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15 Sep 03 - 07:51 PM (#1019581) Subject: McDonald's Raiders From: Reiver 2 I didn't find this song in the DigiTrad or in a Forum search. I learned it from a recording by the original Irish Rovers, a Canadian group. The recocording was, I believe, one of the later ones made by the original Rovers, before Will Millar left and Jimmy Ferguson died. The recording was called "Tall Ships and Salty Dogs" and has a lot of great tunes, but again I only have a cassette tape and no inforation about any of them. If anyone has any info on any of the following songs, I'd be happy if you'd post here. The Day the Tall Ships Came Cape Anne Missionary's Child The Old Balena The I'm Alone The wanderer and the Whale Foolish Old Man Mc Donald's Raiders I kind of think that Will Millar may have written one or more of them. I'm missing one word in the last verse of McDonald' Raiders and it's driving me crazy not to have it. Here's what I have: McDONALD'S RAIDERS Well, an old castle towers o'er the billows That thunder by Antrim's green land, And there dwelt as gallant a rover that ever grasped sword in a hand. While eight stately towers o'er the waters Watch over the northern domain And Sorley-boy and his raiders Hold the north Antrim coast in their name. CHO: And it's up wi' bold Sorley McDonald. Sorley-boy McDonald the free. As straight as the masts of his galley, As strong as the waves on the sea. The septs and the clans of MacQuillen, They harried his lands with their powers. He gave them a taste of his cannon, Then drove them like sheep from his towers. Well, the men and MacQuillen sailed over Their strong fleet to make him a slave. They met him off old Port na Spaniagh And the sharks gnawed their bones 'neath the waves. CHO: Long time in that old battered castle Or out on the waves with his band, He feasted and ventured and conquered And unloosed would give in to no man. He lived as a daring sea-raider And died as a brave man should die. And he sleeps at the old ********** And the waves sing a dirge to the skies. If anyone can figure out that missing word(s) please let me know. After much search I found Port na Spaniagh on an old National Geographic map of Ireland, identified as an "historic point of interest." It's right by the Giant's Causeway there on the north Antrim coast as would be expected. But I just can't figure out the word in the next to the last line. Any help will be appreciated. (Someone here on the Mudcat must have some old Irish Rover records!) Reiver 2 |
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15 Sep 03 - 08:16 PM (#1019600) Subject: RE: McDonald's Raiders From: open mike Ha! i thought this thread was about the animal rights group which set an incendiary bomb outside the local hamburgler joint! |
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16 Sep 03 - 06:12 PM (#1020211) Subject: RE: McDonald's Raiders From: Reiver 2 Sorry for the confusion. The McDonalds were a family with many branches! I think Sorley-boy was from a different branch, but if you can find a bloke named MacQuillen, he might be willing to do the job you have in mind! Reiver 2 |
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17 Sep 03 - 03:28 AM (#1020519) Subject: RE: McDonald's Raiders From: tuggy mac Very very interesting!didnt understand a word but what the hell. |
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17 Sep 03 - 03:30 AM (#1020522) Subject: RE: McDonald's Raiders From: tuggy mac I am a mcdonald and this is a new one on me mateys! |
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03 Oct 03 - 07:43 PM (#1029276) Subject: RE: McDonald's Raiders From: Reiver 2 Good song, though, tuggy mac. You'd enjoy it. Is there anyone from the Antrim coast area lurking here on the mudcat? Sure would like some help with this. Reiver 2 |
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04 Oct 03 - 06:33 AM (#1029462) Subject: RE: McDonald's Raiders From: ard mhacha Just type in Dunluce Castle on Google for some lovely views of this McQuillan Castle. Ard Mhacha. |
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10 Oct 03 - 08:38 PM (#1033477) Subject: RE: McDonald's Raiders From: Reiver 2 Thanks for a good try, Ard Mhacha! I've been to Dunluce Castle, and know that it was a main fortress of the MacDonnell chiefs of Antrim in the 13th century. It certainly fits the description in that sense. The problem is that the word(s) sung by the Irish Rovers - the only recording I've ever heard of this song - don't sound anything like "old Dunluce Castle." The sound, phonetically, is something like "old bone-a-par-tay". Does that ring any bells? I wondered if it has anything to do with Bonaparte, but don't really see how that would fit in. Do you, or anyone, know of any place on the north Antrim coast that sounds anything like that? If I were to sing the song now, I'd be inclined to ignore whatever it is the Rovers sing and, invoking the "folk tradition," just use Dunluce Castle because it fits so well. Reiver 2 |
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10 Oct 03 - 09:29 PM (#1033501) Subject: RE: McDonald's Raiders From: GUEST OK!! I got it!!! Thanks to Ard Mhacha, after all! I took your advice and did a Google search on Dunluce Castle, then clicked on "Sorley Boy MacDonnell" and found this: SORLEY BOY MacDONNELL Born : 1505 - Not known exactly - possibly Dunaneanie/Dunanynie at Ballycastle or Dunluce Castle Died : 1590 - Dunaneanie Castle, Ballycastle, Co. Antrim and interred in Bonamargie Friary, Ballycastle. There it is -- Bonamargie Friary. Fits perfectly! The Irish Rovers erred in the title for their song (I'm almost sure Will Millar of the group wrote it) in spelling the name MacDonald, instead of MacDonnell, and the rest of the words to the song seem to be largely fiction. I'll have to look into the history further, now that I have more data. I saw nothing in the brief history on the website about the MacQuillans (though in the song they appear to have been from Scotland). Anyway I'm happy now that the mystery is solved and I can sing a good song all the way through with out swallowing one word. Also, I can add a little information to the introductory pre-song blather (as my old partner, Reiver 1, used to call it. He even had the gall to suggest we call ourselves Blatherless and Singmore, instead of The Reivers. Since I usually did the "blather," I pretended not to be insulted.) Reiver 2 |
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10 Oct 03 - 09:42 PM (#1033511) Subject: RE: McDonald's Raiders From: Reiver 2 Don't know why I'm back to being a Guest!! Lost my "cookie" I guess, but think I have things sorted out now. This is just a test to find out for sure. Reiver 2 |
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11 Oct 03 - 12:06 PM (#1033714) Subject: RE: McDonald's Raiders From: EBarnacle1 Cape Ann can be found on at least one Gordon Bok album--actually 2, I believe. |
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20 Oct 12 - 01:40 PM (#3423133) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: McDonald's Raiders From: GUEST,BETTE CHAYER HI, I HAVE RECENTLY FOUND SORLEY BOY MACDONNELL'S CONNECTION TO MY GGGRANDMOTHER ELIZA ANN MCDANIEL. SHE WAS BORN IN BROOKLYN, INDIANA IN 1838 AND DIED IN EUGENE, INDIANA IN 1918. HER PARENTS WERE; JOHN MCDANIEL AND ELIZABETH SCOTTEN ORIGINALLY FROM RANDOLPH COUNTY, NC. I HAVE THEIR PEDIGREE WHICH INCLUDES SORLEY BOY AND HE IS MY 14TH GGRANDFATHER. AT LEAST THAT IS WHAT I FOUND ON ANCESTRY.COM'S PUBLIC TREES. I WOULD BE HAPPY TO HELP (IF POSSIBLE) ANYONE FROM THAT FAMILY. BETTE CHAYER YELLOWBIRD7@WINDSTREAM.NET |
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20 Oct 12 - 03:30 PM (#3423163) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: McDonald's Raiders From: weerover I assume (from the many similarities) that the tune is "Fineen (O'Driscoll) the Rover"? |