Review: Ould Plaid Shawl - Songs of Francis Fahy

Subject: RE: Review: Ould Plaid Shaw - Songs of Francis Fahy
From: MartinRyan
Date: 04 Jun 11 - 05:07 AM

And, belatedly, to Jim Mc Clean: Yes - that John Faulkner alright! Living in Kinvara for many years now.

Regards

Subject: RE: Review: Ould Plaid Shaw - Songs of Francis Fahy
From: GUEST,gart
Date: 04 Jun 11 - 04:52 AM

Just got this CD, highly recommend it!

Subject: RE: Review: Ould Plaid Shaw - Songs of Francis Fahy
From: GUEST,Martin Ryan
Date: 01 Feb 07 - 08:59 AM

That was me..

Regards

Subject: RE: Review: Ould Plaid Shaw - Songs of Francis Fahy
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Feb 07 - 07:43 AM

Big Tim

Just to confirm that Tony Small wrote that tune for Fahy's Galway Bay, alright. I heard John Faulkner mention the fact last night!

Regards

Subject: RE: Review: Ould Plaid Shaw - Songs of Francis Fahy
From: Jim McLean
Date: 17 Apr 05 - 01:40 PM

Big Tim, is this the same John Faulkner who used to sing with Sandra Kerr? I knew those two very well in the early sixties in LOndon.

Subject: RE: Review: Ould Plaid Shaw - Songs of Francis Fah
From: Stewart
Date: 17 Apr 05 - 01:20 PM

A great CD. I bought my copy last Sept. in Kinvara. Even there I had a hard time finding it for sale. Any idea where others, outside of Kinvara, might buy it?

Cheers, S. in Seattle

Subject: RE: Review: Ould Plaid Shaw - Songs of Francis Fahy
From: Big Tim
Date: 17 Apr 05 - 08:23 AM

Yes Susanne, a mistake by me.

According to the album sleeve notes; Old Version - traditional. New version - Tony Small. (John Faulkner IS creditied with the music for "I Gaily Gave My Heart Away"). Have you bought the album? (PS We'll be passing through the Kiel Canal next month!)

Subject: RE: Review: Ould Plaid Shaw - Songs of Francis Fah
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 16 Apr 05 - 08:14 PM

John, another point: In your first post you say Tony Small wrote the music for the new version. In a post on 30 August you claim it was John Faulkner. Could you clear this up, please?

Subject: RE: Review: Ould Plaid Shaw - Songs of Francis Fahy
From: Big Tim
Date: 16 Apr 05 - 08:55 AM

Good spot Jim! (Tho I'm not sure tautlogy is the right word, but I don't want an argument!) I hadn't thought of that, Fahy probably didn't either. He was a mirthful man and I'm sure would have enjoyed having it pointed out to him. (It was his most successful song, in terms of income).

It's not really a love song though. The inspiration/subject was a ten year old girl who turned up at one of Fahy's Gaelic League classes in London the 1880s. She was wearing, let's call it a Galway shawl, and that made Fahy nostalgic for Ireland, and so he wrote the song.

(Could someone at Mudcat please correct the word "Shaw" in the Thread title to "Shawl".

Subject: RE: Review: Ould Plaid Shaw - Songs of Francis Fahy
From: Jim McLean
Date: 15 Apr 05 - 09:27 AM

A wee pedantic point, Big Tim, the title is somewhat tautological as 'plaid' is a shawl. The use of the word to mean tartan is erroneous. A great selection of songs though.

Subject: RE: Review: Ould Plaid Shaw - Songs of Francis Fahy
From: Brían
Date: 15 Apr 05 - 08:45 AM

My friend Maureen who grew up in Lochan Beag, Co. Galway sings GALWAY BAY to the SKIBEREEN melody. We have many discussions about the correct melodies of songs. It is interesting to note that even Joe Heaney sang RÓISÍN DUBH to the connemara air and the version made popular by Seán Ó Riada in Éire Amach.

Brían

Subject: RE: Review: Ould Plaid Shaw - Songs of Francis Fahy
From: Big Tim
Date: 15 Apr 05 - 08:10 AM

Refreshed for those interested in current, "Queen of Connemara", Thread: a song by Francis Fahy.

Subject: RE: Review: Ould Plaid Shaw - Songs of Francis Fahy
From: MartinRyan
Date: 04 Sep 04 - 11:48 AM

That explains something! I heard a woman using the Skibereen tune for this, one night. She was far too musical to be doing so accidentally (despite a fair cargo of alcohol)! I added some seditious harmonies for interest....

Regards
p.s. I know Caoilte well. Must talk to him about it.

Subject: RE: Review: Ould Plaid Shaw - Songs of Francis Fahy
From: Brakn
Date: 30 Aug 04 - 02:29 PM

thanks Tim

Subject: RE: Review: Ould Plaid Shaw - Songs of Francis Fahy
From: Big Tim
Date: 30 Aug 04 - 02:22 PM

Hi Brakn.

Re Galway Bay, Skibbereen (the tune used in Joe Heaney version) was the original. The Dolores Keane tune is a new one, written by John Faulkner, per Caoilte Breatnach, who sings "Little Mary Cassidy", and quite beautifully too, on the album. Caoilte (it's a guy!) runs the Fahy Museum in Kinvara, which was Fahy's birthplace, now Griffin's Pub, "The Ould Plaid Shawl". (Conor Fahy is Francis's grandson).

