Where is Spancil Hill?

Subject: RE: Where is Spancil Hill?
From: Jeri
Date: 09 Dec 99 - 12:01 PM

The link to the MIDI in the database is broken, although the above MIDI works fine. Love the thread, and the amount of information shared.

Subject: RE: Where is Spancil Hill?
From: Len Wallace
Date: 10 Dec 99 - 02:09 AM

I do not know if this is actually true, but a friend of mine who visited Spancil Hill says that if you go there today, they built a gas station on top of it.

Subject: RE: Where is Spancil Hill?
From: NSC
Date: 10 Dec 99 - 03:21 AM

Len,

It certainly is not true. There is no sign of gas anywhere in Spncil Hill and the fair continues ech year.

I passed through SH during the fair this year and, if anything, it is getting bigger and better. A lovely spot, yet there is nothing really special about the place. It is simply rural Ireland at its best.

George Henderson.

Subject: RE: Where is Spancil Hill?
From: GUEST,A JOHN DENVER FAN
Date: 19 Jul 00 - 02:14 PM

Subject: RE: Where is Spancil Hill?
From: Irish Rover
Date: 19 Jul 00 - 06:00 PM

This is a GREAT thread! why is the song not on the digitrad? if we've got the correct words, why not post thoes? I have sung that song wrong for thirty years, so now you tell me!

Subject: RE: Where is Spancil Hill?
From: Catrin
Date: 07 Oct 00 - 06:18 AM

Refreshing this because I missed it before. Fascinating

Catrin

Subject: RE: Where is Spancil Hill?
From: GUEST,The Burren Ranger.
Date: 07 Oct 00 - 11:37 AM

Just to say that I drove through the Cross Of Spancilhill on the road from Tulla to Ennis in Co. Clare not two hours ago and all was quite there. My father reckoned that the famous Horse fair - held yearly on the Eve of Summmer Solstice - has been going on at the famous Cross since pre-Christian times. T.B. R.

Subject: RE: Where is Spancil Hill?
From: GUEST,Kernow John (a lost cookie)
Date: 13 May 01 - 02:46 AM

Susan's 'Toast to a new Song thread' (good idea) made me remember this classic thread. I thought that there may be some new catters who would not know of it's existence.
So time for a refresh.KJ

Subject: RE: Where is Spancil Hill?
From: Peter K (Fionn)
Date: 13 May 01 - 01:01 PM

If anyone wants to add to this celebrated thread, or even merely to refresh it, please go to Where is Spancil Hill(continued)? to do so, otherwise this one's going to get very slow to load for some people.

Subject: RE: Where is Spancil Hill?
From: Alice
Date: 20 Aug 01 - 03:01 PM

Frank wrote above with lyrics: " Michael Considine... born circa 1859 and died circa 1873" and someone pointed out to me that this must be a typo, since that would have made him only about 14 when he died.
In Frank's article in Irish Music magazine, the dates he used were: born "about 1850" and "headed to America in 1870" and "1872... penned what was soon to be his immortal epitaph".

Alice

Subject: RE: Where is Spancil Hill?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 20 Aug 01 - 04:37 PM

As I rode through Ennis in County Clare the week before last, I saw a sign that said "Spancilhill 8" - can't remember if it's miles or kilometers in the Republic of Ireland. I wanted to stop the bus and take a picture, but there wasn't time.
Our pastor went to secondary school in Ennis, and I asked him about Spancilhill. He said it's just an ordinary, nondescript Irish village, just like the village where he grew up. We visited his village, and it was beautiful - but all of Ireland is beautiful.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Where is Spancil Hill?
From: MartinRyan
Date: 20 Aug 01 - 04:49 PM

Joe

...including the inside of some of the pubs!

Regards

Subject: RE: Where is Spancil Hill?
From: Alice
Date: 20 Aug 01 - 09:04 PM

I got Robbie's tape out again today to listen, and right now am listening to "The Fleadh Down in Ennis". It names so many people, where they came from and what they played or sang. In the cassette notes, Robbie writes, "I wrote this song after the 1956 all-Ireland Fleadh that was held in Ennis and I sang it the following year for Ciaran MacMathuna in Dungarvan. Of the people mentioned in this song, there are only six left now." One of my favorites on this tape is the one Robbie wrote about himself and his Spancilhill home, called "My House On The Hill".

