Fields of Athenry - Paddy Reilly

(Lyrics below.)This Irish ballad is about a man from Athenry who has been sentenced to transportation to Australia for stealing food for his starving family. The potato famine killed over a million men, women, and children in Ireland (1845 -1851) and caused another million to flee the country. This Spadecaller video features the paintings of Ivan Aivazovsky, William Bougereau, Antonio Mancini, Renoir, and William John Waterhouse.

LYRICS:

By a lonely prison wall
I heard a young girl calling
Micheal they are taking you away
For you stole Trevelyn's corn
So the young might see the morn.
Now a prison ship lies waiting in the bay.

Low lie the Fields of Athenry
Where once we watched the small free birds fly.
Our love was on the wing we had dreams and songs to sing
It's so lonely 'round the Fields of Athenry.

By a lonely prison wall
I heard a young man calling
Nothing matter Mary when your free,
Against the Famine and the Crown
I rebelled they ran me down
Now you must raise our child with dignity.

Low lie the Fields of Athenry
Where once we watched the small free birds fly.
Our love was on the wing we had dreams and songs to sing
It's so lonely 'round the Fields of Athenry.

By a lonely harbor wall
She watched the last star falling
As that prison ship sailed out against the sky
Sure she'll wait and hope and pray
For her love in Botany Bay
It's so lonely 'round the Fields of Athenry.

Low lie the Fields of Athenry
Where once we watched the small free birds fly.
Our love was on the wing we had dreams and songs to sing
It's so lonely 'round the Fields of Athenry.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Music
• Folk
• Ballad
• Paddy
• Reilly
• Ireland
• Paintings
• Fine
• Art
• Potato
• Famine
• Australia
• Botany
• Bay
• Athenry
• Spadecaller

[merv12]

Thank you. A real song, with real images that moved me to tears. I play this down at the local pub with my mates most sunday nights. Sad songs are important. Great job mate.

[vicandmaes]

So beautiful and sad at the same time.

[MrSomerfeild]

but great song

[MrSomerfeild]

the potato famines a myth, it was more like the british rule letting over a million die

[seamuskomorowski]

reminds me of the celt pub on talbot street.

[yankel57]

I find myself singing this a lot lately. Truly one of the greats (Paddy as well)

[MrEverymanforhimself]

Sing this as loud as you can anywhere and anytime what a fucking track!! Beautiful

[davlinful]

Fabulous, made all the more real for me as I have been to both Athenry and Botany bay which is now the nearest suburb to Sydney airport. lovely song, lovely video, thank you.

[thomas080timmins]

great song takes you to your roots and hits you hard about what had really happened how tough it was great song aswell :D

[msclarkeyy]

@becks276 lovely story

[RonSherwin]

The more I learn about Irish history, the more important family and loved ones become, and the more helpless we seem to be in shaping our destiny, the more poignant this song becomes. Thank you, Nora, for everything.

[suppies12]

@standoff123 i always sing this song in the car :)