Lyr Add: Otway's New Song (Lough Neagh, Ireland

Subject: Lyr Add: LOUGH NEAGH (Lorcan Otway)
From: InOBU
Date: 23 Oct 02 - 10:14 AM

LOUGH NEAGH
Words, Lorcan Otway. Tune, General Monroe/Sally Monroe (Depending what foot you dig with ;-) )
All rights reserved.

Come all ye good people who toil on the land
And attend to these verses, that you might understand
How an ancient injustice, commenced long ago,
Still enslaves all the fishers who sail from Ardboe.

My name's Brian Hannon. I'm a fisher b' trade.
In the town of Ardboe I was born and raised,
And well I remember that very first day
That I sailed with my father to fish on Lough Neagh.

How bitter for Ulster was fifteen ninety-four
For the loss of our land after the nine-year war
Tyrone, Tyrconnell, and McQuire swept away
While our forefathers clung on to harvest Lough Neagh.

What cold-hearted nation could remember with pride
The slaughter of parents with babes by their side
When Arthur Chichester despoiled Lough Neagh's shore
Enslaving the fisherfolk, there evermore.

All around Dungannon, whole families he slew.
He burned all the crops and wee cottages too.
While no reparations could this injustice repay,
His descendants extort rent from us to this day.

Now we toil on these waters unjust rent to pay
To Anthony Cooper, who now claims Lough Neagh.
We toil that he might give one million pounds
To his gold-digging third wife is she pouts or frowns.

Now pollution has darkened the waters we need,
For no absentee landlord could e'er fully heed
The loving concern that it takes every day
To preserve the sweet gifts of our treasure, Lough Neagh.

For these waters we love, for they've given us life.
It's the love that a man only feels for his wife,
For these waters have fed us from our people's first day
We're as wed to these waters as the fish of Lough Neagh.

Sin é?

Subject: RE: Otway's New Song (Lough Neagh, Ireland
From: PeteBoom
Date: 23 Oct 02 - 11:00 AM

Not bad, Larry - (as I'm humming the tune and reading the words) - Not bad at all -

Cheers -

Pete

Subject: RE: Otway's New Song (Lough Neagh, Ireland
From: MMario
Date: 23 Oct 02 - 11:17 AM

stupid anglo-centric monoglot question-

pronunciation of Lough Neagh?

Subject: RE: Otway's New Song (Lough Neagh, Ireland
From: Wolfgang
Date: 23 Oct 02 - 11:20 AM

I hadn't read the tune information at first and I found myself humming it to 'Patriot Game'

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Otway's New Song (Lough Neagh, Ireland
From: InOBU
Date: 23 Oct 02 - 11:34 AM

Patriot Game is very similar to General Monroe... same feel to the tune, thanks Pete... Mario! Neagh is pronounced Nay and Lough is like lock but with the ch in the back of your mouth... Cheers Larry

PS for the history of the song, see the Free Lough Neagh post...

blue clicky thing added by mudelf ;-)

Subject: RE: Otway's New Song (Lough Neagh, Ireland
From: EBarnacle1
Date: 23 Oct 02 - 11:43 AM

One of your better efforts.

Subject: RE: Otway's New Song (Lough Neagh, Ireland
From: InOBU
Date: 23 Oct 02 - 11:59 AM

You've been out in your boat too long Barnicle!!! All my songs are equally good! (Only kidding... thanks EB)... Cheers keep your feet dry, Larry

Subject: RE: Otway's New Song (Lough Neagh, Ireland
From: Áine
Date: 23 Oct 02 - 12:01 PM

A Lór,

I asked you this on the Free Lough Neagh! thread -- but, may I please put this song (which I really, really, really, like, BTW) in the Mudcat Songbook?

Le grá, Áine

Subject: RE: Otway's New Song (Lough Neagh, Ireland
From: InOBU
Date: 23 Oct 02 - 12:02 PM

As I said there, sure and thanks, Lor

Subject: RE: Otway's New Song (Lough Neagh, Ireland
From: Áine
Date: 23 Oct 02 - 02:14 PM

Just a note to those who may go looking for the tune that Larry's put to his new song -- the name 'Monroe' in either General Monroe or Sally Monroe is also spelled Munroe.

And Larry, the tune fits a treat to your lyrics. It really gives your words the feeling of being out on a large lake in a boat, and brings alive the spirit of the fishermen. Maith thú a chara chóir!

-- Áine

Subject: RE: Otway's New Song (Lough Neagh, Ireland
From: InOBU
Date: 23 Oct 02 - 02:28 PM

Gorra maith agut, a stor, Lor