Subject: RE: Where is Spancil Hill?
From: ard mhacha
Date: 21 Aug 01 - 08:18 AM

Alice, I have a video recording of Robbie singing The Fleadh down in Ennis, its off an RTE programme some years ago and Robbie is in great voice. Slan Ard Mhacha.

Subject: RE: Where is Spancil Hill?
From: Noreen
Date: 21 Aug 01 - 09:17 AM

Joe says: "I saw a sign that said "Spancilhill 8" - can't remember if it's miles or kilometers in the Republic of Ireland.

For the next exciting instalment, get ye hence to the continuation thread which Fionn kindly started lo these many moons... (last May actually).

This post makes this thread even longer... :0)

Subject: RE: Where is Spancil Hill?
From: Brían
Date: 21 Aug 01 - 03:42 PM

In a letter Robbie send with my copy of The Black Sheep, Robbie says that Michael Consodine died in California at age 23, making the date 1873 or thereabouts.

Brían.

Subject: RE: Where is Spancil Hill?
From: GUEST,michael mcinerney
Date: 07 Nov 01 - 05:35 AM

proud to be from spancilhill

Subject: RE: Where is Spancil Hill?
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Nov 01 - 05:37 AM

Subject: i live in spancilhill
From: GUEST,someone who lives there
Date: 04 Mar 02 - 11:59 AM

hi alice i saw your email on the web site about spancilhill . spancilhill is a little place in co.clare . it is all one word spancilhill not spancil hill . it is a queit place .ther is a horse fair every year on the 23rd of june were people from all over ireland bring there horses to sell them . then there is the song by robbie if you want more info e-mail me @ [e-mail]

Subject: RE: Where is Spancil Hill?
From: Maryrrf
Date: 04 Mar 02 - 12:44 PM

So glad this thread got refreshed. I recently added this song to my repertoire and loved reading the thread. Bravo mudcat again - I can't think of anywhere else I would have found this!

Subject: RE: Where is Spancil Hill?
From: GUEST,BARRY MCMAHON AUSTRALIA
Date: 10 Apr 02 - 10:31 PM

I HAVE BEEN TO SPANCIL HILL HAD GREAT TIM WITH MY UNCLE ROBBIE SANG SONG A BIT PLEASE GET IN CONTACT WITH ME MCMAHON IN IRELAND MY EMAIL ADDRESS IS [e-mail] MY WEBSITE IS www.bsballs.org RURAL PARTY IN AUSTRALIA THERE A GREAT CRACK

Subject: RE: Where is Spancil Hill?
From: GUEST,BARRY MCMAHON FROM AUSTRALIA
Date: 14 Apr 02 - 08:32 AM

JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT I TOOK DYMPNA MCMAHON OUT FOR DINNER TONIGHT IN SYDNEY WE HAD SHE ATE BARRAMUNDI FOR DINNER A FISH THAT COMES FROM NORTHERN TERRORITY OF AUSTRALIA AS THEY SAY IF YOUR FISHING FOR BARRA LOOK OUT FOR CROCS www.bsballs.org DONALD I AM TRYING TO GET IN CONTACT WITH YOU LONG LOST COUSIN BAZZA BARRY MCMAHON [e-mail]

Subject: RE: Where is Spancil Hill?
From: Lynn
Date: 14 Apr 02 - 02:41 PM

Summer of 95 I had the good fortune to be 'over there' for a two-week holiday. I was hitching to the folk festival in Feakle (yes, pron. 'fecal') and passed by a little sign post pointing up a road to the left, indicating 'Spancil Hill, 5 km'. I had intended to hire a bike and go back there but didn't. (rode the Burren instead). Anyway, Feakle does have a great little festival there in mid-August, despite the fact that it's a little s**t of a town! (No offense intended).

Subject: RE: Where is Spancil Hill?
From: Peter K (Fionn)
Date: 14 Apr 02 - 04:40 PM

A little earlier in this thread I went to the trouble of starting a sequel thread Where is Spancil Hill (continued)?. I did it simply because long threads can be slow or impossible to load on some machines, as most regular users of Mudcat know. Around 100 posts is usually reckoned to be a good time to start the next chapter.

I can understand guests not being aware of this, but no such excuse for Alice ploughing on regardless. As for Joe Offer - I'm surprised! (*G*)

So for the second time of asking (third, counting Noreen's post) please follow the blue clicky if you want to add to this thread - that way, reasonable access to both parts of it should be preserved for all.

(As this post will breathe yet more life into this, the wrong part of the thread, I'll now go and refresh part two to put that above this.)

