Lyr Req: Hills of Glenswilly

Subject: Hills of Glen Swilly
From: GUEST,Boston Bill
Date: 15 Dec 01 - 11:17 AM

For some reason homesick Irish lads ask me for lyrics, so here goes:

Reference to this one is below. http://www.mudcat.org/Detail.CFM?messages__Message_ID=8291

Bill

Subject: Lyr Add: GLENSWILLY
From: masato sakurai
Date: 16 Dec 01 - 07:17 AM

Isn't this the one?

GLENSWILLY

Attention pay, my countrymen, and hear my native news
Although my song is sorrowful, I hope you'll me excuse
I left my peaceful residence a foreign land to see
And I bid farewell to Donegal, likewise to Glenswilly

Some stalwart men around me stood, each comrade loyal and true
And as I grasped each well-known hand to bid a last adieu
I said, My fellow countrymen, I hope you'll soon be free
To raise the flag more proudly oer the hills of Glenswilly

It is these cruel English laws, they curse our native isle
Must Irishmen always live like slaves or else die in exile?
There's not a man to strike a blow or to keep down tyranny
Since Lord Leitrim like a dog was shot not far from Glenswilly

No more beside the sycamore I'll hear the blackbird sing
No more to meet the blithe cuckoo to welcome back the spring
No more I'll plow your fertile fields, a chuisle geal mo chroIdhe
On foreign soil I'm doomed to toil far, far from Glenswilly

God bless you, dark old Donegal, my own dear native land
In dreams I've often seen your hills and your towering mountains grand
But the last three thousand miles of life separates these hills from me
I'm a poor forlorn exile cast far, far from Glenswilly
I'm a poor forlorn exile cast far, far from Glenswilly
(From: HERE)

There're two recordings listed at Folk Music Index:

The Hills of Glenswilly
Mf - Best Years of Our Lives ; Tramps and Hawkers ; England's Motorway
1. Gallagher, Donald. Irish Songs and Dances, Colonial LP-224, LP (196?), cut#B.01
2. Tunney, Paddy. Man of Songs, Folk Legacy FSE-007, LP (1962), cut#A.01

Other recordings are:
1. CONNIE FOLEY. Favourite Irish Folk Ballads - 3CD (Reference #CDIRISH362SO)
2. SING ALONG WITH SEAN WILSON - Tape (Reference #SWC1009)

~Masato

Subject: Lyr Add: GLEN O'LEE
From: masato sakurai
Date: 16 Dec 01 - 08:20 AM

"Glen O'Lee" in Sam Henry's Songs of the People (University of Georgia Press, 1990, p. 212; with music) has a different place name but the lyrics are similar; the note says "Other title: 'The Hills of Glenswilly'".

GLEN O'LEE

Attention pay, my countrymen, and hear my native news,
I own my song is sorrowful, my name you will excuse.
I left my home in Donegal, a foreign land to see,
I bid farewell to all my friends and to sweet Glen O'Lee.

The summer sun was sinking fast behind the mountain gay
When I left my peaceful residence to wander far away,
And as I viewed the grand old glens, I grieved on leaving thee,
For all the happy days I spent around sweet Glen O'Lee.

Some tall men stood around me, my comrades kind and true,
And as I clasped each well-known hand to bid a last adieu,
I says, 'My gallant countrymen, it's soon you shall be free
To raise the sunburst proudly o'er the glens of Glen O'Lee.'

No more at balls or harvest-homes my fiddle I will play,
No more I'll dance the Irish jig among the girls so gay,
My treasured harp I left at home, the rest was dear to me;
It will keep my place when I am gone away from Glen O'Lee.

No more beside the sycamore I hear the blackbirds sing,
No more for me the bright cuckoo shall welcome back the spring,
No more I'll see the fertile fields across the Swilly sea,
On a foreign soil I'm bound to toil far, far from Glen O'Lee.

God bless you, dark old Donegal, my own, my native land,
In dreams I often see yon hill anf towering mountains grand,
But alas! ten thousand miles now lie betwixt those hills and me,
I'm a poor forlorn exile away from Glen O'Lee.

May peace and sweet contentment reign around Lough Swilly shore,
May discord never enter its homesteads any more,
And may the happy time soon come when I return to thee,
And live where my forefathers lived, and die in Glen O'Lee.

~Masato

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hills of Glen Swilly
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Dec 01 - 01:02 PM

Thanks, Masato!!! It may take a week for me to find the OK on either version. I do appreciate your Celtic song sleuth skills! Bill

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hills of Glen Swilly
From: Kernow John
Date: 16 Dec 01 - 06:35 PM

The hills of Glen's what?
KJ

Subject: Lyr Add: GLEN SWILLY (from Nora Harkin)
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Aug 03 - 07:57 AM

