Subject: RE: Origins: Isle of Innisfree (Richard Farrelly)
From: GUEST,Micheal O Duinn
Date: 27 Jun 20 - 11:42 PM

The "Isle of Innis Free" Being a Gaelic name is pronounced Inish free in Bearla (English). Gaelic Irish speakers would never pronounce the word "Iniss'

It is interesting to watch the "missed words" and Added words" contra-temps go on in the words recorded for this song here. What is very interesting is the wee bit of history that was particularly relevant to the time and place the song was originally created in.

The author was a Garda Siochana - Gaelic for guardian of the peace - in Dublin and was originally from Mayo, so he was a Southerner and wrote the lyrics from his perspective.   

When the song gained in pop-ularity it began to be sung by Irish people from both parte of the British divided island and those of a different religious origin found that they just could not sing about a family gathering to pray to a woman since only those of a papist bent would do that.

The "rosary" was therefore dropped and replaced by the words "but dreams don't last, though dreams are not forgotten, And soon I'm back to stern reality." Check our Ruby Murrays version for the changes I speak of.

Fortunately the Battle of the Boyne seems to have ended now but we can't really be sure since Brexit is wakening old memories and Irish of both strands of DNA have terrible good memories.