Subject: RE: Where is Spancil Hill?
From: GUEST,mbirch
Date: 22 May 02 - 03:06 AM

If mudcat is sure that Michael Considine wrote (the words ?) to "Spancil Hill", then why does't their digitrad page give credit to him ?

Subject: RE: Where is Spancil Hill?
From: GUEST,Ronnie
Date: 14 Jul 03 - 11:49 AM

Heard the man himself Robbie McMahon sing Spancilhill last Saturday night, 12th July in Marinans of Miltown Malbay. Pity the audience didn't appreciate what exactly was happening around them and let the man sing it as it should be...

Subject: RE: Where is Spancil Hill?
From: MartinRyan
Date: 14 Jul 03 - 05:07 PM

During the Willy Week, the window of opportunity to find a good singer AND a good audience in Marrinan's at the same time, is very narrow! I reckon between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.is your best bet - and maybe for a little around 7. Otherwise its too often a case of bad singers/reciters with poor material bludgeoning the audience into submission or good singers, with good songs, being ignored.

Regards

Subject: RE: Where is Spancil Hill?
From:
Date: 07 Feb 04 - 10:50 AM

Damn!

This thread was almost too much info, but I found myself drinkin' it in like sweet spring water.

There's a band (in of all places, Florida USA) that has recorded Spancil Hill (lyrics abbreviated as in the so-called "pop" version) and it's a real crackin' reading.

The singer's name is Jana Light,and she can belt it out with the best of them. Very highly recommended, if only a touch more rousing than more folk-oriented singings. Their website is http://www.celticsoulband.com/ The music used to be found at www.mp3.com, but RIP that fine site. I have a copy from there, and the band's CDs are available through the site.

Thanks, all.

johnfitz

Subject: RE: Where is Spancil Hill?
From: Big Tim
Date: 26 Mar 04 - 11:25 AM

Has anybody actually located Spancilhill yet?

If not, it's on the R352 road about 4 miles NE of Ennis (mostly east).
The name is a misnomer for Cnoc Fhuarcoill, "Hill of the Cold Wood", as the F was aspirated and omitted in local speech to create another name, Cnoc Urchaill, "Spancil Hill". The Irish word "urchall", or "urchomhal", means a spancel: fetter or shackle for the fore or hind legs of an animal. (Source: A History of Clare by Sean Spellissy, Gill and Macmilla, 2003.)

Kieran Sheedy, author of "The Horse in Clare" [sounds like a fascinating book!] (2001) writes that King James I granted a patent in 1621 to allow a guy called Valentine Blake "to hold a fair and collect tolls". The fairs, then mainly for pigs, cattle and sheep, were held on 1 Jan, 3 May, 20 Aug and 3 December. A separate horse fair a held on 24 June. (same source as above).

Subject: RE: Where is Spancil Hill?
From: GUEST,coldcarp ayle
Date: 09 Nov 04 - 03:39 PM

as i plan to visit Clare, Galway & Mayo in summer '05 it is my intent to visit the site of Spancil Hill a song that has played at my father's funeral and my daughter's wedding. where might a traveler best find a pub near Spancil Hill?

Subject: RE: Where is Spancil Hill?
From: GUEST,Guest: Meaghan
Date: 13 Dec 04 - 05:01 PM

Does anyone have any pictures of spancil Hill? I have one, but it is not great. I'm looking to get a picture of it for my father.
Any help would be great!!!

Meaghan

Subject: RE: Where is Spancil Hill?
From: Big Tim
Date: 14 Dec 04 - 04:32 AM

Meaghan, if you care to post your email address, I'll send you a few: again not great but including one of Robbie McMahon.

Subject: RE: Where is Spancil Hill?
From: GUEST,ObiJuanKenobi
Date: 27 Dec 05 - 02:03 PM

Wow, I've spent a couple of hours reading this thread... It is quite interesting...

Well, i have to say that I'm from Mexico, and I didn't know about the existence of this place, until The Corrs put this song performed by them into their new CD, and i've been looking for more information about this place... and the history behind is amazing...

Does Anyone know where Can I find any pic of any place at Spancil Hill??

Juan

Subject: RE: Where is Spancil Hill?
From: MartinRyan
Date: 27 Dec 05 - 08:50 PM

Juan

Go to www.google.com, select "Images" and put "spancil hill" into the search box.

