Irish Tradition : Poem "Caoch O'Leary"

A slightly sentimental but yet quite accurate portrayal of Ireland's travelling pipers of the first half of the 19th. These verses are from a longer poem by John Keegan from Co. Laois ( died 1849) and the reading here is by Benedict Kiely. The reel is "The Wind That Shakes The Barley" played by Liam O Flynn. Another scratchy post from the LP "Mo Cheol Thú".

One winter's day, long, long ago,
When I was a little fellow,
A piper wandered to our door,
Grey-headed, blind and yellow;

And, how glad was my young heart
Though earth and sky looked dreary,
To see the stranger and his dog -
Poor Pinch and Caoch O'Leary.

O God be with those happy times
O God be with my childhood.
When I bareheaded roamed all day
Bird nesting in the wildwood

I'll not forget those sunny hours
However years may vary.
I'll not forget my early friends
Nor honest Caoch O'Leary.

Poor Caoch and Pinch slept well that night,
And in the morning early
He called me up to hear him play
"The wind that shakes the barley:"

And then he stroked my flaxen hair
And cried, "God mark my deary"
And how I wept when he said "Farewell,
And think of Caoch O'Leary."

Well twenty summers had gone past,
And June's red sun was sinking,
When I, a man, sat by my door,
Of twenty sad things thinking.

A little dog came up the way,
His gait was slow and weary,
And at his tail a lame man limped -
'Twas Pinch and Caoch O'Leary.

"God's blessing here!" the wanderer cried,
"Far, far be hell's black viper:
Does anybody hereabouts
Remember Caoch the Piper?"

With swelling heart I grasped his hand,
The old man murmured. "Deary,
Are you the silky-headed child
That loved poor Caoch O'Leary?"

"Yes, yes," I said the wanderer wept
As if his heart was breaking
"And where, a mhic mo chridh'," he sobbed,
"Is all the merry-making

I found here twenty years ago
"My tale," I sighed, "mighty weary:
Enough to say there's none but me
To welcome Caoch O'Leary."

With Pinch I watched his bed that night,
Next day his wish was granted,
He died and Father James was brought,
And the Requiem Mass was chanted.

The neighbours came, to dig his grave
Near Eily, Kate and Mary.
And there he sleeps his last sweet sleep
God rest you Caoch O'Leary.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Irish
• Tradition
• Poem
• Caoch
• O'Leary
• Benedict
• Kiely
• Liam
• Flynn

[aboodmatar]

i like the accent

[UISTMAN59]

so do I , a great reading voice :-)

[seamuslynn]

Sweet and lovely!

[UISTMAN59]

Thanks Seamus Go raibh míle maith agat :-)

[pipewatcher]

thanks again, UISTMAN59-'s go- h-alainn seo

[UISTMAN59]

You're welcome pipewatcher :-)

[prunch72]

Well twenty summers had gone past and as June's red sun was sinking

and I a man, sat by my door of twenty sad things thinking'....

[00JTM]

Surprisingly, I actually like this

[restlesswave]

great post uistman-my da learned this in the 30`s as they would say `off by heart` at owey island national school. great poem-the old fella animates it better though!-regards from your donegal neighbours.

[UISTMAN59]

Thanks my friend :-)

[trichoone]

BEAUTIFUL thats all i can say about it .