Lyr Req: Seamus MacMurphy / Seamus Ac Murchaidh

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Seamus MacMurphy / Seamus Ac Murchaid
From: GUEST,DK
Date: 13 Jan 07 - 03:10 AM

Here are all the different versrses that I have, from the sources indicated. They're in no special
order. Also I have Caitlin Ni Dhomhnaill singing four verses on a tape 'Seal Mo Chuarta.'


Amhráin Hiúdaí Fheilimí - Pádraig Ó Baoighill & Mánus Ó Baoill

1. A Shéamuis 'Ac Mhurchaidh a fhíorscoth na bhfear uasal,
A phlanda den fhíorchraobh a shíolraigh as na huaisle.
Is cosúil nár shíl tú go raibh gaol duit le Ruarcach
Nuair nár éalaigh tú san oíche sular díoladh faoi do luach thú.

2. Is trua gan mé mo fhraochóig ar thaobh malaidh shléibhe
Ná mar glas raithní ar dheisear na gréine
Ná mar Shéamus 'Ac Mhurchaidh ab fhearr a shiúil Éirinn
'S ní fheicfí ar an Chabhán mé go Nollaig ina dhiaidh sin.

3. Shíl mé gur chlú domh a bheith i gCaisleán an Rí istigh,
Go bhfaca mé mo léine dá déanamh gan aoibh domh,
Mo bhearád geal línéadaigh ag siabhadh le gaoith domh,
'S mo dhaoine móra maithe uilig cruinn ar gach taobh domh.

4. Éireodh mé amáireach le luathéirí na gréine,
Agus siúlfaidh mé an áit seo agus garda ar gach taobh domh,
Béidh claíomh in gach lámh leo 's ní airím lucht gunnaí
Is in iochtar na sráide tá'n bás fá mo choinne.

5. Gluaisigí chun mo thórraimh tráthnóna Dé hAoine,
Nó ar maidhin Dé Domhnaigh chomh luath luath agus is mian libh,
Beidh Nellie agus Nóra ann agus mná óga na tíre,
Beidh mé ag éisteacht lena nglórthaí faoi na fóide's mé sínte.

6. 'Mhaiseach mhín mhómhar má d'ordaigh tú den bhás mé
Triall chun mo thórraimh agus cóirigh faoi chlár mé
Nuair nach roghain leat mise a phósadh ná do róghrá a bheith ar láimh leat
Pill arís agus tabhair póg domh 's beidh mó chroí istigh lánsásta

7. Tá cúirt ag Mac a' tSeachlainn i gceart lár an bhóthair
'S ní théid aonduine ar seachrán lá saoire ná Dé Domhnaigh
Tá scoil shaor ag gasúraí ann agus gealmhná dá bpósadh
Agus mil bhuí 'na dhriúcht ann mar cheobháisteach Fómhair

8. Ógánaigh na gcarad is ródheas a nífinnse do léine
Ní le uisce rua reatha ná le slodán na ngéacha
Ach le fíon dearg na Fraince agus le brandaí na Spáinne
Agus bheinnse gach lá dá deiseadh ar dheisear na gréine.

9. Is trua gan mise m'iascaire 's mé thuas ar Loch Éirne,
Is mo Nellie a bheith ina bradán ar an toinn ag léimnigh
Chaithfinn domh mo bhríste agus shnámhfainn ar an Eirne
Agus bhéarfainnse mo Nellie ar dheisear na gréine.


Ceolta Gaol II - Mánus Ó Baoill

Ó fágadh mé in Ard Mhacha is ba bhocht liom mo chás ann:
Cha dtuigfeadh siad mo ghlórthaí mura labharfainn leo Béarla,
Bhí sloitire cachach ann, an cailleach spáig-éarrach,
Ach is í mo londubh an bhean dubh i ngleanntáin an tsléibhe.

Ó triallfaidh mo thórramh tráthnóna Dé hAoine,
Is ar maidin Dé Domhnaigh ar na bóithre os íseal,
Beidh Cáit Óg Ní Dhónaill agus óg mhná bhur dtíre ann,
Is beidh mé ag éisteacht lena nglórthaí faoi na fóid is mé sínte.


Nua-Dhunaire II - Brendán Ó Buachalla

Tiocfaidh garda tréanláidir ar an tsármhac is é ina chodladh,
Beidh claímhthe nochtaithe acu is chan áirím lucht gunnaí,
Beidh an Scotach rua as Ard Mhacha ann, Dé Máirt bheas an cruinniú,
Is ar íochtar na sráide beidh an bás fána choinne.

