A Miner's Lullaby (Coorie Doon) - Luke Kelly

[DShaw42011]

R.I.P. Luke. what a great voice

[RossHardmanHarvey123]

Now those are some tough old buggers!

[kenpodub32]

it doesnt get any better than this,magic!

[mr96patrick]

Union YES!

[tony10396861]

Wow!! Hadn't heard of Matt McGinn before, but what a song!! Luke, as ever, is wonderful

[theweeblossom]

lov itttttttttttttt

[Sealice1663]

beautiful......thats all i got to say

[delboynz1]

Amen to that.

In reference to someone's earlier comment "coorie doon" or "coorie in" is something a Lallan Scots-speaking mother would say to soothe kids to sleep - a literal translation might be "cower down" but the meaning is much more loving and more like "cuddle in" or "sleep well, love." My own mother used it with me at bedtime til she stopped tucking me in!

[looneechic]

@delboynz1 coorie in.. as you said, simply means cuddle in. My da used to say the same to me when a was a lass <3

[verbaud]

In Memory of the 29 miners who died this week in New Zealand. I come from a family of coal miners. Every life is mourned, whether you knew them or not. It's a sad hard life. Rest in Peace.

[welshperson123]

my father was a miner for 30 years :)

[calpetron]

This is precious to me and mine. xxx

[calpetron]

This is precious to me and mine. xx

[brianlangtry]

lovely song done justice by a great singer.

[TheDolmori]

Thank you, my great grandfather was a miner from Allihies Mines the traveled to Montana to work and later returned to America with his family.

[Lisnageeragh]

@TheDolmori Did he work in Bute?

[TheDolmori]

@Lisnageeragh  I believe he did, it seems like many from Allihies migrated to Butte.

[Lisnageeragh]

@TheDolmori Thank you ...an interesting piece of history ..

[TheDolmori]

Thank you, my great grandfather was a miner from Allihies Mines the traveled to Montana to work and later returned to America with his family.

[nacho1560]

Luke, amazing singer, Matt McGinn, what a song writer.

Hope they're creating music in Heaven.

[elmcg]

@nacho1560

What a nice comment! And a lovely thought!

[LindsayCurran]

Splendid slideshow with this great song - Thank you, thetwangman! Great post!

[huphupspiral]

SUFFERIG IS SUCH SWEET SORROW.

[margatelad]

i was a coal miner in the kent coal field for about 16 yrs till it closed down in 86, some of the best miners i worked with were paddys full of the craic,and dame hard workers and i am PROUD TO SAY "THAT I HAD THEM BYE MY SIDE WHEN TIME GOT HARD"" they are the BEST.

[Squarekn0t]

Before any ointments thier was whisky anf Guiness to sothe the hard toil of diggin, wheaterh it the patties' or the coal, or the bridge abutments, you can not go back in the whole sober, itll kill ya

[ErnstBecker]

A miner's lot is a sad one. My OPA died from black lung. My hat's off to each one them -- each and everyone.

[rossmcl177]

Ssssh! There's a great man trying to sing a lovely song here. Can we just listen and enjoy it???

[DonegalRaymie201]

@rossmcl177

In keeping with the song, you could have said:

"Aw hud yer whisht! There's a braw man singing a bonnie tune here!"

But your point is well taken. Eventually!

[stope1]

DonegalRamie you are talking rubbish Deerpark mined coal for nearly 30 years and that's not to mention the coal mines in Ballingarry Co Tipp . And to insinuate that Ireland has no mineral resources is just ludacris considering we have the largest zinc mine in Europe in Meath , a little place called Tara mines, have you ever heard of it ? As well as zinc mines in Lisheen, Galmoy and a projected mine in Palas Green !!!!!!!!!!

[DonegalRaymie201]

@stope1

I give in. Go read some history and see how much coal we exported versus how much we imported!

If we are so blessed with coal, why do we cut & burn turf? The Welsh never did!

And point me to the evidence of the Industrial Revolution in Eire?

