Carrickfergus (song)
Encyclopedia
"Carrickfergus" is an Irish
folk song
. The origins of the song are unclear, but it has been traced to an Irish language
song, "Do bhí bean uasal" ("There Was a Noblewoman"), which is attested to the poet Cathal Buí Mac Giolla Ghunna
, who died in 1745 in County Clare
.
The song appears on a ballad sheet in Cork City
in the mid Nineteenth Century in macaronic
form.
The Irish
lyrics were about a man being cuckolded, a bawdy and humorous ditty. By contrast, the English lyrics are nostalgic.
With the Industrial Revolution, a linen-trade developed between Co. Antrim
(where Carrickfergus
is situated), and Co. Cork
. It is possible the English lyrics came from snatches picked up in interactions with the Ulstermen
.
Robert Gogan suggests Carrickfergus may have evolved from at least two separate songs which would explain why it doesn't have a consistent narrative.
For example, the Ancient Music of Ireland, published by George Petrie in 1855, contained a song called The Young Lady which featured many but not all of the lyrics used in Carrickfergus.
Gogan also refers to a recording of a song called Sweet Maggie Gordon which is kept in the Music for the Nation section of the US Library of Congress. It was published by Mrs Pauline Lieder in New York in 1880. It contains verses which are similar to Carrickfergus, but the chorus is closer to another Irish/Scottish folk song called Peggy Gordon.
In modern times, "Carrickfergus" became known after actor Peter O'Toole
related it to Dominic Behan
, who put it in print and made a recording in the mid-1960s. The middle verse was allegedly written by Behan.
The song has been recorded by many well known performers including Paddy Reilly
, Declan Affley
, Joan Baez
, Dominic Behan
, Charlotte Church
, De Dannan
, Joe Dassin
(as Mon village du bout du monde), The Dubliners
, Bryan Ferry
, Brian Kennedy
, Declan Galbraith
, Irish Stew of Sindidun
, Lisa Kelly
, Loreena McKennitt
, Órla Fallon
, Van Morrison
, Bryn Terfel
, Van Morrison and the Chieftains
, Ronan Keating
and Allison Moorer
. The song is a popular request at folk festivals and concerts, and was played at the 1999 funeral of John F. Kennedy, Jr.
The song was more recently performed by Loudon Wainwright III
over the closing credits of HBO's series, Boardwalk Empire.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
folk song
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
. The origins of the song are unclear, but it has been traced to an Irish language
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
song, "Do bhí bean uasal" ("There Was a Noblewoman"), which is attested to the poet Cathal Buí Mac Giolla Ghunna
Cathal Buí Mac Giolla Ghunna
-Biography:Along with Peadar Ó Doirnín, Art Mac Cumhaigh and Séamas Dall Mac Cuarta, Cathal Buí Mac Giolla Ghunna one of the four most prominent of the south Ulster and north Leinster poets in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries...
, who died in 1745 in County Clare
County Clare
-History:There was a Neolithic civilisation in the Clare area — the name of the peoples is unknown, but the Prehistoric peoples left evidence behind in the form of ancient dolmen; single-chamber megalithic tombs, usually consisting of three or more upright stones...
.
The song appears on a ballad sheet in Cork City
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
in the mid Nineteenth Century in macaronic
Macaronic language
Macaronic refers to text spoken or written using a mixture of languages, sometimes including bilingual puns, particularly when the languages are used in the same context . The term is also sometimes used to denote hybrid words, which are in effect internally macaronic...
form.
The Irish
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
lyrics were about a man being cuckolded, a bawdy and humorous ditty. By contrast, the English lyrics are nostalgic.
With the Industrial Revolution, a linen-trade developed between Co. Antrim
County Antrim
County Antrim is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,844 km², with a population of approximately 616,000...
(where Carrickfergus
Carrickfergus
Carrickfergus , known locally and colloquially as "Carrick", is a large town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is located on the north shore of Belfast Lough, from Belfast. The town had a population of 27,201 at the 2001 Census and takes its name from Fergus Mór mac Eirc, the 6th century king...
is situated), and Co. Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
. It is possible the English lyrics came from snatches picked up in interactions with the Ulstermen
Ulster
Ulster is one of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island. In ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial...
.
Robert Gogan suggests Carrickfergus may have evolved from at least two separate songs which would explain why it doesn't have a consistent narrative.
For example, the Ancient Music of Ireland, published by George Petrie in 1855, contained a song called The Young Lady which featured many but not all of the lyrics used in Carrickfergus.
Gogan also refers to a recording of a song called Sweet Maggie Gordon which is kept in the Music for the Nation section of the US Library of Congress. It was published by Mrs Pauline Lieder in New York in 1880. It contains verses which are similar to Carrickfergus, but the chorus is closer to another Irish/Scottish folk song called Peggy Gordon.