Thanks for 1881 info. The later Fahy family home was 33 Leppoc Road, London.

Subject: RE: Review: Ould Plaid Shaw - Songs of Francis Fahy
From: Brakn
Date: 30 Aug 04 - 11:24 AM

Hi Big Tim

Re Galway Bay.
Was it done to the air of Skibbereen originally or the air that Dolores Keane popularised?

BTW
On the 1881 census you will find Francis aged 25 living at 1 Crozier St., Lambeth, Surrey along with his father Thomas(61), mother Cecelia(60), sister Rose(26) and brother William(17).

Subject: RE: Review: Ould Plaid Shaw - Songs of Francis Fahy
From: Big Tim
Date: 30 Aug 04 - 08:59 AM

Refreshed for Conor Fahy.

Subject: RE: Review: Ould Plaid Shaw - Songs of Francis Fah
From: GUEST,Donal
Date: 14 Aug 04 - 10:29 PM

Thanks Tim, it looks great.
                                              Don.

Subject: Review: Ould Plaid Shaw - Songs of Francis Fahy
From: Big Tim
Date: 14 Aug 04 - 09:58 AM

THE OULD PLAID SHAWL - Songs of Francis Fahy [1854-1935]. Various artists, 2001.
Issued by the Francis Arthur Fahy Society, Kinvara, Galway.

A lovely CD. The singers, musicians and producers, John Faulkener and Garry O'Briain,
have done the old songs justice, really brought them to life again: very folksy, updating the songs for modern times.   The album can be obtained direct from the Fahy Society,

Titles included, with a few notes, and a few examples of Francis Fahy's felicitous way with words, are:

"The Queen of Connemara" - Seosamh Ó Flaithearta.
Music: A.A.Needham.

I Gaily Gave My Heart Away - Dolores Keane.
Music: John Faulkner.

"The Thief of the World" - Séamus O'Donnell.
I'll have her up in court, and I'll charge her with a felony,
And if she pleads "Not Guilty", 'twill be only waste of breath,
For I'll set my face against her, and condemn her for her villainy,
To be locked up in my arms, till the day of her death.
Oh! The thief of all the world! There's no use in being kind to her,
Around my neck, she'll have to hang, until her dying day,
As a warning to all schemers, that the same way are inclined as her,
To go about their business, and not lead poor boys astray.
Music: John Francis Larchet.

"Lonesome" - Paul Milligan.
Music by A.A. Needham.

"My Heart's Treasure" - Bríd Dooley.
I am sitting and sighing alone,
Since the moon rose in Heaven last night,
Minding a fire not my own,
And striving to keep it alight,
Love's pain in the core of my breast,
The cock in the bawn crowing free,
The friends and the neighbours at rest,
And all the world sleeping but me.
Music: A.A.Needham.

"The Ould Plaid Shawl" – Seosamh Ó Flaithearta.
Music by Walter Battison Haynes.

"The Bog Road, Lisdoonvarna" - Séamus O'Donnell,
Music: traditional.

"The Tide Full In" - Eleanor Shanley.
Oh! The happy summers of the olden days,
And the brown boats stealing through the golden haze,
And the cuckoo calling, from the woods within,
And my love beside me, and the tide full in.
Music: Paul Mulligan.

"Galway Bay" (old version) - Mike Naughton.
'Tis far away, I am today, from scenes I roamed a boy,
And long ago, the hour I know, I first saw Illinois,
But time nor tide, nor waters wide, can wean my heart away,
For, ever true, it flies to you, my own dear Galway Bay.
(Tune – "Skibbereen").

"An Old Irish Hill in the Morning" - Michael Brogan.
I'm weary and sick of the sights of the town,
Though haughty its mansions and high its renown,
Oh! If some good fairy, would but set me down,
On an old Irish hill in the morning.
Music: traditional.

"Oh! Summer is Coming" - Siobhán Forde.
Music: Garry O'Briain.

"Haste to the Wedding" - Seán Tyrrell.
Who's not delighted to see them together?
United, and plighted, for life and for death,
The dacentest boy ever walked the brown heather,
The darlingest colleen that ever drew breath.

Oh! Haste to the wedding! Oh Haste to the wedding!
Oh! Haste to the wedding, we mustn't be late,
Oh! Hasten, Oh Hasten, for all the kind faces,
There's a place at the wedding of Conor and Kate.
Music: Seán Tyrrell.

"Little Mary Cassidy" - Caoilte Breatnach.
I'd rather live in poverty with little Mary Cassidy,
Than Emperor, without her be, o'er Germany or Spain.
Music: A. Somervelle.

"Husheen", - John Faulkner and Bríd Dooley.
Husheen, husho,
Hush and lul-a-lo,
Husheen, husho,
Hush, go ciúin go ló. ("Peace until daytime")
Music: A.A.Needham.

"Galway Bay", (new version) - Tony Small and Eibhlís Ní Chinnéide.
Music: Tony Small, popularised by Dolores Keane.

To all with a broad interest in Irish music, or just in good music generally, I thoroughly recommend this album. http://www.kinvara.com/francisfahy/