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Lyr Req: Irish lullaby to down in the Valley

04 Sep 01 - 09:33 AM (#541478)
Subject: Irish lullaby to down in the Valley
From: Charcloth

I met a fellow this weekend who says he used to sing an old Irish lullaby that went to the tune of "Down in the Valley". He could not remember it though. Do any of you know the song? I would greatly appreciate the lyrics. Charcloth

04 Sep 01 - 09:42 AM (#541487)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Irish lullaby to down in the Valley
From: Jimmy C

The Connemara Cradles Song is similar to "Down In The Valley" A little bit that I remember goes
The curraghs are sailingWay out on the blue
Laden with herring Of silvery dew
Silver the herring And silver the sea
Soon there'll be silver For babay and me

Hear the winds blow love
Hear the winds blow
Lean your head over
And hear the winds blow

I have he rest of the song somewhere if your are interested.

Jimmy

04 Sep 01 - 09:44 AM (#541490)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Irish lullaby to down in the Valley
From: Jimmy C

Charcloath,
Of course you are interested - I will hunt up the words when I get home tonight, unless someone posts them in the meantime.

Jimmy

04 Sep 01 - 12:58 PM (#541631)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Irish lullaby to down in the Valley
From: Charcloth

thanks (BTW how do you pronounce curraugh?)

04 Sep 01 - 01:18 PM (#541642)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Irish lullaby to down in the Valley
From: nutty

The lyrics are here

CONNEMARA CRADLE SONG

Charcloth ... I understand thatthe pronunciation is CURRA

04 Sep 01 - 05:53 PM (#541895)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Irish lullaby to down in the Valley
From: Brían

Thanks, Nutty. Do you know how close the melody is to DOWN IN THE VALLEY? I had a friend tell me about this song years ago, but he couldn't sing a note.

Brían

04 Sep 01 - 09:26 PM (#542054)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Irish lullaby to down in the Valley
From: alison

Connemara Cradle song is at

Mudcat MIDIs

see if it sounds right

slainte

alison

04 Sep 01 - 09:44 PM (#542072)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Irish lullaby to down in the Valley
From: Charcloth

is this the only one cause it may sound similar to down in the valley but it ain't quite the same tune

04 Sep 01 - 10:19 PM (#542090)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Irish lullaby to down in the Valley
From: GUEST,mgarvey@pacifier.com

here you go..http://www.gordonbok.com/zdeartoourisland.html

click on the connemara song. Sounds right nice. mg

04 Sep 01 - 10:32 PM (#542098)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Irish lullaby to down in the Valley
From: Alice

This is a lullaby that I thought I had posted to the Mudcat long ago. I sing it quite often. Written by Delia Murphy.

alice

04 Sep 01 - 10:39 PM (#542106)
Subject: Lyr Add: CONNEMARA CRADLE SONG (Delia Murphy)
From: Alice

Here is what I posted in a 1998 thread on lullabies.

CONNEMARA CRADLE SONG
Music and words by Delia Murphy
Tune is an even more mournful variation of Down In The Valley

On wings of the wind, o'er the dark rolling deep,
Angels are coming to watch o'er thy sleep.
Angels are coming to watch over thee,
So list' to the wind coming over the sea.

Chorus
Hear the wind blow, dear, hear the wind blow,
Lean your head over, and hear the wind blow.

Oh winds of the night, may your fury be crossed,
May no one who's dear to our island be lost,
Blow the wind gently; calm be the foam,
Shine the light brightly to guide them back home.

Chorus

The currachs are sailing way out in the blue,
Laden with herrin' of silvery hue,
Silver the herrin' and silver the sea,
And soon there'll be silver, for baby and me.

Chorus

The currachs tomorrow will stand on the shore,
And daddy goes sailin', a sailin' no more,
The nets will be drying, the nets heaven blessed,
And safe in my arms, dear, your daddy will rest.
Chorus

I have the recording of the lullaby as done by Clancy Bros. and Tommy Makem on Irish Folksongs and Airs. CD
Now also lists it as recorded by Tommy Drennan and Irish Monarchs.

alice in montana

HTML line breaks added --JoeClone, 1-Dec-01.

05 Sep 01 - 08:22 AM (#542324)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Irish lullaby to down in the Valley
From: Charcloth

so how old is this. I was told it predated Down in the Valley, but I am beginning to think that isn't quite correct. Charcloth

05 Sep 01 - 02:52 PM (#542719)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Irish lullaby to down in the Valley
From: Brían

Boy, I coulda sworn it was older myself. I'd love to hear any info on the origins of this melody. Thanks for the midi, Alison.

Brían.

05 Sep 01 - 03:31 PM (#542770)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Irish lullaby to down in the Valley
From: Alice

I think I read that the Clancy Bros. said the song went the other way - from the US to Ireland, where Delia Murphy wrote her version.

06 Sep 01 - 11:20 PM (#544116)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Irish lullaby to down in the Valley
From: Alice

For a bio of Delia Murphy, CLICK HERE

07 Sep 01 - 04:14 PM (#544716)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Irish lullaby to down in the Valley
From: Brían

Thank you, Alice. I was about to go to the library and see if I could find anything on Delia Murphy. That gave me a good start.

Brían.

07 Sep 01 - 04:31 PM (#544728)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Irish lullaby to down in the Valley
From: Sandy Paton

Gordon Bok learned it on a recent trip to Ireland and has included it on his newest CD Dear To Our Island (now available from Folk-Legacy, of course).

Sandy

09 Feb 11 - 12:45 PM (#3091861)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Irish lullaby to down in the Valley
From: GUEST,Mary

Delia Murphy was a very popular singer in Ireland in the 1950s and only died fairly recently. Therefore, the American version would have predated hers

09 Feb 11 - 12:57 PM (#3091870)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Irish lullaby to down in the Valley
From: Alice

The page I linked to from 2001 is gone.

Here is a web page about Delia Murphy by her grandson, Ronan Browne.
You can contact him there for more info.

http://www.deliamurphy.com/

Alice

09 Feb 11 - 04:48 PM (#3092028)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Irish lullaby to down in the Valley
From: GUEST,leeneia

Alice, thanks for posting those beautiful words, even if it was a long time ago. It's a song worth saving.