Lyr Add: Dominic Behan Farewell to Kilkenny?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Dominic Behan Farewell to Kilkenny?
From: GUEST,mg
Date: 08 Mar 12 - 06:17 PM

It is an absolutely gorgeous song...who laid out the body of fair Skibereen..thanks for sending it to me..I have listened to it dozens of times already.

I am getting ready to presume that it is likely he did not write it...people who are more familiar with his songs..does it sound like his style? I know that does not mean anything really but it is good to consider...

Maybe if someone was able to change the title to Irish famine song sung by Dominic Behan or something abbreviated that would be great if we have to search again. Thanks. mg

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Dominic Behan Farewell to Kilkenny?
From: zozimus
Date: 08 Mar 12 - 05:12 PM

Hi Martin,
I found that radio programme and it's Frank singing it allright. He sings it slightly different than Dominic but I think he was aiming at the same tune, but missed! The programme was first recorded in 1987 so he may have got it from Dominic's 1966 L/P. Surprising he didn't use it his "Hungry Voice" CD.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Dominic Behan Farewell to Kilkenny?
From: MartinRyan
Date: 08 Mar 12 - 03:48 PM

Never heard Frank sing it, that I remember. Interesting one, alright. Nor do I recall ever seeing it in older songbooks. Slightly literary whiff about the "by the waters of Babylon" style repeat? If Dominic wrote it, you'd expect people to remember the fact. Apart from the multiplicity of names he used for copyright purposes, he didn't exactly hide his light under a bushel!

Regards

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Dominic Behan Farewell to Kilkenny?
From: zozimus
Date: 07 Mar 12 - 07:51 PM

Hi Joe,
I've double-checked Dominic's Song Book "Ireland Sings" and his follow-up songbook "The Singing Irish" and he has not published this song in either collection. It is interesting, or maybe not, that the song gets a mention as one of his big songs in Wikipedia and some other web pages on Dominic. It is not surprising to see Frank Harte had this song as himself and Dominic would have shared and swopped songs songs in the good old days. However, where it came from is still unresolved.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Dominic Behan Farewell to Kilkenny?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 07 Mar 12 - 06:55 PM

This may well win the prize for "most intriguing thread of the month." Thanks for starting it, mg. You bring so many interesting songs to our attention.

Gee, you'd think that if this song were recorded on a Dominic Behan LP titled Ireland Sings, it would also be in the Dominic Behan songbook titled Ireland Sings I looked through the index of the songbook, and then the first line of every song in the book - no darn luck, none at all.

I did come across an interesting (but unrelated) article titled "Singing the Famine." I scanned it rather quickly and didn't find mention of this song, but it looks like it's worth reading: http://socio.univ-lyon2.fr/IMG/pdf_O_Laoire_Williams_-_Singing_the_famine.pdf.

-Joe-

If somebody else has the Ireland Sings songbook and can double-check me, I'd appreciate it. I can't believe the song isn't in there.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Dominic Behan Farewell to Kilkenny?
From: GUEST,999
Date: 07 Mar 12 - 05:38 PM

http://raymondfolk.wetpaint.com/page/Irish+Songs

Good site there but the lyrics to this aren't on it.

###################################

From an older Mudcat thread:

The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #33396   Message #445383
Posted By: Fiolar
20-Apr-01 - 11:46 AM
Thread Name: Help: Effect of Famine on Irish Folk Music
Subject: RE: Help: Famine

According to singer Frank Harte on Irish Radio some time ago there was a great absence of contemporary songs about the actual hunger. It's almost as if the ballad-maker could not bring himself to write about the horror and starvation that surrounded him.Among the other songs that Frank sang on the programme was this. No title was given.

The mad pictures of women and men walked my way,
And its haunted I am in the broad light of day.
By the Nore of Kilkenny, I sat down and I cried,
For the ghost of a nation that walked by my side.

On the wide falling meadows of fair Slievenamon,
The field-mouse was master; the tenant had gone.
By Cluan Meala's dark workhouse, I sat down and I cried,
For the living and the dead walked as bridegroom and bride

Who emptied the village of Carrigaleen?
Who laid out the body of fair Skibbereen?
By the stones of Cork Harbour, I sat down and I cried,
For the vessel of exile lay dark alongside.

Farewell Castlecomer, Rathkeale and the Nore,
Clonmel, Carrigal and the Blackwater Shore.
Behind us the landlord and bailiff we leave,
And we sail to America our lives for to save.

"Carrigaleen" is probably "Carrigaline" in County Cork. The above was sung by Frank on a programme called "The Famine Years." Hope it helps.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Dominic Behan Farewell to Kilkenny?
From: MartinRyan
Date: 07 Mar 12 - 05:01 PM

In the first verse, I imagine it's "the Nore of Kilkenny" - that being the name of the river through the city. Some other placenames are rather mangled.

Regards

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Dominic Behan Farewell to Kilkenny?
From: GUEST,mg
Date: 07 Mar 12 - 04:03 PM

Did I get the words right? mg

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Dominic Behan Farewell to Kilkenny?
From: zozimus
Date: 07 Mar 12 - 03:27 PM

The title Dominic Behan gives this song is "Irish Famine", which he recorded on an L/P called "Ireland Sings". He gives no details on the L/P sleeve cover about the song, so it is not clear if he wrote it himself or set the tune to a poem or song written to by someone else.
Maybe Jim McLean might know. Are you there Jim?

Subject: Lyr Add: Dominic Behan Farewell to Kilkenny?
From: GUEST,mg
Date: 07 Mar 12 - 03:02 PM

This is a beautiful song that someone here kindly gave me..

Here are the words I transcribed..please correct names etc. and give the correct title..I made that up...


Mad pictures of women and men walk my way
And hunted I am in the broad of the day
By the the knor of Kilkenny I sat down and I cried
For the ghost of a nation that walked by my side

On the wild falling meadow of fair Sleive Na Mon
The field mouse is master the tenant has gone
By the walls of Clon Meala I sat down and I cried
For the living and dead were as bridegroom and bride

Who emptied the village of Carrigaleen
Who laid out the body of fair Skibereen
By the stones of Cork Harbor I sat down and I cried
For the vessel of exile lay dark alongside

Fairwell Castle Comer Rathkeel and Donoor
Clonmell Carigalihan and the Black Water Shore
America holds what you never could give
We owe life and death it's our payment to live