Origin: Valentine O'Hara

Subject: Valentine O'Hara
From: MARINER
Date: 06 Apr 07 - 01:58 PM

Just watched an old "video" on YouTube of Frank Harte singing Valentine O'Hara .It was recorded in 1978. Has anyone any information on the history of this song?.It reminds me of another song but for the moment i can't recall the title. MartinRyan ,perhaps you can help?

Subject: RE: Valentine O'Hara
From: GUEST,Martin Ryan
Date: 06 Apr 07 - 02:18 PM

There's a discussion of it around here somewhere - I'll put a link in later. In essence, I thought it had derived from an English ballad called "Alan Tyne of Harrow" - but John Moulden, who knows about these thing, reckons it was the other way round.

Regards
p.s. Put up a link to the video?

Subject: RE: Valentine O'Hara
From: MARINER
Date: 06 Apr 07 - 03:27 PM

Now Martin, I'm afraid links are a bit beyond me.Google YouTube.com and type in Frank Harte, up it comes!.It's from an old RTE programme and was recorded under a bridge in Longford .See you in Cobh in the summer ?

Subject: RE: Valentine O'Hara
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Apr 07 - 03:32 PM

MacColl rebuilt the song (Alan Tyne of Harrow) from an incomplete text he was given from an unpublished Scots MS collection and introduced it into the revival.
I'm pretty certain it pre-dates the one given in Joyce.
Jim Carroll
PS Martin R - I think you have my e-mail address - can you send me yours.

Subject: RE: Valentine O'Hara
From: GUEST,Martin Ryan
Date: 06 Apr 07 - 04:47 PM

MARINER

Check this for one of the earlier threads on Harrow/Tara. Ans yeah - I hope to be in CObh alright!

Jim
Will do. Incidentally - see the Bodleian refs to this one?

Regards

Subject: RE: Valentine O'Hara
From: Barry Finn
Date: 06 Apr 07 - 05:32 PM

Hi Mariner, Enter into the DT Valentine O'Hara &/or Alan Tyne of Harrow. There are to many threads for me to links to. Funny, I was just refreshing this song (Alan Tyne of Harrow) about 2 weeks ago, hadn't sung it in probably 15 years, so I ended up running through a bunch of threads on it. Im glad that it's now back in my repertoire, great song, I back it up with a bodhran. Good luck

Barry

Subject: RE: Valentine O'Hara
From: GUEST,Martin Ryan
Date: 07 Apr 07 - 08:51 AM

Here's the Youtube link .

Nice piece of tape - I say it on TV recently. I first heard the song from Tony Holleran, then living in Athlone. He probably got it from Phil Callery who in turn, is likely ot have had it from Frank.

Regards

p.s. MARINER: Remind me to show you how to do the links - it's easy!

Subject: RE: Valentine O'Hara
From: GUEST,Martin Ryan
Date: 07 Apr 07 - 08:53 AM

Links are easy - it's typing coherent English that's difficult!

"I saw it on TV lately."

Regards

Subject: RE: Valentine O'Hara
From: Barry Finn
Date: 07 Apr 07 - 10:15 AM

Thanks Martin for that link. I met with Frank maybe in 2000, his voice & looks are quite youthful & different from my memories. That has to the lovelyest version I think that I'll ever hear of that song. The melody is the same as what I've always known but his tempo, phrasing & turn of voice is simple/ly beautiful. Thanks again.

Barry

Subject: RE: Valentine O'Hara
From: GUEST,Martin Ryan
Date: 07 Apr 07 - 12:15 PM

One of our finest - and yes, he did look younger then! His voice got less nasal, I suppose, over the years. His ability to tell a story in song was unequalled.

Regards

Subject: RE: Valentine O'Hara
From: MARINER
Date: 07 Apr 07 - 06:00 PM

Aye, Frank Harte is sadly missed .I saw him some years ago and will always consider it one of the best nights of songs I ever attended .
I remember Tony Holleran too ,from Carrig on Bannow in the 60s and early 70s.Is he still active ?

Subject: RE: Valentine O'Hara
From: GUEST
Date: 08 Apr 07 - 03:20 AM

A story I heard about Frank when he was at the Cowboy poetry festival in Nevada.
He was appearing at a concert where he sang a number of songs about 1798, 1867, 19914/22 - there were dead British Yeomen and Black-and-Tans everywhere!
One of his fellow-artists was a Welsh Bard, who said to Frank in the interval, "I was thinking of singing my own composition to Her Majesty on her Jubilee; what do you think?"
His reply was, 'I'd lay off the political stuff if I were you David, you don't wast to offend anyone, do you!"
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Valentine O'Hara
From: GUEST,Martin Ryan
Date: 08 Apr 07 - 05:08 PM

MARINER

I very occasionally meet up with Tony, now retired from primary teaching - though still doing some part-time work in that area, as far as I recall. Musically, the last I heard of he was still playing and singing - mostly country rather than traditional.

Regards