Origin: Lament of the Irish Emigrant (Dufferin?)

Subject: Lady Dufferin?
From: GUEST,Yum Yum
Date: 06 Feb 02 - 02:35 PM

I know I've read it somewhere in the threads before ...but who composed 'Lament of the Irish Emigrant' Lady Dufferin has been credited for its composition but it appears she only collected the ballad. so what I wish to find out is who composed it and when?? anyone help..please.

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Subject: RE: Lady Dufferin?
From: GUEST,Yum Yum
Date: 06 Feb 02 - 02:37 PM

sorry I only ment to send this once - once -once - oops!

Subject: RE: Lady Dufferin?
From: MartinRyan
Date: 06 Feb 02 - 03:03 PM

To the best of my knowledge Helen Selina, Lady Dufferin (1807-1867) did indeed write the words. Any reason to believe otherwise?

Regards

p.s. Incidentally, she was a grandaughter of Richard Brinsley Sheridan, the playwright.

Subject: RE: Lady Dufferin?
From: MartinRyan
Date: 06 Feb 02 - 03:19 PM

YumYum

Here's the earlier thread where you mention the doubt about the authorship. I've occasionally seen it listed in modern books as "traditional" - which it clearly isn't - but never seen any other association. Any 19C. texts I have give Lady D.

Regards

Subject: RE: Lady Dufferin?
From: GUEST,Yum Yum
Date: 06 Feb 02 - 04:08 PM

Thanks, I have all the information I need now. Are you thesame Martin Ryan who sang at Slieve Gullion a few years ago?

Subject: RE: Lady Dufferin?
From: MartinRyan
Date: 06 Feb 02 - 04:41 PM

Probably! I was there (Forkhill) for one festival about 3 years ago.

Regards

Subject: RE: Lady Dufferin?
From: GUEST,Yum Yum
Date: 06 Feb 02 - 06:12 PM

What I was wanting to know was are you Martin Ryan who lives near John Waltham and writes the traditional musicals. I think one played in Cork. It was more than 3 years ago I sang with a Martin Ryan. More 5 or 6 years.

Subject: RE: Lady Dufferin?
From: MartinRyan
Date: 06 Feb 02 - 08:00 PM

No - though I do indeed know John Waltham!

Regards

Subject: RE: Lady Dufferin?
From: GUEST,Yum Yum
Date: 08 Feb 02 - 06:07 PM

I apologise Martin, it was MICK Ryan I was thinking off. I know John well, I sang at his second singing weekend held at his farm. My name is Jackie Boyce I may have met you a Forkhill but as you can see the old memory seems to be slipping. ha ha. sorry for the confusion.

Jackie -Yum Yum

Subject: Lyr Add: KATEY'S LETTER and O BAY OF DUBLIN
From: GUEST,Philippa
Date: 11 Feb 02 - 10:08 AM

KATEY'S LETTER
Lady Dufferin

Och, girls dear, did you ever hear I wrote my love a letter?
And although he cannot read, sure, I thought 'twas all the better
For why should he be puzzled with hard spelling in the matter,
When the meaning was so plain that I loved him faithfully?
I love him faithfully -
And he knows it, oh, he knows it, without one word from me.

I wrote it, and I folded it and put a seal upon it;
'Twas a seal almost as big as the crown of my best bonnet-
For I would not have the postmaster make his remarks upon it,
As I said inside the letter that I loved him faithfully,
I love him faithfully -
And he knows it, oh, he knows it, without one word from me.

My heart was full, but when I wrote I dare not put the half in;
The neighbours know I love him, and they're might fond of chaffing,
So I dared not write his name outside for fear they would be laughing,
So I wrote, "From Little Kate to whom she loves faithfully."
I love him faithfully -
And he knows it, oh, he knows it, without one word from me.

Now, girls, would you believe it, that postman's so consated, [conceited],
No answer will he bring me so long as I have waited -
But maybe there may not be one for the reason that I stated,
That my love can neither read nor write, but he loves me faithfully,
He loves me faithfully -
And I know where'er my love is that he is true to me.

Published in Walton Songs #5: "The Irish Rover A Ballad Miscellany" ((Walton's, Dublin, 1966)

I don't know the air but there is an asterisk beside this title in the table of contents, denoted that "words and music are available from Waltons, Dublin", and the company still has a shop in Dublin city centre.

When I saw the title of this thread my first thought was of the contemporary Lady whose woodlands at Clandeboye are used by the Conservation Volunteers Northern Ireland. I think she is also "Dufferin" though my memory could be errant?

O BAY OF DUBLIN
Helen Selena, Lady Dufferin

O Bay of Dublin! My heart you're troublin'
Your beauty haunts me like a fevered dream,
Like frozen fountains when the sea starts bubblin',
My heart's blood warms when I but hear your name.
And never till this life pulse ceases,
My earliest thoughts you'll cease to be;
O there's no one here knows how fair that place is,
And no one cares how dear it is to me.

Sweet Wicklow mountains! The sunlight sleeping
On your green banks is a picture rare;
You crowd around me like young girls peeping,
And puzzling me to say which is most fair;
As though you'd see your own sweet faces,
Reflected in that smooth and silver sea,
O! my blessing on those lovely places,
Though no one cares how dear they are to me.

Sweet Wicklow mountains! The sunlight sleeping
On your green banks is a picture rare;
You crowd around me like young girls peeping,
And puzzling me to say which is most fair;
As though you'd see your own sweet faces,
Reflected in that smooth and silver sea,
O! my blessing on those lovely places,
Though no one cares how dear they are to me.

How often when at work I'm sitting,
And musing sadly on the days of yore
I think I see my Katey knitting
And the children playing round the cabin door;
I think I see the neighbours' faces
All gathered round, their long-lost friend to see.
O! though no one knows how fair that place is,
Heaven knows how dear my poor home was to me.

Subject: RE: Lady Dufferin?
From: GUEST,Martin Ryan
Date: 11 Feb 02 - 10:10 AM

Philippa Regards

Subject: RE: Lady Dufferin?
From: Fibula Mattock
Date: 11 Feb 02 - 10:13 AM

Hiya dear uncle Yum Yum/metal-detector. Just gatecrashing the thread to say hello and ask you if you're going to remember all the words of this one!

Subject: RE: Lady Dufferin?
From: GUEST,Martin Ryan
Date: 11 Feb 02 - 10:18 AM

Ha! Philippa! Something got lost in that last posting:

I reckon the Katy song was intended to fit the air of "Pretty Molly Bannigan/Brallaghan". Haven't time to check if its in DT. Regards

Subject: RE: Lady Dufferin?
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 11 Feb 02 - 10:36 AM

At the  Lester Levy Sheet Music Collection:

Katey's Letter  [Composer not named] New York: G. Schirmer, 101[?] Broadway, 1861
Katey's Letter  Composed by Lady Dufferin; Boston: Oliver Ditson & Co., 277 Washington St., n.d..

Subject: RE: Lady Dufferin?
From: GUEST,Yum Yum
Date: 12 Feb 02 - 08:35 AM

Hi Fib, no chance of me remembering the words, why break the habbit of a lifetime. Too busy learning new songs. I've just found a few more County Down ballads from early 1800's, so I've enough to keep me busy. I've been reading the Archaeology thread, tempted to join in, but I'll let you sort them out on your own. That is until someone says anything too bad about metal-detecting, then the gloves come off. ha ha. Go get 'em girl!!

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