Eugene Dunphy: Beneath Napoleon's Nose

The short film 'Beneath Napoleon's Nose' features the full unabridged version of the song. The images are a selection of photographs and artwork I've collected over the years. -- Eugene Dunphy, 2008.

Article below by Patricia Kavanagh:

Eugene Dunphy has been writing poems and singing songs for many years now.

When but a boy, he and his family moved from Omagh, County Tyrone to Belfast. He now lives in the shadow of that renowned Belfast landmark known as 'Napoleon's Nose'. "Is it the hill that looks like a face or is it the face that looks like a hill?", he asks.

'Naploeon's Nose' is part of that prominence called the 'Cavehill' a.k.a 'Ben Madigan'. "This song", he says, "first saw light as a poem" -- like most other songs on his album 'Beneath Napoleon's Nose'. "The history, folklore and mythology and it's hills have been and still are the stuff of inspiration. What happened there generations ago mirrors what's happening now in the hearts and minds of it's citizens".

He adds, "In this song, I tell of a few of the characters famously associated with the hill like the chieftain Madigan, Wolfe Tone and Naoise O'Haughan the rapparee (highwayman). I tried to highlight that modern man and technology will come and go but nature doesn't deem either greed or machinery as being of significance. Nature, you could say, regards our own importance as mere transcience. I wouldn't be so arrogant as to try and educate anyone but we must remind ourselves of our place on this earth and that place, if it had a name, could be called 'humility'. I hope we have the grace to let it remain unscathed and let any resculpting of the hills be made by the elements alone".



Other songs on Eugene's CD:

Frederick Street
Big In Little America
My Lagan Love again
The Singer and The Song
Delta Town
Happy Dez
Dream Again Tomorrow
Forever Clarendon
The Ghost Of Lawrence Dundon

CD is available at Culturlainn, 216 Falls Road, Belfast.


Patricia Kavanagh, January 2006.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• napoleon
• folk

[Finvola4]

Its great Eugene! Love from Finvola! I love your music constantly on my ipod hope to see you soon! xx

[brunospaws]

this song has stuck in my head :o) 5/5 rating

[brunospaws]

top video - nice variety in the imagery :o) nice wee tune too!