The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #77631 Message #2278966
Posted By: Jim Carroll
04-Mar-08 - 03:36 AM
Thread Name: Origins: Cliffs of Dooneen. WHERE?
Subject: RE: Origins: Cliffs of Dooneen. WHERE?
We recorded it from a young Traveller woman and annotated it as follows. The information comes from Nichols Carolan at the ITMA in Dublin, who claimed that the song was brought into Clare by singer Siney Crotty. "Dooneen Point is on the Kerry Coast, between Ballylongford and Ballybunnion at the Mouth of the River Shannon, giving excellent views of the South West of Clare, though it should be said that it is not possible to see Kilrush and Kilkee from this point as stated in verse two. This has been explained by suggesting that the song was originally located in Moveen, a few miles south west of Kilkee in Clare. The song was first recorded in Dublin in the 1960s sung by Siney Crotty who came from Kilbaha, which is on the Clare side of the Shannon. Since it's first appearance it has gained enormous popularity. The Irish Traditional Music Archive has around one hundred and ninety commercial recordings of it." Jim Carroll