In modern times, "Carrickfergus" became known after actor Peter O'Toole
Peter O'Toole
Peter Seamus Lorcan O'Toole is an Irish actor of stage and screen. O'Toole achieved stardom in 1962 playing T. E. Lawrence in Lawrence of Arabia, and then went on to become a highly-honoured film and stage actor. He has been nominated for eight Academy Awards, and holds the record for most...
related it to Dominic Behan
Dominic Behan
Dominic Behan was an Irish songwriter, short story writer, novelist and playwright who wrote in both Irish and English. He was also a committed socialist and Irish Republican...
, who put it in print and made a recording in the mid-1960s. The middle verse was allegedly written by Behan.
The song has been recorded by many well known performers including Paddy Reilly
Paddy Reilly
Patrick 'Paddy' Reilly is an Irish folk singer and guitarist. He is one of Ireland's most famous balladeers and is best known for his renditions of "The Fields of Athenry" and "The Town I Loved So Well"....
, Declan Affley
Declan Affley
Declan Affley was an Australian folk singer and musician. He was born in Cardiff, Wales, and became a seaman, jumping ship in Australia in 1959.- Folk singer and musician :...
, Joan Baez
Joan Baez
Joan Chandos Baez is an American folk singer, songwriter, musician and a prominent activist in the fields of human rights, peace and environmental justice....
, Dominic Behan
Dominic Behan
Dominic Behan was an Irish songwriter, short story writer, novelist and playwright who wrote in both Irish and English. He was also a committed socialist and Irish Republican...
, Charlotte Church
Charlotte Church
Charlotte Maria Church is a Welsh singer-songwriter, actress and television presenter. She rose to fame in childhood as a classical singer before branching into pop music in 2005. By 2007, she had sold more than 10 million records worldwide including over 5 million in the United States...
, De Dannan
De Dannan
De Dannan was an Irish folk music group. They were formed by Frankie Gavin , Alec Finn , Johnny "Ringo" McDonagh and Charlie Piggott as a result of sessions in Hughes's Pub in An Spidéal, County Galway, subsequently inviting Dolores Keane to join the band...
, Joe Dassin
Joe Dassin
Joseph Ira Dassin , more commonly known as Joe Dassin, was an American singer-songwriter best known for his French songs of the 1960s and 1970s.-Biography:...
(as Mon village du bout du monde), The Dubliners
The Dubliners
The Dubliners are an Irish folk band founded in 1962.-Formation and history:The Dubliners, initially known as "The Ronnie Drew Ballad Group", formed in 1962 and made a name for themselves playing regularly in O'Donoghue's Pub in Dublin...
, Bryan Ferry
Bryan Ferry
Bryan Ferry, CBE is an English singer, musician, and songwriter. Ferry came to public prominence in the early 1970s as lead vocalist and principal songwriter with the band Roxy Music, who enjoyed a highly successful career with three number one albums and ten singles entering the top ten charts in...
, Brian Kennedy
Brian Kennedy (singer)
Brian Edward Patrick Kennedy is an Irish singer-songwriter and author, known for his ballads, and has represented Ireland at Eurovision 2006. He is the younger brother of musician Bap Kennedy.-Personal life:...
, Declan Galbraith
Declan Galbraith
Declan John Galbraith is an English singer. He is best known for his 2002 hit single, "Tell Me Why", which peaked at #29 in the UK Singles Chart.-Early influence:...
, Irish Stew of Sindidun
Irish Stew of Sindidun
Irish Stew of Sindidun is a Celtic rock band from Belgrade, Serbia. While initially playing Irish folk music, the band later made a shift towards light punk rock, inspired by Irish folk music and other genres...
, Lisa Kelly
Lisa Kelly
Lisa Ann Kelly is a singer of both classical and celtic music. She has taken part in many musical theatre productions and concerts, and is a member of the musical group Celtic Woman.-Early life:...
, Loreena McKennitt
Loreena McKennitt
Loreena Isabel Irene McKennitt, CM, OM, is a Canadian singer, composer, harpist, accordionist and pianist who writes, records and performs world music with Celtic and Middle Eastern themes. McKennitt is known for her refined, clear soprano vocals...
, Órla Fallon
Órla Fallon
Órlagh Fallon , professionally known as Órla Fallon, is an Irish soloist, songwriter and former member of the group Celtic Woman and the chamber choir Anúna.- Life and career :...
, Van Morrison
Van Morrison
Van Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
, Bryn Terfel
Bryn Terfel
Bryn Terfel Jones CBE is a Welsh bass-baritone opera and concert singer. Terfel was initially associated with the roles of Mozart, particularly Figaro and Leporello, but has subsequently shifted his attention to heavier roles, especially those by Wagner....