And why did we flood to Britain for the jobs in industry, if we had thriving industries here?

It's just Geology, nothing more!

[stope1]

You passed a comment that Ireland had no coal reserves when two seperate coal reserves were pointed out to you one in Kilkenny and one in Tipperary you start rabbiting on about Industrial Revolutions!!!

And the main reason for importing coal and that these pits closed down is it was much cheaper to import than to produce!!

Deerpark in Kilkenny has a museum there it would probably do you good to visit it some time and get your head out of the books.

[DonegalRaymie201]

@stope1

Ireland's economy remained agrarian during the 19th Century whilst the Industrial revolution thrived just across the water. Why?

Total coal output for all Ireland was a fraction of what Durham or Nottingham alone produced!

Anyway, I originally replied to an American who understandably assumed that the song was Irish, about Irish miners, because Luke sings it! We know better right?

[Corcochion]

Visuals such as these always worth looking at - remembering uncles and grandfathers.... sweet song - and I did feel that we were in a nice old bar together. And yes, we are Celts - we are more alike than we are unalike, for sure. Oh, & in those narrow seams, my loves: you keep a cool head and a sharp mandrell, now....................... Hwyl, Rebecca [and her daughters]. xx

[TheWindUpWizard]

scottish irish what ever even the hopeless welsh are celts we are no different we will always remain scrappy hot headed drinkers who make brilliant fathers of good sons who love there mad celtic girls even if they fight tooth and nail with every day and we all love our land...even if its bloody wet hard to work with and full of other pain in the ars celts that we love so very much!!!

[heehawluck1]

@TheWindUpWizard I know I'ma mile late but....well said man. I couldn't have put it better myself. Well, maybe I could have.... but I'll hud my wheesht.

[nacho1560]

That's what i was trying to say, my friend.

God bless.

[nacho1560]

It's a Celtic song.  Sang by an Irish genius with a Scottish granny. lol!

[stagggy1]

exactly, let's just enjoy the bloody song

[stagggy1]

None of us are saying that Ireland had a successfull coal mining industry, all were saying is that Ireland had coal mines and irish people did work in them, just google Irish coal mines you thick fuckin eejit!

[fathead20091]

ireland is not based on agricultue we rely on the tertiary sector but your point is valid about the lack of primary resouces.

[stagggy1]

It is a scottish song, but Ireland definitely had a coal mining industry although it would'nt have been as big as the british countries, Arigna coal mine Co Roscommon is famouse for having the narrowest seams in the world (45cm wide) there is now tours held there to give you a real idea of mining conditions back in the day

[DonegalRaymie201]

An industry? You can't have an industry based on seams that narrow, it's just not viable, commercially I mean. Dublin depended on the millions of tons imported from Wales, because Ireland couldn't produce it!

Irelands lack of coal was the primary reason that the industrial revolution never happened for Ireland. It simply lacked the mineral resources that the Big Island had, and hence why Irelands economy remained agricultural! It's not minerally rich!

[irishgeal1]

lovely luke straight from the heart, donegalraymie, go away and die u  miserable peice of shite

[DonegalRaymie201]

Luke sings a gorgeous Scots lullaby, which maybe his Scots granny sang him as a "wee bairn", and you get pissed at me pointing out the historical fact that Ireland had no coal mining industry?

It has no coal to mine.

It is a Scots song, and "Coorie doon" happens to be Scots dialect as I suspected. Want to name we where in Ireland they use that expression?

(Except in Antrim amongst the Ulster-Scots of course!)

Listen to Luke singing "Freedom come all ye", perfectly too!

[882535]

my grandfather was a coalminer in kilkenny during the 40s & 50s. he died in 63 due to dust on his lungs. he never smoked or drank. there was no health & safety in those days, just poor men sent down the mines for minimum wage. god bless those poor men & there families.

[DonegalRaymie201]

Ireland has no coal. Your grandfather may have been from Kilkenny but mined in England, Wales or Scotland. Many, many did!

