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The Wild Raparee (by Charlie Magee)-recording?

31 Aug 05 - 09:43 AM (#1553538)
Subject: RE: Irish Songs Reqd:
From: GUEST,Pat Devine

Am looking for a recording of The Wild Raparee (by Charlie Magee), sung by Martin Crosby or another

Many thanks


01 Sep 05 - 10:12 AM (#1553693)
Subject: RE: Irish Songs Reqd:
From: MartinRyan

Pat

Might be better to start this as a separate thread.

In passing - are you happy Charlie Magee wrote it? There's a tune going round in my head...but I thought it was older

Regards


01 Sep 05 - 10:16 AM (#1553700)
Subject: RE: Irish Songs Reqd:
From: MartinRyan

Yeah - think I'm right. I see a Web reference that links Magee to it in the context of his being a singer/songwriter.

Martin Crosby - now there's another story!

Regards


02 Sep 05 - 04:01 AM (#1554509)
Subject: RE: The Wild Raparee (by Charlie Magee)-recording?
From: Joe Offer

Refresh - moved to a new thread.


02 Sep 05 - 04:14 AM (#1554522)
Subject: RE: The Wild Raparee (by Charlie Magee)-recording?
From: MartinRyan

Thanks, Joe. The recording would probably be be on Glenside - the old Walton's label.

Regards


02 Sep 05 - 02:33 PM (#1554970)
Subject: RE: The Wild Raparee (by Charlie Magee)-recording?
From: gnomad

There was an old LP by Charlie McGee "Homes of Donegal" Bardic BAR701, distributed circa 1972 at £1.25 by Waltons of Dublin, which includes this song.

Copyright info given is just Waltons-Dublin.

On Martin Crosby I can provide no info, sorry.


24 Sep 05 - 07:00 PM (#1570003)
Subject: Lyr Add: THE WILD RAPAREE
From: Jim Dixon

I know no one requested the lyrics, but since it looks as though they haven't been posted here before, I'll post them. Copied from http://www.iol.ie/~dromore/folk/raparee.htm

There are a few lines that don't rhyme or that don't seem grammatical, so I suspect there are some errors, but I have no idea how to correct them.

The web site says this song was one of several that were collected in 1937 by pupils of Dromore National School, Dromore, Donegal, Ireland.

THE WILD RAPAREE

Green were the fields that were washed by the Finn.
Fair are the homesteads the spoiler lives in.
Oh, rich are the crops in the valley—ah, me!—
But the hearth is the home of the Wild Raparee.

There are dark clouds like mountains o'er Barnes tonight
As the hare seeks its den by the moon's feeble light,
The big heathery mountains as bleak as the sea.
'Twill be lonely tonight for the Wild Raparee.

Away over Barnes the winds rage and howl
As he creeps to his hiding amongst the wild fowl.
No cry greets his advent. No comrade has he.
God help the poor outlaw, the Wild Raparee.

Oh! who are these huntsmen so late in the storm?
What means that red glare? 'Tis the Queen's uniform.
God grant that awaken, protected be he.
There are hounds on the trail of the Wild Raparee.

'Tis morn, and the huntsmen returned from the flight
But the sword of the foremost is not in its sheath.
Its bright blade's all dripping with red blood to see.
On its point is the head of the Wild Raparee.


22 Nov 08 - 07:39 PM (#2500392)
Subject: RE: The Wild Raparee (by Charlie Magee)-recording?
From: GUEST

I know this song by Michael Jesse Owen as recorded during the 70s. The words go like this, to correct a few in the accompanying thread.

Oh, how green are the fields that are washed by their fens
and how grand are the houses where them spoilers live in
how pretty the crop in the valley to see
but the heath is the home of the Wild Raparee

Way out on the moor, where the winds swoosh and howl
sure, he finds his lone home there,
amid the wild fowl
No companion to greet him; no comrade has he
Ah, God bless, the poor outlaw, the Wild Raparee

He has robbed many rich of their gold and their gowns
He has outrode the soldiers who hunted him down
and alive has he boasted, they'll never take me
No redcoat will capture, the Wild Raparee

Now this morning the soldiers returned from the heath
and the sword of their leader was gone from its sheath
His black sword was dripping with red blood to see
from the head of the outlaw, they call Raparee

There are clouds all around like a mantle tonight
and the hare seeks its nest as it trembles in fright
no stars in the heavens no moon can we see
they're in mourning tonight for the Wild Raparee

There's a stone, a plain grave, on a bare mountainside
there's a plain wooden cross there where these words are inscribed
"Dear stranger, kneel down. Say an Ave for me.
I was sentenced for bein' a Wild Raparee.
"Dear strangter kneel down....Say an Ave for me.
I was sentenced for bein' a Wild Raparee."


22 Nov 08 - 07:44 PM (#2500396)
Subject: RE: The Wild Raparee (by Charlie Magee)-recording?
From: GUEST

Let me amend the words of the version I know from this enlightening information from another site, showing it may well have been Finn and not fens:

- "Historic Fords of the Finn"
The Wild Raparee Priest

On the bleak hill of Gadra, where the winds howl
He creeps to his hiding place among the wild fowl.
No cry greets his advent, their comrade is he,
And they dream of no harm from the wild Raparee.

