Folklore: Sean O Farrell,

Subject: RE: Folklore: Sean O Farrell,
From: GUEST,Brian Nolan
Date: 17 Mar 23 - 09:04 AM

My Great Grandfather was a folk singer in Ireland in the late 1800's (Papa Shawn O'Nolan). His stage name was Shawn O'Farrell. I often wonder the same thing every time I hear that song.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Sean O Farrell,
From: GUEST,mayomick
Date: 17 Jun 17 - 01:37 PM

Thanks everybody. I was told by my cousin Jay Farrell from Bohola in Co Mayo that Sean O Farrell had indeed existed .After he died his once relatively prosperous family from a small place utside of Longford became destitute and ended up in Bohola.

Jay wouldn´t say how he came to find this out only that he had checked through available records and had "other sources". He had originally heard about the connection through my grandmother , Katie Farrell.

When I said that he would be regarded as a hero if he did exist he said ,"dont you believe me he would be a hero to some people but not to everybody ."Not to the British, you mean," I said.
"No, not to the British but also not a hero for others."
It was then the penny dropped for me and I said "you mean not for his family" . To which he nodded his head.

I remember asking him at the time if it was some sort of a family secret He said "no ,not exactly a family secret but something that was not discussed in the family. (A family secret in other words I thought )

Jay was a member of the Conservative Party in Finchley , London at the time. My father told me that all of his family were Tories going right back to before the civil war in Ireland .

Subject: RE: Folklore: Sean O Farrell,
From: GUEST,Martin Ryan
Date: 16 Jun 17 - 06:01 PM

The "Reliques" was compiled by "Owen Roe" - I don't offhand recall who used this pseudonym, but it is well known. Published 1878. As Peter says, it's now available online - but I still prefer the smell of the real thing!

Regards

Subject: RE: Folklore: Sean O Farrell,
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 16 Jun 17 - 09:18 AM

no relevant comment in The Reliques of John K Casey (Leo) , of which I have a copy.

There's a copy on archive.org. I was looking at it two days ago, when this thread got underway.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Sean O Farrell,
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 16 Jun 17 - 09:18 AM

This is the note to the song from Georges-Denis Zimmermann's Songs of Irish Rebellion

"VARIANTS A: A version in Harding's Songs, Ballads, and Poetry of Ire¬land, p. 42, gives a chorus:

At the risin' of the moon,
At the risin' of the moon,
For the pikes must be together
At the risin' of the moon.

B. Most song books reprint a slightly different version first published in 1866 in Casey's Wreath of Shamrocks, pp. 31-33.
TUNE: «The Wearing of the Green», (cf. song 21).

NOTE: Unlike «The Saxon Shilling», «The Memory of the Dead», and «Patrick Sheehan» (songs 49, 57 and 63), it seems that this ballad was cir¬culated on broadsides before appearing in newspapers and song books. Eugene Davis says that Casey had for some time the idea of writing bal¬lads to be sold at the country fairs and markets; one thousand copies of «The Rising of the Moon» would have circulated in Longford, Cavan and Westmeath before Casey settled in Dublin, c. 1865. (See biographical in¬troduction to Reliques of John K. Casey, p. 51.) This is confirmed by an anonymous review of A Wreath of Shamrocks in The Nation, 23rd Fe¬bruary, 1867: «Many of the pieces which it contains have ere now made their appearance on ballad slips . .. His 'Rising of the Moon' is well known in some of qur midland counties, and admired, except by the 'authori¬ties' . . .1)
This is of course the ballad which inspired Lady Gregory's one-act play with the same title."
I assume your "The Reliques of John K Casey (Leo)' is the same as ours entitled 'The Rising of the Moon', Martin
Well worth searching out for the excellent introductory essay on both the composer and the period
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Folklore: Sean O Farrell,
From: GUEST,Martin Ryan
Date: 16 Jun 17 - 08:55 AM

P.S. The book, incidentally, uses "Shawn O'Farrell" for the name.

Regards

Subject: RE: Folklore: Sean O Farrell,
From: GUEST,Martin Ryan
Date: 16 Jun 17 - 08:53 AM

MayoMick

As I'm sure you know, the song was first published in Thomas Davis's newspaper The Nation. It's extremely unlikely that Casey would have used a real name in a known revolutionary publication. Incidentally, there's no relevant comment in The Reliques of John K Casey (Leo) , of which I have a copy.

Regards

Subject: RE: Folklore: Sean O Farrell,
From: Murpholly
Date: 16 Jun 17 - 05:09 AM

My information comes from countysongs.ie which gives some background to the song. The town of Granard gives no information at all of 1798 uprising although there was a harp festival there in the early 1790s. Interesting. Can only suggest more detailed information may be available from locals or historical records. Best of luck.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Sean O Farrell,
From: GUEST,mayomick
Date: 15 Jun 17 - 11:07 AM

thanks murpholly.I was told by a relation forty years ago that he did exist .I have been trying to find any evidence to support .Any suggestions for researching would be appreciated

Subject: RE: Folklore: Sean O Farrell,
From: Murpholly
Date: 14 Jun 17 - 04:06 AM

According to Irish County Music it is not known whether Sean O@Farrell was a real person or just a name used by Caseyas popular names in the area. The song is purpotedly about an uprising in a village in Co. Longford.

Subject: Rising of the Moon Sean O Farrell,
From: GUEST,mayomick
Date: 13 Jun 17 - 08:02 AM

I am researching the Sean O Farrell mentioned in the song The Rising of the Moon , but the website dediicated to the songs author , John Keegan Casey seems to be dormant .Does anybody have contacts with the John Keegan Casey Society or have any info on Sean O Farrell? I have tried to contact the Casey Society as well as the Longford Historical Society .