, Van Morrison and the Chieftains
The Chieftains
The Chieftains are a Grammy-winning Irish musical group founded in 1962, best known for being one of the first bands to make Irish traditional music popular around the world.-Name:...
, Ronan Keating
Ronan Keating
Ronan Patrick John Keating is an Irish recording artist, singer-songwriter, musician, and philanthropist. Keating debuted on the professional music scene alongside Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Shane Lynch and Stephen Gately, in 1994 as the lead singer of Boyzone. His solo career started in 1999, and...
and Allison Moorer
Allison Moorer
Allison Moorer is an American alternative country singer and the younger sister of Shelby Lynne. She signed to MCA Nashville in 1998 and made her debut on the U.S...
. The song is a popular request at folk festivals and concerts, and was played at the 1999 funeral of John F. Kennedy, Jr.
John F. Kennedy, Jr.
John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Jr. , often referred to as John F. Kennedy, Jr., JFK Jr., John Jr. or John-John, was an American socialite, magazine publisher, lawyer, and pilot. The elder son of U.S. President John F...
The song was more recently performed by Loudon Wainwright III
Loudon Wainwright III
Loudon Snowden Wainwright III is a Grammy Award-winning American songwriter, folk singer, humorist, and actor. He is the father of musicians Rufus Wainwright, Martha Wainwright and Lucy Wainwright Roche, brother of Sloan Wainwright, and the former husband of the late folk singer Kate McGarrigle.To...
over the closing credits of HBO's series, Boardwalk Empire.
Lyrics
- I wish I was in Carrickfergus, only for nights in Ballygrand
- I would swim over the deepest ocean, the deepest ocean for my love to find
- But the sea is wide and I cannot swim over and neither have I wings to fly
- If I could find me a handsome boatman to ferry me over to my love and die
- My childhood days bring back sad reflections of happy times I spent so long ago
- My boyhood friends and my own relations have all passed on now like melting snow
- But I'll spend my days in endless roaming, soft is the grass, my bed is free
- Ah to be back in Carrickfergus on that long road down to the sea
- And in Kilkenny it is reported there are marble stones as black as ink
- With gold and silver I would support her, but I'll sing no more now till I get a drink
- I'm drunk today and I'm seldom sober, a handsome rover from town to town
- Ah, but I'm sick now, my days are numbered so come all ye young men and lay me down
Do bhí bean uasal
- Do bhí bean uasal seal dá lua liom,
- 's chuir sí suas díom fóraíl ghéar;
- Do ghabhas lastuas di sna bailte móra
- Mar go dtug sí svae ['sway'] léi os comhair an tsaoil.
- Ach dá bhfaighinnse a ceann siúd faoi áirsí an teampaill,
- Do bheinn gan amhras ar m'ábhar féin;
- Ach anois táim tinn lag 's gan fáil ar leigheas agam.
- Is go mbeidh mo mhuintir ag gol im' dhéidh.
- Do shiúlaíos Éire is an Mhumhain le chéile
- Is cois Beann Éadair ag lorg mná,
- Is ní fhaca éinne ar fhaid an méid sin
- Do dhein mé phléasáil ach mo Mhalaí Bán.
- Mná na hÉireann do chur le chéile
- Is nach mór an t-aeraíocht dom san a rá;
- 'Sé dúirt gach éinne a chonaic mo spéirbhean.
- Go dtug sí svae léi ó Chontae an Chláir.
- Tá an ghrian ag imeacht is tá an teas ag tréigean
- Is an tart ní féidir liom féin do chlaoi,
- Mar go bhfuil an geall orm ó Shamhain go Féabhraí
- Is ní bheidh sí reidh liom go dtí Lá Mhichíl;
- Ach geallaim féin daoibh nach mar gheall ar an méid sin
- A d'iontaíos féinig i gcoinne na dí,
- Ach mar gheall ar mo chéad searc a dhein mé thréigean -
- Chuaigh sí ag bailiú déirce dá clann iníon.
- Agus táim tinn breoite is mo chos dheas leonta
- Ó ghabh an ógbhean úd tharam isteach;
- D'iarras póigín uair nó dhó uirthi,
- For I'd long to roam with my own sweetheart.
- For I'm tired of drinking and I'm seldom sober!
- I'm a constant rover from town to town!
- But now I'm dying and my days are over -
- Come Malaí, a stóirín, and lay me down!)
External links
- Kylie Mory — Carrickfergus at music.ronet.ru site which has more than 20 other Carrickfergus recordings. This version uses the alternative lyrics.
- Brian Kennedy — Carrickfergus (Excerpt)
- Seán Ó Sé's rendition
- Useful Discussion of history of the song at Mudcat CaféMudcat CafeThe Mudcat Café is an online discussion group and song and tune database, which also includes many other features relating to folk music.-History:...
- http://www.irishmusicforever.com/carrickfergus