The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #11870   Message #4100137
Posted By: Felipa
31-Mar-21 - 02:06 PM
Thread Name: Origins: Curragh of Kildare/The Winter It Is Past
Subject: RE: Origins: Curragh of Kildare/The Winter It Is Past
Joe, doesn't the Johnston's recording predate the Christy Moore recording? They sang the chorus and they sang the same tune. And they didn't compose this song either. Why repeat wrong information? Dave McKenzie wrote in this discussion that Christy Moore mentioned Burns and Scottish connections in his songbook. I think whatever adaptations 1c Moore, D Behan and H. Shaman made were small (we can see from examples given in this discussion thread that many people, including Robbie Burns, have made little changes in the song over the years).

"I'll finds tidings" should read "I'll find tidings".

The Johnstons recorded Curragh of Kildare in 1967. The Emmet Spriceland recording https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kk-Fx7vS4Xk was released in 1968.
On his own website, Christy Moore's attribution is "Trad/arr. Christy Moore", and he notes
"I gleaned this song from The P.W. Joyce collection in 1964.Donal Lunny and I arranged this song into its present shape.The original was written by Scotlands poet laureate Robbie Burns.It tells the story of a young Scottish woman whose lover is away soldiering for the Queen in the Curragh of Kildare.She decides to present herself for recruitment disguised as a young fellow.We never get to hear the outcome.Certainly a good case for a sequel."
https://www.christymoore.com/lyrics/curragh-of-kildare/

Another version of the "a livery I'll wear" or "I'll dress myself in black"[or green] verse is

A livery I shall wear,
And I'll comb back my hair,
I'll dress in velvet so green;
All this I'll undertake,
For my true lover's sake,
He resides in the Curragh of Kildare