Irish Tradition : "The Lark In The Clear Air"

"The lark in the clear air" was the theme tune to "Mo Cheol Thu" presented by Ciaran Mac Mathuna on Radio Eireann for many years - always a great start to a Sunday morning.




Dear thoughts are in my mind
And my soul soars enchanted
As I hear the sweet lark sing
In the clear air of the day.
For a tender beaming smile
To my hope has been granted
And tomorrow she shall hear
All my fond heart would say.


I shall tell her all my love
And my soul's adoration
And I think she will hear me
And will not say me nay.
It is this that gives my soul
All its joyous elation
As I hear the sweet lark sing
In the clear air of the day.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Irish
• Tradition
• The
• Lark
• In
• Clear
• Air
• Geraldine
• O'Grady
• Eily
• Celtic
• Celtique
• Violin
• Fiddle
• Piano

[keomut83]

could you tell me who played the violin on this song?

[UISTMAN59]

@keomut83 The name of the violinist /fiddler is on the first frame of the video. i.e. Geraldine O'Grady. Her sister Eily O'Grady is the pianist.

[qwertyuiop1458]

Absolutely fantastic man.Had the pleasure of sitting beside him at the tribute concert to him in Glór when musicians came from all over Ireland to honour him a few short years. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis ceolmhar uasal.

Ní bheidh a leithéid ann arís tá san cinnte.

[hopperusm]

Just heard that Ciaran passed away this evening - very sad indeed...only my mid thirties but I remeber him from every Sunday morning growing up as some one said above you could almost smell a fry when I here it - a great authority on irish music and old traditions etc - very sad night indeed - ni raibh a leithid aris an!

[TheoWolfe98]

@UISTMAN59 Jesus, this brings a tear to my eye, my father rattling the grate of the range in his impatient way, the smell of rashers and sausages and shoe polish from the shoes being polished for Mass. So long ago and yet so near and the wonderful voice of Ciarán.

[smithdonal]

Ah. A set of YouTube comments that I can get with. A little oasis. So nice to see that a few people share that Sunday morning nostalgia. Glad that they do. No-one can ever touch it. This tune will probably give me goosebumps for the rest of my life.

[clarebannerman]

The hangover of a Sunday Morning seemed to always improve after listening to this beautiful piece.

[keomut83]

@UISTMAN59 oh oh I see. Thank you so much! Great artists!

[culgirl2k9]

love this song its so lovely,

[lordiveagh]

I can close my eyes and remember those sunday mornings growing up and my dad lord have mercy on him would have this on every single sunday, its amazing how powerful an effect this tune must have on a generation who heard it, and also possibly the most soothing and relaxing voice of them all ciaran mac mathuna, and thats from me a downtown Dublinman! we'd listen to this then go to mass in the procathederal or dolier st and then over to hector grey at the hapenny bridge to spend our 5p pcket money

[myfiction1]

Brings back the fondest of childhood memories, thank you

[claney01]

Try -

rte.ie/radio1/mocheolthu/10662­25 it's a link to Ciarain McMathuna's last year on radio. The very last programme is very poignant. But the Heaney poem about the Blasket's is beautiful.