Req: Little Ram's Island/Ballinderry / Balinderry

Subject: RE: Req: Little Ram's Island/Ballinderry / Balinderry
From: leeneia
Date: 25 Aug 20 - 11:05 PM

You're very welcome.

Subject: RE: Req: Little Ram's Island/Ballinderry / Balinderry
From: allanwill
Date: 25 Aug 20 - 09:11 PM

Aha! - thanks leeneia; I didn't think "Phelim my demon" was right but that is what I hear. I still do, even now I know the correct words!

Allan

Subject: RE: Req: Little Ram's Island/Ballinderry / Balinderry
From: leeneia
Date: 25 Aug 20 - 11:04 AM

I learned this song from William Cole's 'Folk Songs of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales', a book you may find in your public library. The song has only two verses, and the lover is called Phelemy Diamond. I've changed Phelemy to Jeremy, because people recognize Jeremy as a name, while Phelemy creates the impression we are talking about a fella-me-diamond.

Several years ago we visited a churchyard in Bantry, Ireland, and noticed the huge pines festooned with ivy. The version I sing has the line

"sitting under an ivy tree"

and having seen trees cloaked in ivy, I feel comfortable singing it that way.
==========
'Tis pretty to be in Ballinderry
'Tis pretty to be Aghalee.
'Tis prettier to be in Bonny Ram's Island
sitting under an ivy tree.

Ach hone, ach hone (however you spell that.)

Oh that I were on Bonny Ram's Island.
Oh that I were with my Jeremy Diamond.
He would whistle and I would sing
till we would make the whole island ring.

Ach hone, ach hone
=============================
This makes a lovely tune for the fretted dulcimer. I keep repeating the notes for "ach hone, ach hone" more and more softly, to sound like distant church bells. The DT page has the sheet music for this.

Subject: RE: Req: Bonny Rams Island/Ballinderry
From: Felipa
Date: 25 Aug 20 - 10:34 AM

Robert Cinnamond had more verses than the Makem version I wrote out from memory, a lovely version ... you will learn quite a bit more about the song if you see the Ballinderry thread linked by Jim Dixon.

Joe, you could take "Balinderry" away from the long thread headline as the placename isn't spelled that way. Maybe if it appears in some messages in the discussion that will be enough to help people who are doing a search and using the wrong spelling (outside of Mudcat, search engines will lead you from Balinderry to Ballinderry)

Anyone want to have a day trip to Rams Island?
https://abhainncruises.com/portfolio-items/rams-island-lough-trip/

---

Well, Mudcat search engines are a little more primitive. Alternate spellings in a thread title can help. I try to put alternate spellings in ancillary threads like this one, and not in the main "origins" threads. There is a madness to my method.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Req: Little Ram's Island/Ballinderry / Balinderry
From: Richard Mellish
Date: 25 Aug 20 - 05:31 AM

"'Tis pretty to be in Ballinderry" is the title of Roisín White's book and double CD tribute to Robert Cinnamond: see here

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Balinderry
From: allanwill
Date: 24 Aug 20 - 09:54 PM

My interpretation, as I hear it, of the song as sung by David Hammond.

'Tis pretty to be in Ballinderry
'Tis pretty to be Aghalee.
But it's prettier to be in Bonny Rams Island
a'sitting forever beneath a tree.

Ach-hone, Ach-hone
Ach-hone, Ach-hone

For often I wandered through Bonny Rams Island,
arm in arm with Phelim my demon.
And he would whistle and I would sing
and we would make the whole island ring.

Ach-hone, Ach-hone
Ach-hone, Ach-hone

Once I was happy in Bonny Rams Island,
but now 'tis sad, 'tis sad could be.
The ship that carried Phelim my demon
is buried forever beneath the sea.

Ach-hone, Ach-hone
Ach-hone, Ach-hone

Allan

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ballinderry
From: Felipa
Date: 24 Aug 20 - 07:44 PM

you missed a line, Joe. It's often I sailed to Bonny Ram's Island arm in arm with Phelimy Diamond
and I missed a verse. I don't know if this is exactly what the singer performed on the Mudcat session

'Twas pretty to be in Ballinderry,
'Twas pretty to be in Aghalee
Still prettier to be on bonny Ram's Island
Sitting forever beneath a tree.
For often I sailed to bonny Ram's Island,
Arm in arm with Phelimy Diamond [or Phelim, my diamond?]
He would whistle and I would sing,
And we would make the whole island ring.

"I'm going," he said, "from bonny Ram's Island
Out and across the deep blue sea,
And if in your heart you love me, Mary,
Open your arms at last to me."

'Twas pretty to be in Ballinderry
But now it's as sad as sad can be,
For the ship that sailed with Phelimy Diamond,
Is sunk forever beneath the sea.

chorus/caoin (keen)
ochón, ochón, ochón, ochón [alas]

-----
Rams Island is in Lough Neagh in the north of Ireland, so I suppose it is very small

Subject: Lyr Req: Balinderry
From: Joe Offer
Date: 24 Aug 20 - 07:13 PM

Anybody got a good set of lyrics for "Tis pretty to be in Balinderry."

I can't find it posted here.

tis pretty to be in Ballinderry
tis pretty to be in Aghalee Tis bonnier still in bonny Rams Island, sitting forever beneath a tree Och ón, och ón
for often I sailed to bonny Rams Island

arm in arm with Phelimy Diamond / He would whistle and I would sing/and we would make the whole island ring // twas pretty to be in bonny Rams Island, Now it's as sad as sad can be/For the ship that sailed with Phelimy Diamond/ Is sunk forever beneath the sea. - I think Sara Makem sang Bonny Ram's Island. Tommy Makem certainly did.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Little Ram's Island? / Ballinderry
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 20 Dec 11 - 11:00 AM

The title is BALLINDERRY. There's a thread about it here:

Lyr Add: Ballinderry

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: And mp3 hopefully 'Little Ram
From: PaulBobbyBuzz
Date: 30 Jul 01 - 01:17 PM

Sorcha, that's it thanks PBB

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: And mp3 hopefully 'Little Ram
From: Sorcha
Date: 30 Jul 01 - 12:29 PM

It's at Contemplator, here

Subject: And mp3 hopefully 'Little Ram's Island'
From: PaulBobbyBuzz
Date: 30 Jul 01 - 11:53 AM

Hi all. Not sure of some of this but here goes. I think the tune is called "Little Ram's Island", & I believe it's Irish, 'cause the first verse goes: " Tis pretty to be in Balenderry, " 'Tis pretty to be in Lough-ha-lee"

(that last, I'm sure, is the name of another town. I don't really know how to spell it but that's the phonetics of it. ) actually I don't know how to spell Balenderry either, but I've heard of it. Continuing:

" 'Tis prettyer still on Little Ram's Island Sitting under an old apple tree" Thanks for any help PBB