Lyr Req/Add: A Sprig of Irish Heather

Subject: RE: Lyr Req/Add: A Sprig of Irish Heather
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 16 Aug 19 - 12:35 PM

Roud No.22001. There are only 2 entries listed, one from Charlie McDonnell of Cushendall, Antrim (on Glens Music CD 'The Town of Cushendall') and the other from Packie Cunningham of Co.Fermanagh.

The Packie Cunningham version appears on a Musical Traditions cd and the lyrics are in the booklet I Pray You Pay Attention and listen to my song (MTCD367-8) (pdf). I give the lyrics below; they are slightly different from the version above and the last verse appears twice (I don't know if that's how he sang it or an error in the notes!). According to the booklet A Sprig of Irish Heather was composed by the renowned Tyrone writer and poet, Felix Kearney.

Mick

---

A SPRIG OF IRISH HEATHER
(Felix Kearney)

Well an Irish mother writing to her son so far away
Said she meant to send a shamrock to wear on Patrick's Day
But the shamrock is a tender plant, its beauty must have fled
It's a sprig of Irish heather I'm sending you instead

  Chorus:
  Just a sprig of Irish heather
  That has seen all kinds of weather
  It has passed the heat of summer
  And survived the winter snow
  I'm sending to remind you
  Of the friends you left behind you
  In Tyrone, among the bushes
  In the days of long ago.

Do you remember Carradonough and the mass rock standing there
Where you knelt upon the heather and you’d left a childish prayer
Often times I wander back there in the evening shadow’s gleam
And I plucked a shamrock from the soil where once you used to kneel

Well the years from us are fleeting and you know we're growing old
While we sit around the fire, and the nights are long and cold
One smile from you would cheer me and make gladness out of gloom
Come back to me macushla, when the shamrock is in bloom.

Well the years from us are fleeting and you know we're growing old
While we sit around the fire, and the nights are long and cold
One smile from you would cheer me and make gladness out of gloom
Come back to me macushla, when the shamrock is in bloom.



Source: www.mtrecords.co.uk/pdf/3678.pdf - Notes for record I Pray You Pay Attention and listen to my song - more traditional songs from around Lough Erne shore from Keith Summers' collection 77-83 (MTCD367-8). Recorded from Packie Cunningham, date and location unknown.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req/Add: A Sprig of Irish Heather
From: GUEST,Starship
Date: 16 Aug 19 - 11:32 AM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rk7rudnplLQ

Declan says Carradonagh in the song at about 1:18 into it.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req/Add: A Sprig of Irish Heather
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Aug 19 - 08:26 AM

Corridinna mass rock outside Omagh in Co Tyrone

Subject: RE: Lyr Req/Add: A Sprig of Irish Heather
From: MartinRyan
Date: 25 Oct 14 - 04:37 PM

That's probably "Carndonagh", in Donegal. I'll get back to this...

Regards

Subject: RE: Lyr Req/Add: A Sprig of Irish Heather
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 25 Oct 14 - 11:59 AM

I had never heard of a mass rock before, so I looked it up:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_rock

"Carradonough" is a puzzle. Google finds it only in lyrics to this song. It's not listed in Wikipedia or in this database of Irish place-names: http://www.logainm.ie/en/.

Subject: RE: Sprig of Irish Heather
From: Teru
Date: 15 Apr 97 - 11:31 PM

Bobby,

Thank you very much. The lyrics are what I have been looking for.

I have a CD containing this song recorded by Margo.

With kindest regards

Teru

Subject: Lyr Add: A SPRIG OF IRISH HEATHER
From: Bobby O'Brien
Date: 15 Apr 97 - 08:57 PM

Here is the song, as recorded recently by Margo and Declan Nerney, in Ireland.

A SPRIG OF IRISH HEATHER

An Irish mother writing to her son so far away,
Said, "I meant to send a shamrock to wear on Patrick's Day,
But the shamrock is a tender plant. Its beauty soon would fade,
So a spring of Irish heather I'm sending you instead."

CHORUS: Just a sprig of Irish heather
And it's seen all kinds of weather—
It stood the heat of summer and survived the winter's snow—
I'm sending to remind you
Of the friends you left behind you,
In Tyrone, among the bushes, in the days of long ago.

But remember Carradonough and the mass rock standing there,
How we oft-times knelt together and you'd whisp a childish prayer.
Many times since then I've wandered when the evening shadows fell,
So I plucked this heather from the spot where once we used to kneel.

But the years from me are slipping and I know I'm growing old,
By the fireside lonely sitting, when the nights are dark and cold,
But I know your smile would cheer me and make sunshine out of blue,
So come back to me, acushla, when the heather is in bloom.

(Repeat chorus)

Just a spring of Irish heather, sent with love from long ago.


If you'd like a tape of the song, please send $2 to:
Bobby O'Brien, 49 McCleary Avenue, Amsterdam, NY 12010-2816
USA

Subject: Sprig of Irish Heather
From: Teru
Date: 15 Apr 97 - 07:52 PM

I am looking for the lyrics to this Irish song.

The initial words are: An Irish mother writing to a son so far away said ....

Does anyone know them?

Thank you.