Seán Ó Duibhir a' Ghleanna - Tim Dennehy

This is a fine example of Irish unaccompanied singing in English. The singer, Tim Dennehy, is from Kerry but lives in Clare. The track is from his CD 'The Blue Green Door' (http://www.sceilig.com/)

After Aughrim's great disaster,
When our foe in sooth was master,
It was you who first plunged in
And swam the Shannon's boiling flood,
And through Slieveloom's dark passes,
When you led your gallowglasses,
Although the hungry Saxon wolves were howling for your blood.
And as we crossed Tipperary, we rived the Clan O'Leary,
And we drove a creach ('pillage', 'rout') before them as their horsemen onward came,
With our swords and spears we gored them,
As through flood and tide we bore them,
Ah, but Seán Ó Duibhir an Ghleanna, you were worsted in the game.

It was long, long we kept the hillside,
And our couch hard by the rillside
With the sturdy knotted oaken boughs our curtain overhead,
And the summer sun we laughed at, oh
The winter snow we scoffed at,
And trusted in our long bright swords to win us daily bread.
Till the Dutchman's troops came round us,
In fire and sword they bound us,
They blazed the woods and mountains till the very clouds were flame,
Yet our sharpened swords cut through them,
To their very hearts we hewed them,
Ah, but Seán Ó Duibhir an Ghleanna, you were worsted in the game.

So here's a health to yours and my king,
The sovereign of our liking,
And to Sarsfield, underneath whose flag we'll cast once more a chance.
For the morning dawn will wing us
All across the seas and bring us
To take a stand and to wield a brand among the sons of France.
And though we part in sorrow,
Still, Seán Ó Duibhir a chara***,
Our prayer is God save Ireland and pour blessings on her name,
May her sons be true when needed,
May they never fail as we did,
For, Seán Ó Duibhir an Ghleanna, you were worsted in the game.
*********************
In this song the 17th century attempts to free Ireland is presented with poignancy and passion. After the Treaty of Limerick in 1691 Patrick Sarsfield and most of his army abandoned Ireland to serve in the army of France. Between that bleak departure and 1789 an estimated 500,000 Irishmen, the 'Wild Geese' were to follow them to France, to Austria, to Spain...

It was written by Canon Patrick Augustine Sheehan (http://www.iol.ie/~nodonnel/canonsheehan.html).
Canon Sheehan died in 1913, just a few short years too soon to see most of Ireland finally free from total English domination.

We are not, of course, free from English influence but that is quite a different and much more acceptable matter between neighbouring countries...

******************************

For those able to read Irish here are some verses from the justly famous 'Seán Ó Duibhir a' Ghleanna' ('John O'Dwyer of the Glen'), the inspiration for Canon Sheehan's majestic lament. One of Ireland's greatest Gaelic ballads, it is sung to the same enduring melody used by Tim Dennehy.

SEÁN Ó DUIBHIR A' GHLEANNA

Ar m'éirí dom ar maidin, grian an tsamhradh a' taitneamh,

Chuala 'n uaill á casadh, 'gus ceol binn na n-éan:

Broc is míolta gearra, creabhair na ngoba fada,

Fuaim ag an macalla, 'gus lámhach gunnaí tréan.

An sionnach rua ar an gcarraig, míle liú ag marcaigh,

Is bean go dubhach sa mbealach
 ag direamh a cuid gé.

Anois tá 'n choill á gearradh,
 triallfaimid thar caladh;

Is a Sheán Uí Dhuibhir an Ghleanna,
 tá tú gan ghéim.




Is é sin m'uaigneas fada
 scáth mo chluas á ghearradh,


An ghaoth aduaidh dom leathadh., 'gus bás ins an spéir:


Mo ghadhairín suairc a cheangal
 gan cead lúth ná aistíocht';


A bhainfeadh gruaim den leanbh,
 i meán ghil' an lae.




Croí na huaisle ar an gcarraig,
 go ceáfach buacach beannach,


A thiocfadh suas ar aiteann, go lá deireadh 'n tsaoil.

'S dá bhfaighinnse suaimhneas tamall
 ó dhaoine uaisle 'n bhaile,


Do thriallfainn féin ar Ghaillimh
 is d'fhágfainn an scléip.




Táid fearann ghleanna 'n tsrutha
 gan cheann ná teann ar lochaibh,


I sráid na gcuach ní molfar 
a sláinte ná a saol;


Mo loma luain gan fosga
 ó Chluain go Stuaic na gcólum,


'S an gearrfhia ar bruach an Rosa
 ar fán le n-a ré.




Créad i an ruaig so ar thoraibh,
 buala buan a mbona?


An smóilín binn 's an londubh
 gan sár-ghuth ar ghéig;


'S gur mór an tuar chun cogaidh cléir go buartha 's pobail,


Dá seoladh i 'gcuantaibh loma
 i lár ghleanna 'n tsléibhe.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Tim Kennedy
• Seán Ó Duibhir a' Ghleanna
• Battle of Aughrim
• The Blue Green Door
• Canon Patrick Sheehan
• William of Orange
• Patrick Sarsfield
• Irish ballads

[armaghlore]

MAY THEIR SONS NOT FAIL AS WE DID

[AnCiotog]

Iontach

[MacliamOg]

Beautiful voice. "Remember Limerick and Saxon perfidy"