'Amárach Lá Fhéil' Pádraig an chéad lá den tseisiún
Beidh na bréaga á n-arsai agus go leor lena gcruthú,
Beidh cóitse tréanláidir ann agus Airti fá mhionna,
Is ar uachtar na sráide Dé Máirt bheas mo chonsú.'

'Bliain is an lá úd bhí muinn ag pátrún Chill Shléibhe,
Is bliain is an lá amárach bhí muinn ag rásaí Dhún Léire;
Inniu fágfar mé in Ard Mhacha mar fágadh na céadtan,
Is ar uachtar na sráide déanfar mo chás a réiteach.'

'Taraigí ionsar mo thórramh tráthnóna Dé hAoine,
Nó ar maidin Dé Domhnaigh insna bóithre más mian libh;
Beidh Cáit Óg Nic Dhónaill is mná óg mur dtíre,
Is beidh mé ag éisteacht lena nglórthaí insa chónra is mé sínte.'


Céad De Cheoltaibh Uladh - Énri Ó Muirgheasa

Thíos i lag an tsean-toigh 'tá an tsean-chailleach ghruama
A d'údaraigh an fheall agus fuair faill lena dheánamh
Char thuig sí mo chanúint is cha chanfainn léi Béarla
Ach m'annsacht an bhean dubh atá i ngleanntán an tsléibhe.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Seamus MacMurphy / Seamus Ac Murchaid
From: GUEST,pattyClink
Date: 12 Jan 07 - 09:56 AM

Thanks, Malcolm and Felipa!!

I can get my hands on the Kennedy book, and I'll bet that will do it for me.   I'll compare the recording and texts and report back!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Seamus MacMurphy / Seamus Ac Murchaidh
From: Felipa
Date: 12 Jan 07 - 08:06 AM

from Glenroe theme thread: "lyrics to Séamus Mac Murchaidh (copied from Ó Baoill, "Ceolta Gael") are on line at http://www.angelfire.com/ri/domhan/clars05.html"

Pádraigín Ní Ullacháin has also recorded the song, set to a different air.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Seamus MacMurphy / Seamus Ac Murchaidh
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 11 Jan 07 - 08:25 PM

A 7-verse Gaelic text ('Seamus Mac Murchaidh' ['James McMurrough']), with tune, is in Kennedy, Folksongs of Britain and Ireland (1975, 106-7) with English translation. It was recorded by Noel Hamilton from Eamonn Doogan, Baile Thiar, Tory Island, Donegal, in 1967.

The notes add:

"This is and was a very popular song all over Ulster and as a result both words and music have been published often in Irish periodicals, although the song does not appear in any of the well-known collections. For those who can read Gaelic there is more about this eighteenth-century Irish outlaw in Padríic O Conaire agus Aisti Eile by Seosamh Mac Grianna. There is an orchestral arrangement by Redmond Friel of another tune, called Seámus 'ac Mhurchaidh, on the Gael-Linn record CEF001."

How far that song overlaps with the one you have in mind I wouldn't know; perhaps you would quote the verses you already have? It would help, I'm sure.

There is some information about Seamus MacMurphy at  http://www.newryjournal.co.uk/content/view/275/31/. I don't know how accurate it is.

Subject: Lyr Req: Seamus MacMurphy / Seamus Ac Murchaidh
From: GUEST,pattyClink
Date: 11 Jan 07 - 10:35 AM

Okay, this is a tough one. From the 'Wind that Shakes the Corn' thread I found out about the little gem of an album 'Trad Trathnona', and I got it, and there is this song in Irish which has a beautiful melody. It's about a highwayman hanged in Armagh about 200 yrs back and dates back to that time.

The song is also in print in the book "Traditional Songs of the North of Ireland" by Derek Bell/Liam O Conchubhair.   The spellings they use are "Seamus 'Ac Murchaidh' and "Seamus MacMurphy", they also mention a Jamesy MacMurphy in the text.

However, of the original 28(?!) verses, they print 3 and Connie Gallagher on Trad Trathnona sings 4, and only one of the verses overlaps.

So...I have tried normal google and mudcat searches for another source of these lyrics, any idea where to try next?   (and yes, I would love to be able to just learn the song phonetically, but I've tried and it's no go. I'm too written-word, I just can't grasp it unless I have little letters on paper to make sense of the sounds I hear, at least in other languages.