Regards

Subject: RE: Where is Spancil Hill?
From: David Ingerson
Date: 28 Dec 05 - 05:32 PM

Welcome to Mudcat, Juan! You'll find many fascinating threads here, a wealth of information, and lots of entertainment, too. And you can become a member for free.

David

Subject: RE: Where is Spancil Hill?
From: GUEST,ObiJuanKenobi
Date: 29 Dec 05 - 06:17 PM

Thanks for answering me.

I-ve done that kind of search u told me about, but in brought me back some images of some children n somekind of school... is that a place from spancill hill??

I will suscribe tomorrow, i promise!

Thanks and keep on posting ;)

Juan

Subject: RE: Where is Spancil Hill?
From: GUEST,mikey
Date: 18 Mar 07 - 08:10 AM

hello

i have just had a quick scan through this thread and really enjoyed it. i live in derbyshire england and my parents (now in their eighties) are both from county galway. i play guitar and sing a little and was looking for lyrics and chords for spancil hill and this thread is great.

i used to go to ireland every year in the 60s and work on my uncles farm and for play mates i had the keanes of caheristrane who were just across a couple of fields, so we used to have a few barn dances and ceilis where all the keanes would play and sing and that got me into mixing irish music with the beatles and stones when i got my first cheap guitar at 15 in 1963. i was over there again last month but for a sad occasion that was my uncles funeral

well i am going to have a bit more of a browse round this website

cheers

mikey walsh

Subject: RE: Where is Spancil Hill?
From: Bill D
Date: 18 Mar 07 - 10:21 AM

*smile*...you have discovered one of the classic threads on Mudcat. It is research, knowlege and sharing at its best.

Subject: RE: Where is Spancil Hill?
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Apr 07 - 02:58 PM

It is four miles on the Tulla rd. outside the town of Ennis, Co.Clare

Subject: RE: Where is Spancil Hill?
From: GUEST,Al-Farid
Date: 15 May 07 - 12:00 PM

Great site; fantastic song; but seeing such careless stupidity in editing / posting is downright painful!

So please (Mr. Webmaster? or Master McGrath?) go back and EDIT your posts on this web-site to CORRECT Mick Considine's birthdate from the erroneous "1859"(sic!) (which is incorrectly repeated several times over in your posts!), to read correctly: (ca.?) 1850 !!! [edited]
...as "1859-1873"(sic!) would've meant that he was still only 14 years old when he died in California...!

Subject: RE: Where is Spancil Hill?
From: GUEST,Martin Ryan
Date: 15 May 07 - 02:35 PM

There's now a useful Wikipedia entry HERE , partly based on this thread.

Regards

Subject: RE: Where is Spancil Hill?
From: GUEST,Dieter
Date: 03 Sep 07 - 09:28 AM

There must be something about this song ... I heard a version by Paddy Reilly on a CD and it stood out by far. The I found the popular lyrics in a book and started singing it. It's been in my head for days now. I also practiced it on the harmonica.

Then I found this thread. Indeed, a classic forum thread, showing us what forums should be like.

Subject: RE: Where is Spancil Hill?
From: GUEST,Marty G
Date: 22 Sep 07 - 10:00 PM

Very Interesting reading indeed... Thanks, this insight into the history of the song has been a pleasure to read. Very much appreciated!

Subject: RE: Where is Spancil Hill?
From: GUEST,Dirk
Date: 29 Sep 07 - 05:44 PM

I visited the place in Sep 2007. There are only some farm houses. But most impressive was the carving at the gate to the place where the horse fair is held. Here is a link to some pictures of the place: http://picasaweb.google.de/BlogForIreland/SpancilHill

Further down the road is Cloney, where there is indeed a church, although a quite modern looking one, erected in 2002.

Subject: RE: Where is Spancil Hill?
From: GUEST,Bob Ryan
Date: 04 Mar 08 - 11:33 AM

I have been to the fair twice in the last 10 yrs. Both times on the 23rd of June. It's an amazing bit of Irish History even to this day. As we approach the "cross" (crossroads) we start to see people walking, some pulling horses behind them toward Spencil Hill. A mixture of youth and adults walking on the side of a narrow, tree's overhanging. one lane road. Every so often you see a youth (10-15 yrs) actually riding bareback at a dangerous pace and looking a little out of control. You think to yourself the road must open up sooner or later but it never does. The closer you get the more crowded the narrow lane becomes. It seems that many of the locals are walking from their meeger farms to the fair. I notice cars starting to park on the side of the road so I assume I am getting closer. I can barely see the crossroad ahead but I am completely stopped due to the shear numbers of people and horses waiting to enter this muddy track of land. Having to drive by the entrance to an even smaller one lane road I find a clearing where cars are parked any which way. My first thought is "how" everyone is going to get out of this place when its over. The roads surely can't allow for two way traffic. Amazingly, they do.

