Lyr Req: Shall My Soul Pass through Old Ireland?

Subject: LYRICS? Shall My Soul Pass Through Old Ireland
From:
Date: 05 Dec 96 - 10:47 AM

Am looking for the lyrics for this old song. Can anyone help me out as I would certainly appreciate it. Thanks!

Subject: RE: LYRICS? Shall My Soul Pass Through Old Irelan
From:
Date: 12 Dec 06 - 01:34 AM

Can't seem to locate this one.

Subject: RE: Lyrics? Shall My Soul Pass Through Old Ireland
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 12 Dec 06 - 02:13 AM

It's in the DT and the Forum, but for some reason whoever posted it spelled "through" as "thru". Never trust spellings; always try alternatives. Type shall my soul pass into the search engine, for instance... and you will find it.

Subject: RE: Lyrics? Shall My Soul Pass Through Old Ireland
From:
Date: 12 Dec 06 - 11:42 AM

Thanks Malcolm. Didn't see it. HEre's the Link

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Shall My Soul Pass through Old Ireland?
From: An Buachaill Caol Dubh
Date: 16 Dec 06 - 10:33 AM

The "Irish Rebel" in question was Terence MacSweeney (Traolach MacSuibne), Lord Mayor of Cork, who died after some seventy days on hunger strike in Brixton Prison in ?1920; he was a political prisoner, not a "common criminal". Another Lord Mayor of Cork at the time, Thomas MacCurtain, was shot at his home by the notorious "Black and Tans", who also burnt about a third of the city. The "Tans" were composed of the sweepings of British military prisons, commanded by regular army officers (tho', as Churchill said, "the better class of officer refused to serve in them"). A contemporary French satirical cartoon shows several figures, among whom Lloyd George is still recognisable to modern eyes, grouped around the bed where MacSweeney lies, with the caption "Il est plus grand que nous".

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Shall My Soul Pass through Old Irelan
From: paddymac
Date: 17 Dec 06 - 08:30 AM

It's not a song that's heard often. Poignant, but not "up" in any sense. I was unaware that it related to The Lord Mayor. His being on hunger strike was the indirect cause of his death. The direct cause was a ruptured esophagus, resulting from a botched and brutish attempt by warders to force feed him. He was one of three to die in that hunger strike. I believe it was in Brixton Prison.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Shall My Soul Pass through Old Ireland?
From: Shaneo
Date: 17 Dec 06 - 09:56 AM

Thomas Ashe suffered the same faith from being force fed .

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Shall My Soul Pass through Old Ireland?
From: An Buachaill Caol Dubh
Date: 18 Dec 06 - 02:19 PM

One version is heard regularly on RTE radio, on a Saturday night programme at 10pm (just after "Ceilidh House"), "Failte Isteach" presented by Donncha O' Dulaing who was once Dennis Dowling. At least once a month, I think, he plays Bridie Gallagher's recording. Another regular is Paul Robeson's "Kevin Barry". Judging by the listeners' requests, there must be thousands of Irish nuns in England.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Shall My Soul Pass through Old Irelan
From: Seamus Kennedy
Date: 18 Dec 06 - 10:55 PM

And of course, don't forget the Charlie Moore bluegrass song influenced pretty much in its entirety by Shall My Soul - the Rebel Soldier.

In a dreary Yankee prison, where a rebel soldier lay,
By his side there stood a preacher ere his soul should pass away,
And he faintly whispered 'Parson,' as he clutched him by the hand,
'Oh parson. tell me quickly, shall my soul pass through the Southland?'

A fine song, especially done by the Country Gentlemen, but lifted from 'Shall My Soul..'

Seamus

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Shall My Soul Pass through Old Irelan
From: Wolfgang
Date: 19 Dec 06 - 06:18 AM

Thomas Ashe suffered the same faith from being force fed .

No religion should be force fed to innocent children.

Wolfgang (grin)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Shall My Soul Pass through Old Irelan
From: Paul Burke
Date: 19 Dec 06 - 07:02 AM

Dark Slender Boy: Terence McSweeny's death must have been in 1920: my father Terry Burke was born on Christmas Day 1920, and was named after him. There was a great deal of sympathy and solidarity for the Irish independence movement among British trades unionists at the time. There's a family story that eldest sons had been named John and (I think) Thomas in alternate generations for hundreds of years, and my grandfather (a John) was the first to break the sequence.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Shall My Soul Pass through Old Irelan
From: Wolfgang
Date: 19 Dec 06 - 08:09 AM

Immediately after being sentenced MacSweeney went on a hunger strike which lasted 74 days until he perished on 25 October 1920. (copied and pasted from: http://www.vincentpeters.nl/triskelle/tourism/todocork.php?index=100.040.006.020>

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Shall My Soul Pass through Old Irelan
From: Fiolar
Date: 19 Dec 06 - 08:31 AM

It is worth noting that Gregory Peck, the great actor, was related to Thomas Ashe.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Shall My Soul Pass through Old Ireland?
From: Shaneo
Date: 19 Dec 06 - 12:35 PM

For years I have felt that Thomas Ashe was mostly forgotten by historians and songwriters so I wrote a song about him myself.

here is the song I wrote

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Shall My Soul Pass through Old Irelan
From: paddymac
Date: 19 Dec 06 - 07:34 PM

Lovely, Shaneo. I will have that on our play list for paddy's day '07

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Shall My Soul Pass through Old Ireland?
From: Shaneo
Date: 20 Dec 06 - 07:00 AM

Thanks paddymac , it's verry easy to play if you know the original tune ,

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Shall My Soul Pass through Old Ireland?
From: GUEST,Hootenanny
Date: 20 Dec 06 - 07:11 AM

I've heard someone do an american version of this relating to the "war between the states" where each verse is done in a different key. I guess it isn't normally done that way, but it was interesting.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Shall My Soul Pass through Old Irelan
From: Seamus Kennedy
Date: 21 Dec 06 - 12:46 AM

That's the Ballad of the Rebel Soldier I was referring to up there.

Seamus