[DonegalRaymie201]

P.S. "Coorie Doon" sounds like Scots to me, meaning I think "settle down and sleep" or something similar!

Anyone know better please?

[catconstantine]

There were the Deerpark Mines in Kilkenny.

[DonegalRaymie201]

I don't doubt you. But what did they mine there? Iron ore, copper, tin?

Just because of Ireland's geology, it never had any substantial coal deposits, hence why the Irish cut, dry and burn turf (peat), like the Western Isles of Scotland too. When real anthracite was needed, we imported it from Wales, (so too Welsh mining expertise).

[catconstantine]

Deerpark was a coal mine.

[francishughes81]

this is beautiful..

god bless luke.

[pete584]

amazing

[RobertBruce3]

Excellent!

[ReyCazonci]

what's that one song called..... goes some thing like . " down she went, thorough the water, screaming loudly....my clandestine.....

[christoir246]

id say ask kellyoneill,she knows everythin bout luke kelly.

[AncientBohemoth]

Guessing...

Girl With The Clandestine Heart?

[ozzymandi]

podger81 Yes, this is a Great song thankyou !

[ozzymandi]

margatelad

God bless miners , the salt of the earth !

[ozzymandi]

joeygsmom

My respects to you , my farther died of lung disease ( Pneunomonicosis)due to working down the mines since he was fourteen years old.

[joeygsmom]

o god this made me cry!

my grandfather was a miner he died early of lung disease. God bless.

[davedelap]

was the closures something that had to be done?

not old enough to remember but the way that bitch tatcher did it without a care for the workig man that biult britian and their communities, beautiful song though sung by the master, for me the way kuke kelly sang with feeling was his great talent,

[margatelad]

what maggie did to us miners is too rip out the heart of great britian, this proud land will never be the same again, so very sad!!!!!!!!!!.

[t4texas]

What a hauntingly beautiful rendition of this song!!

[parakarter]

Wonderful hearing Luke singing this famous Scots lullaby - what an inimitable singing voice. Beautiful song, beautiful voice - our one and only Luke.

Matt McGinn, another of the folk music's true icons.

Such a sad loss to the world of song, both of them. Taken from us far too early, taken in their prime.

[shaketheshite]

i've seen hearts and souls ripped out and societys broken because of the pit closure.this song as some sentiment with theses tormented souls.god bless the miners and come the glorious day.brothers in arms

[Isharoyeh]

My great grandfather was a copper miner in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I'm going to share this song with his daughter, my grandmother. I know this is about a coal miner, but the symbolism is the same. Thank you for posting this video!

[podger81]

just read your comment isharoyeh, there is another wonderful miners song sung by luke (school days over by the dubliners) hope you enjoy regards from dublin.

[northsydneyreid]

Stand the Gaff Bye's!!!!

[poshknacker]

i imagine the scraping and the skin soaking dirt and the sharp noise and the air dust filled with the sweat and the toil of the miners. This is thrilling and made even more so with eleanor mcginns contribution. big love.

[elmcg]

Oh my god!!! My hero Luke Kelly singing my dad's song!! This is beautiful, beautiful!! I had no idea this existed or that Luke Kelly had even sung this although they were great friends!!! LOVE THIS. Thank you soooooooo much for posting! Eleanor McGinn

[thetwangman]

my pleasure eleanor. apologies for not crediting matt. i've now rectified that.

[tango16]

Awesome!

[dubliner85]

amazing! where did you get this?

[kellyoneill]

Hey Ard, I have it, i'll send you a copy :)

[thetwangman]

i got it off rte radio 1's ceili house program 4 or 5 years ago. they did a tribute to luke live from dublin's liberty hall.

[dubliner85]

thanks for the info, are there more rare luke songs from that program?

[thetwangman]

i'm afraid not. the program was a live concert from 2004 and they only played 1 song of luke's from the rte archives.

[dubliner85]

amazing! where did you get this song?