Lyr Req: An Cúileann Súl Glas: Kathleen Collins

Subject: Lyr Req: An Cúileann Súl Glas: Kathleen Collins
From: Matthew Edwards
Date: 21 Feb 11 - 06:38 AM

In his book Recollections of a Donegal Man, Packie Manus Byrne recounts in the chapter 'Droving Days' his experiences of driving cattle and walking horses in Ireland during the early war years, roughly between 1939 and 1942 or 1943.

In one episode he tells of meeting a traveller family, the Collins, in their camp outside Ballyshannon. They were a musical family; the father, Old Collins, was a melodeon player, the fifteen year-old daughter Kathleen was a beautiful singer according to Packie, while her younger brother Ned was a "great mouth-organ player".

It was from Kathleen's singing that Packie got the extremely rare song Young Alvin, although the whole family, including the mother, joined in to teach him the words.

Packie also recalled Kathleen singing another song:-

"Kathleen sang another song, in Gaelic, it was called An Cúileann Súl Glas - the green-eyed girl. The air to that was one of the nicest things I ever heard. It was a beautiful evening towards the end of September and we were just sitting on the grass. She had a very high-pitched, plaintive voice, and listening to that was marvellous. The sound seemed to get into the trees and stayed there."

Has anyone else got the lyrics or the air to this song which so moved Packie about seventy years ago? I can't find any trace of it even under a more conventional spelling such as An Cailín na Súile Glasa, but my Irish probably isn't good enough for me to recognise it if it was under my own nose! It sounds as if it would be well worth recovering this song.

Matthew

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: An Cúileann Súl Glas: Kathleen Collins
From: skarpi
Date: 21 Feb 11 - 05:51 PM

maybe you can find it here by asking ?

http://www.allthelyrics.com/forum/lyrics-translation/55967-gaeilge-gaelic-irish-to-english-or-spanish-please.html

I keep looking :O)

kv Skarpi

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: An Cúileann Súl Glas: Kathleen Collins
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 21 Feb 11 - 06:15 PM

I checked in my books, Matthew, and didn't find it. Don't think we don't care.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: An Cúileann Súl Glas: Kathleen Collins
From: MartinRyan
Date: 21 Feb 11 - 06:29 PM

I don't recognise the title but will have a look...

Regards

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: An Cúileann Súl Glas: Kathleen Collins
From: Matthew Edwards
Date: 21 Feb 11 - 06:45 PM

Thanks for trying, Skarpi and leeneia. It is a bit of a long shot, but I was so impressed by Packie Byrne's description that I thought it worth searching out. I expect the air may well turn out to be a well known tune masquerading under an unfamiliar name, but Packie had quite a store of unusual songs and tunes, so this might be another rare gem.

Matthew

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: An Cúileann Súl Glas: Kathleen Collins
From: RunrigFan
Date: 21 Feb 11 - 08:22 PM

Not the right song I think

http://www.irishpage.com/songs/carolan/1-cole.htm

Is aoibhin, is sáimh í, síothamhuil gach lá í,
Planda an tséin lér mian léithiceól,
Maighre na súl glas, péarla an chúil chais,

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: An Cúileann Súl Glas: Kathleen Collins
From: MartinRyan
Date: 22 Feb 11 - 02:51 AM

Quick scan of indices of my Irish language songbooks shows nothing promising...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: An Cúileann Súl Glas: Kathleen Collins
From: Matthew Edwards
Date: 22 Feb 11 - 04:04 AM

Thank you too Martin for your help.

The Carolan tune Mrs Cole, or Madam Cole found by RunrigFan above is a particularly lovely tune, but I do really wonder if it was ever much of a compliment to compare a beautiful woman to "a senna plant who likes music"?

Matthew

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: An Cúileann Súl Glas: Kathleen Collins
From: MartinRyan
Date: 22 Feb 11 - 07:31 AM

A very moving tribute, surely!

Regards

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: An Cúileann Súl Glas: Kathleen Collins
From: MartinRyan
Date: 22 Feb 11 - 09:39 AM

More seriously on the senna podcast:

I suspect the root word was "sian sléibhe" which is foxglove.

Regards