But who be those horsemen so late in the storm?
And what seems that glare, tis the king's uniform.
God grant that awake and not sleeping he be,
They are on the track of the wild Raparee.

Tis morn, and the horsemen return from the heath.
But the sword of the foremost is not in it's sheath.
Ah no, on it's bright point, all glory to see
Is the head of the outlaw, the wild Raparee.

James McLaughlin
Written of a priest who sought safety on the high lands overlooking the Finn Valley


17 Mar 09 - 10:52 PM (#2591497)
Subject: RE: The Wild Raparee (by Charlie Magee)-recording?
From: GUEST,john f headen

hello .i have a lp of charlie magee singing the wild raparee the song may morningdew is the same air   you can have it if you want it


28 Jul 09 - 08:13 PM (#2689258)
Subject: RE: The Wild Raparee (by Charlie Magee)-recording?
From: GUEST,Niall Sullivan

This song featured regularly during the 50's and 60's on the Saturday programme sponsored by Walton's ("The songs our fathers loved") and was on the Glenside label. The words printed may very well be the ones recorded, but my recollection is that the final line on the recording is "I was sentenced for being a wild raparee". Perhaps they felt the ending above was a bit ghoulish for general family listening?


28 Jul 09 - 08:34 PM (#2689271)
Subject: RE: The Wild Raparee (by Charlie Magee)-recording?
From: GUEST,Niall Sullivan

Sorry! I've just seen the version provided by GUEST above dated 22nd Nov 2008. That is the version recorded on Glenside.

Regarding Martin Crosby, he was a fairly popular singer in the 50's, but nothing like as well known as his brother Paddy, who compered the long running radio shows "The School around the Corner" and "Back to School" on Radio Eireann.


29 Jan 10 - 07:32 PM (#2825073)
Subject: RE: The Wild Raparee (by Charlie Magee)-recording?
From: GUEST,Guest

James McLaughlin was my grandfather. Song often sung in my family.


11 Feb 11 - 08:32 PM (#3093632)
Subject: RE: The Wild Raparee (by Charlie Magee)-recording?
From: GUEST,Newcastle Guest

Subject: RE: The Wild Raparee (by Charlie Magee)-recording?
From: GUEST,Guest
Date: 29 Jan 10 - 07:32 PM

James McLaughlin was my grandfather. Song often sung in my family.

He was mine too! So that narrows you down to one of six - or sixty odd cousins!!


11 Feb 11 - 08:37 PM (#3093635)
Subject: RE: The Wild Raparee (by Charlie Magee)-recording?
From: maeve

And what an apt coincidence for this thread to re-emerge on our own wild Raparee's birthday!


11 Feb 11 - 11:34 PM (#3093708)
Subject: RE: The Wild Raparee (by Charlie Magee)-recording?
From: Beer

How true maeve.
ad.


27 Feb 12 - 04:40 PM (#3314197)
Subject: RE: The Wild Raparee (by Charlie Magee)-recording?
From: GUEST

yet another one of james mc laughlins grandchildren.anyone know how to get copy of brendan bowyer singing the wild raparee??


02 Sep 14 - 09:37 AM (#3656093)
Subject: RE: The Wild Raparee (by Charlie Magee)-recording?
From: GUEST

jAMES MC LAUGHLIN WROTE THE WILD RAPAREE


03 Sep 14 - 03:52 AM (#3656361)
Subject: RE: The Wild Raparee (by Charlie Magee)-recording?
From: MartinRyan

Hmmm... He did - in a way! He wrote it down:

Click here

Interesting site, incidentally.

The Irish Traditional Music Archive online catalogue is giving confusing results on this one. I'll follow it up later.

Regards


18 Aug 15 - 04:08 PM (#3731227)
Subject: RE: The Wild Raparee (by Charlie Magee)-recording?
From: GUEST,Guest...Mayo

Just saw the song in what I assume is an old copy book .
God how I remember using that water based ink and scratchy nibs.
Beautiful handwriting I might add.
Our school master taught us the same song


18 Aug 15 - 05:02 PM (#3731239)
Subject: RE: The Wild Raparee (by Charlie Magee)-recording?
From: zozimus

There is a compilation CD of Glenside Classic recordings which has Charlie Magee singing it. I imagine it can be ordered from Claddagh Records.


15 Nov 16 - 04:20 AM (#3820639)
Subject: RE: The Wild Raparee (by Charlie Magee)-recording?
From: AmyLove

I don't know if this will be useful, but here is a listing of the song at the National Library of Ireland.

And as for a recording of Martin Crosby singing the song, it's included in his album Irish Humorous and Popular Songs: Mid Century Irish Music on iTunes here.


29 Jul 19 - 02:54 AM (#4002487)
Subject: RE: The Wild Raparee (by Charlie Magee)-recording?
From: GUEST

Alison McLaughlin says https://www.waltons.ie/home/products/view/14agle-gs0805-glenside-irish-classics-cd/