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IRISH & CELTIC Tunes
E - G
FIELDS OF ATHENRY
By a lonely prison wall,
I heard a young girl calling
"Michael, they have taken you away,
For you stole Trevelyan's corn,
So the young might see the morn.
Now a prison ship lies waiting in the bay."
CHORUS
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 matters, Mary, when you're free.
Against the famine and the crown,
I rebelled, they cut me down.
Now you must raise our child with dignity."
CHORUS
By a lonely harbor wall,
she watched the last star fall
As the 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.
CHORUS
***
FOGGY DEW
'Twas down the glen one Easter morn
To a city fair rode I.
When armed line of marching men
In squadrons passed me by.
No pipes did hum, no battle drum
Did sound its loud tattoo
But the Angelus bell - o'er the Liffey's swell
Rang out in the foggy dew.
Right proudly high over Dublin town
They hung out a flag of war.
'Twas better to die 'neath an Irish sky
Than at Suvla or Sud el Bar.
And from the plains of Royal Meath
Strong men came hurrying through;
While Brittania's huns with their great big guns
Sailed in through the foggy dew.
O' the night fell black and the rifles' crack
Made "Perfidious Abion" reel
'Mid the leaden rail, seven tongues of flame
Did shine o'er the lines of steel.
By each shining blade a prayer was said
That to Ireland her sons be true,
And when morning broke - still the war flag shook
Out its fold in the foggy dew.
'Twas England bade our wild geese go
That small nations might be free.
But their lonely graves are by Suvla's waves
On the fringe of the gray North Sea.
But had they died by Pearse's side
Or fought with Cathal Brugha,
Their names we'd keep
where the Fenians sleep
'Neath the shroud of the foggy dew.
The bravest fell, and the solemn bell
Rang mournfully and clear
For those who died that Watertide
In the springing of the year.
And the world did gaze with deep amaze
At those fearless men, but few
Who bore the fight that freedom's light
Might shine through the foggy dew.
Ah, back through the glen I rode again
and my heart with grief was sore
For I parted then with valiant men
whom I never shall see more.
But to and fro in my dreams I go and
I'd kneel and pray for you,
For slavery fled, O glorious dead, when
you fell in the foggy dew.
***
GYPSY ROVER
A gypsy rover came over the hill
Down through the valley so shady.
He whistled and he sang -
'til the green woods rang
And he won the heart of a lady.
CHORUS
Ah-dee-doo-ah-dee-doo-dah-day
Ah-dee-doo-ah-dee-day-dee
He whistled and he sang -
'til the green woods rang
And he won the heart of a lady.
She left her father's castle gate.
She left her own fine lover.
She left her servants and her state
To follow her gypsy rover.
CHORUS
Her father saddled up his fastest steed
And roamed the valley all over.
Sought his daughter at great speed
And the whistlin' gypsy rover.
CHORUS
He came at last to a mansion fine
Down by the river Claydee.
And there was music
and there was wine
For the gypsy and his lady.
CHORUS
"He is no gypsy, my Father," she cried
"but Lord of these lands all over.
And I shall stay 'til my dying day
with my whistlin' gypsy rover."
CHORUS
***
FOLLOW ME UP TO CARLOW
By Patrick Joseph McCall
​
Lift MacCahir Og your face
brooding o'er the old disgrace
That black FitzWilliam stormed your place,
drove you to the Fern.
Grey said victory was sure soon
the firebrand he'd secure;
Until he met at Glenmalure
with Feach MacHugh O'Byrne.
CHORUS
Curse and swear Lord Kildare
Feagh will do what Feach will dare
Now FitzWilliam, have a care
Fallen is your star, low.
Up with halbert out with sword
On we'll go for by the lord
Feach MacHugh has given the word,
Follow me up to Carlow.
See the swords of Glen Imayle,
flashing o'er the English Pale.
See all the children of the Gael,
beneath O'Byrne's banners.
Rooster of the fighting stock,
would you let a Saxon cock
crow out upon an Irish rock,
fly up and teach him manners.