As I walk up to the entrance I see a sign (in need of a little work) which states this sinple cross in the road is actually "Spencil Hill. Quite a let down in one way but in another, after some inside laughter on my part, a fitting view of a time in Irish history that has stood still for over a hundred years.

There is no charge, there is no fencing, there is no organization but everyone seemed to know where to go. So I followed. There are horses everywhere. Some tied to stakes in the ground and some just being held by the reigns by their young and old owners. The lower field has a fenced corral where horses and riders of all ages are jumping over barrels and wooden jumps. The horses look well kept and well fed something that slowly disappears the further I go. There are food venders in trailors and some just with a table selling sweets, Fish & Chips, some type meat pie, soda drinks and water.
I can here a horse auction commencing and start to see some resemblence of my idea of a horse fair.

As I pass by the food venders I start seeing a complete different picture then what I just walked past. There are more young kids on top of these large Irish horses, bareback and only a rope aroud the horses neck. It starts to get very crowded with almost ever step a horses reareand has to be sidestepped. I come to realization that there is no way I could get out of the way if a horse gets spooked and kicks out with his hind legs and I happened to be right behind him. I seem to be the only one worrying about this because as I walk, it only gets mor crowded. Every so often I would hear a scream "to watch out" as a horse starts to get a little frisky and see the crowd running from a spot.

As I start to get out of site and sound of the front entrence I see a bad combination starting to form. As I approach a road, blocked off from below, (the fair continues on) I see a small Pub with many men standing around with a pint in their hand. most have sticks in their hands, torn from nearby trees. I saw quickly what they were being used for. If a horse would approach too close to them they would crack the stick on the horses rear and the horse would dart any whichway and the men would laugh at what they caused. People are being knocked down from the horses reaction. Luckly the crowd has spread out but very dangerous none the less.

Looking like finally the end of the fair, I walk down the road a wee bit, I start to see old horse trailors that looked so bad I dont see how they ever got them there. Tied to the back of the trailors are old, malnurished, sick looking horses that are being sold for meat. The owners look like "tinkers" the Irish version of Gypseys. Sales look like their going slow but before the fair is over I am sure some are sold. A kind of sick feeling started to come over me. What the fair meant to these people was so far different to what is meant to the people at the entrance but none the less, it has been this way from the start of Spencil Hill's Horse Fair so many years ago.

If you like to send me an email, Please do.

Bob Ryan
[e-mail]

Subject: RE: Where is Spancil Hill?
From: An Pluiméir Ceolmhar
Date: 04 Mar 08 - 06:15 PM

Glad to see that there's a Wikipedia entry on it and that the Mudcat gets the credit.

I haven't yet taken the time to figure out how to become a contributor, but perhaps someone here could correct the spelling of the name in verse five of the original version. It should read "Martin Moylan's".

Subject: RE: Where is Spancil Hill?
From: MartinRyan
Date: 22 Jun 09 - 05:26 PM

Check out the DTStudy thread for a (temporary) link to a radio programme featuring Robbie talking about and singing (down a phoneline!) Spancil Hill.

Regards

Subject: RE: Where is Spancil Hill?
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 23 Jun 09 - 08:28 AM

It's also good to remember maybe, the Fair is on today.

Subject: RE: Where is Spancil Hill?
From: GUEST,George Henderson
Date: 23 Jun 09 - 09:24 AM

Yes it is good to knwo that it continues (despite missing out in 2002 because of the foot and mounth scare).

It is indeed a very old fair.

Remember though that Robbie hosts a singing night on the first Fridy of every month in Duggans bar in Spancil Hill. next session is on July 3rd.

Robbie has a load of songs but he may sing this on the 3rd because it is the session closest to the Fair.

Subject: RE: Where is Spancil Hill?
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 23 Jun 09 - 12:32 PM

Robbie was actually on the news (the 5.30 Irish language news on RTE1, for anyone inclined to look it up on www.rte.ie) singing his song.

Meant to go up for the fair today with my son, to take a few pictures. The youngfella was called in to work for the Willie Clancy comittee so we left it. Great day for it though.

If interested, here are some pics I took at another Clare horsefair, the Ennistymon one, late last year.