Lyr Req: Arranmore Boat Song - original Gaelic?

Subject: Arranmore Boat Song
From: GUEST,Donal
Date: 25 Aug 09 - 05:40 AM

This song, the first verse and chorus of which I give below, is usually cited as having been translated from the Gaelic by A P Graves: my question is, does anyone know of a Gaelic original? I certainly don't, but I can't claim to have an exhaustive knowledge of Irish language songs, perhaps one of the experts who post here might know.


With swelling sail, away, away!
Our bark goes bounding o'er the bay!
Farewell, farewell, old Arranmore!
She courtseys, courtseys to the shore.

Chorus: Farewell, fond wives and children dear!
From ev'ry ill heav'n keep you clear;
Till through the surge we stagger back,
As full of fish as we can pack.

Subject: RE: Arranmore Boat Song
From: masato sakurai
Date: 25 Aug 09 - 07:56 AM

Graves didn't mention the Gaelic original in his Irish Songs and Ballads (1893), pp. 10-12.

Subject: RE: Arranmore Boat Song
From: GUEST,Donal
Date: 25 Aug 09 - 08:55 AM

No, I have that as well, and I've done quite a bit of Googling to no avail. If it exists, given the way that some Gaelic songs were 'translated' by people in that era, it might well be unrecognisable.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Arranmore Boat Song - original Gaelic?
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 07 Sep 09 - 02:27 PM

Perhaps Donal saw this thread: Lyr Add: Arranmore Boat Song where it says:

"(Words: Alfred P. Graves, transl. from the Irish; Air: Arran traditional; Source: J.N. Healy, Irish Ballads and Songs of the Sea)"

However, since it's generally undesirable to have multiple threads about a single song, I recommend that if anyone wants to discuss a Gaelic version, the add their comments to that thread, not this one.