Another variation, Michael McGinley's daughter Nora [Harkin]'s
GLEN SWILLY
[1]
Attention pay, my countrymen, and hear my native muse,
Although my song is sorrowful, I hope you'll me excuse;
I left my native country, a foreign land to see
I've bid farewell to Donegal, likewise to Glen Swilly
[2]
Twas on a summer's morning, by the dawning of the day,
I left my peaceful happy home, to wander far away;
And as I viewed the grand old glen, perhaps no more to see,
I thought my heart would surely break, in leaving Glen Swilly.
[3]
Brave stalwart men around me stood, each comrade kind and true
And as I grasped each well-known hand to bid a last adieu
I said, "My fellow countrymen, I hope you'll soon be free
To see the "Sunburst" proudly wave, oer the hills of Glenswilly
[4]
No more at ball or harvest home my fiddle I will play,
No more I'll dance the Irish Reel among the girls so gay;
I've left my violin behind, that was so dear to me,
'Twill keep my place when I am gone, far from Glen Swilly.
[5]
No more beside the sycamore I'll hear the blackbirds sing
No more to me the blithe cuckoo, will welcome back the spring
No more I'll plough your fertile fields, a chuisle geal mo chroidhe
On foreign soil I'm doomed to toil far, far from Glen Swilly
[6]
God bless you, dark old Donegal, my own, my native land
In dreams I'll see your heather glens and towering mountains grand;
God bless the day, 'twill yet come round, when I'll return to thee,
And live as my forefathers lived, and died in Glen Swilly.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hills of Glen Swilly
From: masato sakurai
Date: 15 Aug 03 - 08:18 AM

Entry at folktrax:

HILLS OF GLENSWILLY, THE - "Come listen awhile my countrymen" - ROUD#5087 - HENRY SOP #672 "Glen O'Lee" - MacCOLL-SEEGER 1986 p241 from Sheila MacGregor, Belle's Stewart's daughter, Blairgowrie Perthsh -- Peter GRIMLEY, rec by PK, Armagh, Co Armagh 12/7/52: RPL 18479/ 431 - Teresa Clifford of Belfast rec Glasgow 14/3/55: RPL 22374 "Glenswilly"

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hills of Glen Swilly
From: Big Tim
Date: 15 Aug 03 - 10:43 AM

I did some research into this song last summer in Donegal. The song was written by Michael (Mick) McGinley (1852-1940) while he was on an emigration ship for New Zealand in 1878. He only stayed there for two years, returned to Ireland, farmed and ran a pub in Strabane. He came from the townland of Breenagh, 10 miles west of Letterkenny, Co. Donegal. He was an ardent nationalist, Fenian and member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood (which organised the 1916 rebellion). He also wrote "The Drumboe Martyrs", about the execution of 4 republican prisoners in Donegal in 1923. Amazing that "Glenswilly" was written when he was 26, and "Drumboe" when he was 71, at least. "Lord Leitrim" (1806-78) was a notorious local landlord, a ruthless exploiter and abuser of local girls. He got his comeuppance when he was killed by some local men on 2 April 1878. Nobody was ever tried or convicted.

Mick McGinley's 97 year-old-son Anthony, born February 1905, was still
was still alive last summer. I had the very real pleasure of speaking with him and it was he who provided much of the personal information about his father, though much is also on record with Donegal County Libraries.

I have written about both songs, particularly "The Drumboe Martyrs", in my recently published book "One Green Hill: Journneys through Irish Songs".

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hills of Glen Swilly
From: Sandy Paton
Date: 16 Aug 03 - 03:15 AM

The Paddy Tunney recording mentioned above is now available as a CD from Folk-Legacy - "Paddy Tunney, the Man of Songs" - CD-7. (It was the seventh recording released by Folk-Legacy, back in the early 60s. It was recorded by Diane Hamilton "in the field" - as they say - in Ireland.)
      Sandy

Subject: Lyr Add: THE HILLS OF GLENSWILLY (f/ Connie Foley)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 07 Mar 21 - 03:53 PM

THE HILLS OF GLENSWILLY
As recorded by Connie Foley and the Irish Ramblers on Copley 9-133-B (a 78-rpm record, date unknown, found at Internet Archive).

Oh, listen awhile, my countrymen, and hear my native news.
Although my song is sorrowful, I hope you’ll me excuse.
I left my peaceful residence some foreign land to see.
I bid goodbye to Donegal, likewise to Glenswilly.

Brave stalwart men around me stood, each comrade kind and true,
And as I clasped each well-known hand to bid my last adieu,
I said to my fellow countrymen: “I hope you’ll soon be free,
And we’ll proudly raise the green flag over the hills of Glenswilly.

“No more among the sycamore I’ll hear the blackbird sing.
No more to me the blithe cuckoo will welcome back the spring.
No more I’ll see your fertile fields, a chuisle geal mo chroí.
On a foreign soil, I mean to toil afar from Glenswilly.

“God bless you, dear old Donegal, my own dear native land.
In dreams, I ofttimes see your hills and lovely mountains grand.
Alas! Three thousand miles will lie between your hills and me,
A poor forlorn exile tasked afar from Glenswilly.”

Subject: Lyr Add: HILLS OF GLENSWILLY (McNulty Family)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 07 Mar 21 - 06:54 PM

HILLS OF GLENSWILLY
As recorded by The McNulty Family on Decca (12270 A), 1947, found at Internet Archive).

[Lyrics are nearly identical to those sung by Connie Foley (see above) but there is this additional verse at the end:]

May peace and plenty reign supreme upon Lough Swilly’s shore,
And may God’s blessing shine upon our homes for evermore,
And may the time soon come around when I’ll return to thee,
And live as my forefathers lived and died in Glenswilly.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Hills of Glenswilly
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 08 Mar 21 - 08:35 AM

I seem to remember Packy Manus Byrne singing this, don't know if he ever recorded it