Sliabh Gallion Brea - Gemma Hasson

Gemma Hasson singing Slieve Gallion Brea.

My name is Joe McGarvey and as you might understand,
I come from Derrygennard were I own a farm of land;
But my rents are getting higher, and I can no longer stay,
So farewell unto you bonny, bonny Sliabh Gallion's Brae.

How Oft have I rambled with my dog and my gun,
sure I rambled your mountains for joy and for fun,
But these days they are all over, and I must go away;
So farewell unto you bonny, bonny Sliabh Gallion's Brae.

It's not for the want of climent iam going,
That causes the fair sons of Old Ireland to roam,
But our rents were getting higher, and we can no longer pay;
So farewell unto you bonny, bonny Sliabh Gallion's Brae.

Farewell to Old Erin, that land of history,
To the parish of Lissan and the cross of Ballinascreen,
May good fortune shine upon you while I am far away,
and a lone farewell to bonny, bonny Sliabh Gallion's Brae.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• ireland
• irish
• irishfolk
• folk
• slieve
• gallion
• brea
• gemma
• hasson
• music
• song
• machree01

[wooshgallywoosh]

at long last gemma wondered what had become of her great to hear the voice!

[machree01]

I love the tremble in her voice, a lovely singer.

[clarebannerman]

I love love this ballad. First heard it in the early 60's. I have Dolores Keane singing it but this is a lovely version also.

[terrygrif]

What a wonderful thing youtube is! I didn't know this singer before so thanks for introducing her. The song I know well. It was a favourite of my grandmother in Donegal.

Terry.

[gambling68]

who wrote this song

[tullygeevagh]

No one sings like Gemma, I think she had the most beautiful voice of them all. What a pity there is so little recorded but many thanks for posting this.

[LindsayCurran]

Just discovered Gemma Hasson one song ago - she is superb singer -Thanks to machree and all the people sharing memories of her - Amazing voice and delivery! She is sublime!

[X5toh]

She is also my aunt and it's such a pity her talent didn't get to where she much deserved, I used to Sit as a child and watch her play her guitar and sing at grannies these memories I will never forget

[paulinemccann1]

Gemma, is an aunt of mine an gave up singing a good while ago.

[92mercy]

Thank you b4u1i1 in Lissan, I still have distant cousins living at Ballybriest up by Lough Fea and in Cookstown - Fergusons...you may know of them. I had the chance to visit briefly last May - it was amazing....such a beautiful part of the world. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming...I didn't want to leave :-)

[b4u1i1]

I live in Lissan! That was a nice story!

[HeavensArcher]

My great grandfather Robert Ferguson knew this song! He was born in 1845 at Lough Fea, & later lived & raised 11 kids in the Parish of Lissan on 'a farm of land' in Letteran Road on the lower slopes of Sleive Gallon, before coming to N.Z. in 1913. Astoundingly his granddaughter married in N.Z. a McGarvey who also originated from Sleive Gallon!

What a beautiful song...brought tears to my eyes as the tales of Ireland have been passed down to Robert's decendants on the far side of the world!