CHORUS
From Tassagart to Clonmore,
there flows a stream of Saxon gore
Och, great is Rory Oge O'More,
sending the loons to Hades.
White is sick and Grey is fled,
now for black Fitzwilliam's head
We'll send it over, dripping red,
to Queen Liza and the ladies.
CHORUS
***
The GALWAY SHAWL
In Oranmore in the County Galway,
One pleasant evening in the month of May,
I spied a damsel, she was young and handsome
Her beauty fairly took my breath away.
CHORUS
She wore no jewels, nor costly diamonds,
No paint or powder, no, none at all.
But she wore a bonnet with a ribbon on it
And round her shoulder - was a Galway Shawl.
We kept on walking, she kept on talking,
'Till her father's cottage came into view.
Said she: 'Come in, sir, and meet my father,
And play to please him "The Foggy Dew."
She sat me down beside the fire
I could see her father, he was six feet tall.
And soon her mother had the kettle singing
All I could think of was the Galway shawl.
CHORUS
I played "The Blackbird"
and "The Stack of Barley",
"Rodney's Glory" and "The Foggy Dew"
She sang each note like an Irish linnet.
While the tears flowed from her eyes so blue.
'Twas early, early, all in the morning,
When I hit the road for old Donegal.
She said 'Goodby, sir, - 'she cried and kissed me
But my heart remains with the Galway shawl
CHORUS
***
GRACE
By Sean & Frank O'Meara
As we gather in the chapel here -
in old Kilmainham Jail
I think about these past few weeks,
oh will they say we've failed.
From our school days they have told us
we must yearn for liberty.
Yet all I want in this dark place
is to have you here with me.
CHORUS
Oh Grace just hold me in your arms
and let this moment linger
They'll take me out at dawn and I will die.
With all my love I place
this wedding ring upon your finger
There won't be time to share our love
for we must say goodbye.
Now I know it's hard for you my love - to ever understand...
The love I bear for these brave men,
my love for this dear land.
But when the Padhraic called me to his side...
down in the GPO -
I had to leave my own sick bed,
to him I had to go.
CHORUS
Now as dawn is breaking,
my heart is breaking too.
On this May morn as I walk out
my thoughts will be of you
And I'll write some words upon the wall
so everyone will know
I love so much that I could see -
his blood upon the rose.
CHORUS
***
HOME BOYS HOME
​
Oh, well, who wouldn't be a sailor lad,
a sailin'on the main,
To gain the goodwill of his captain's good name
He came ashore, one evening for to be,
And that was the beginning
of my own true love and me,
for it's:
Chorus
Home, boys, home...
Home I'd like to be,
home for a while in the old Country
Where the oak and the ash
and the bonny rowan tree
Are all a growing greener
in the north Country
Well I asked her for a candle
for to light me up to bed,
And likewise for a handkerchief
to tie around me head,
She tended to me needs
like a young maid ought to do,
So then I says to her,
now won't you leap in with me too...
and it's …
Chorus
Well she jumped into bed - making no alarm,
Thinking a young sailor lad - could do to her no harm.
Well I hugged her and I kissed her - the whole night long,
Till she wished the short night - had been nine years long.
and it's…
Chorus
Well early next morning - the sailor lad arose,
And into Mary's apron - threw a handful of gold.
Saying, Take this me dear - for the mischief that I've done,
For tonight I fear I've left you - with a daughter or a son...
and it's …
Chorus
Well, if it be a girl child, send her out to nurse,
With gold in her pocket - and with silver in her purse,
And if it be a boy child - he'll wear the jacket blue
And go climbing up the rigging - like his daddy used to do',
and it's …
Chorus
Oh come all of you fair maidens, a warning take by me,
And never let a sailor lad - an inch above your knee,
For I trusted one and he beguiled me
He left me with a pair of twins - to dangle on me knee.
and it's …
Chorus
Home, boys, home...
Home I'd like to be,
home for a while in the old Country
Where the oak and the ash
and the bonny rowan tree
Are all a growing greener - in the north Country
***