Galway Girl
Encyclopedia
"Galway Girl" or "The Galway Girl" is a song written by Steve Earle
and recorded with Irish musician Sharon Shannon
, which was featured on Earle's 2000 album Transcendental Blues
.
A cover version of the song by Mundy
and Shannon reached number 1 and became the most downloaded song of 2008 in Ireland.
, Ireland
. Local references include Salthill
and The Long Walk
.
The song also appears in the 2007
film, P.S. I Love You
where Gerard Butler
's character sings the song for Hilary Swank
's character. This was also sung by Jeffrey Dean Morgan
's character to Hilary Swank
.
The song featured in the TV series Treme
(in episode 9 of the second series, entitled "What Is New Orleans?"). It was performed by Steve Earle
(in his role of Harley, a street musician) with Lucia Micarelli
and Spider Stacy
(of The Pogues
) accompanying him on violin and pennywhistle.
collaborated with Sharon Shannon
on a cover of "Galway Girl", a track she had previously performed with Steve Earle
. A studio version of the track reached #1 in the Irish Singles Chart
in April 2008 and remained there for five weeks. It was the biggest selling download in the Republic of Ireland
in 2008, winning a Meteor Music Award in the process. The song was the highest selling single in Ireland in 2008.
Mundy also recorded an Irish language
version of the track, entitled "Cailín na Gaillimhe", for Ceol '08
, an Irish language compilation record which was released in 2008 to raise money for several Irish charities.
The Elders played this song on their 5th album The Best Crowd We Ever Had
.
The comedian Stewart Lee
references, and performs, the song in his 2009 Edinburgh Fringe show and also on his live DVD If You Prefer A Milder Comedian Please Ask for One released 11 Oct 2010.
Celtic Thunder recorded a version on their 2011 album Heritage
Steve Earle
Stephen Fain "Steve" Earle is an American singer-songwriter known for his rock and Texas Country as well as his political views. He is also a producer, author, a political activist, and an actor, and has written and directed a play....
and recorded with Irish musician Sharon Shannon
Sharon Shannon
Sharon Shannon is an Irish musician. She is best known for her work with the accordion and for her fiddle technique. She also plays the tin whistle and melodeon. Her 1991 album Sharon Shannon is the best selling album of traditional Irish music ever released there...
, which was featured on Earle's 2000 album Transcendental Blues
Transcendental Blues
Transcendental Blues is an album released in 2000 by Steve Earle. It features Sharon Shannon on the track "The Galway Girl". The album was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Contempory Folk Album category.-Track listing:...
.
A cover version of the song by Mundy
Mundy
Mundy is an Irish singer-songwriter. 'Mundy' is a nickname given to Enright, as it not only refers to his name Edmund, but it is how he pronounces the word "Monday".-Biography:...
and Shannon reached number 1 and became the most downloaded song of 2008 in Ireland.
Plot
"Galway Girl" tells the semi-autobiographical story of the singer's reaction to a beautiful black haired blue eyed girl he meets in GalwayGalway
Galway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the...
, Ireland
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...
. Local references include Salthill
Salthill
Salthill is a seaside area of Galway city, Ireland. It lies within the townland of Lenaboy and attracts many tourists all year round...
and The Long Walk
Spanish Arch
The Spanish Arch in Galway city, Ireland was originally an extension of the city wall from Martin's Tower to the bank of the Corrib, as a measure to protect the city's quays, which were located in the area once known as the Fish Market...
.
Features in popular culture
"Galway Girl" featured in the 2008 Bulmers/Magners cider advertising campaign.The song also appears in the 2007
2007 in film
This is a list of major films released in 2007.-Top grossing films:Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top grossing films that were first released in the USA in 2007...
film, P.S. I Love You
P.S. I Love You (film)
P.S. I Love You is a 2007 American drama film directed by Richard LaGravenese. The screenplay by LaGravenese and Steven Rogers is based on the 2004 novel of the same name by Cecelia Ahern. The film is dedicated to the memory of producer Molly Smith's sister Windland Smith Rice.-Plot:Holly and Gerry...
where Gerard Butler
Gerard Butler
Gerard James Butler is a Scottish actor who has appeared on film, stage, and television. A trained lawyer, Butler turned to acting in the mid-1990s with small roles in productions such as the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies , which he followed with steady work on television, most notably in...
's character sings the song for Hilary Swank
Hilary Swank
Hilary Ann Swank is an American actress. Swank's film career began with a small part in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and then a major part in The Next Karate Kid , as Julie Pierce, the first female protégé of sensei Mr. Miyagi...
's character. This was also sung by Jeffrey Dean Morgan
Jeffrey Dean Morgan
Jeffrey Dean Morgan is an American actor, best known to television and movie audiences as Denny Duquette on Grey's Anatomy, patriarch John Winchester on Supernatural, and as The Comedian in the 2009 superhero film Watchmen....
's character to Hilary Swank
Hilary Swank
Hilary Ann Swank is an American actress. Swank's film career began with a small part in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and then a major part in The Next Karate Kid , as Julie Pierce, the first female protégé of sensei Mr. Miyagi...
.
The song featured in the TV series Treme
Treme
Tremé is a neighborhood of the city of New Orleans. A subdistrict of the Mid-City District Area, its boundaries as defined by the City Planning Commission are Esplanade Avenue to the north, North Rampart Street to the east, St. Louis Street to the south and North Broad Street to the west...
(in episode 9 of the second series, entitled "What Is New Orleans?"). It was performed by Steve Earle
Steve Earle
Stephen Fain "Steve" Earle is an American singer-songwriter known for his rock and Texas Country as well as his political views. He is also a producer, author, a political activist, and an actor, and has written and directed a play....
(in his role of Harley, a street musician) with Lucia Micarelli
Lucia Micarelli
Lucia Micarelli is an American violinist and actress best known for her collaborations with Josh Groban and classic rock band Jethro Tull, and her role as Annie in Treme.-Early Life:...
and Spider Stacy
Spider Stacy
Peter "Spider" Stacy is an English musician. He is one of the founding members of London Irish band The Pogues.- External links :* [Twitter @SpiderStacy] [myspace.com/spiderstacythepogues]*...
(of The Pogues
The Pogues
The Pogues are a Celtic punk band, formed in 1982 and fronted by Shane MacGowan. The band reached international prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. MacGowan left the band in 1991 due to drinking problems but the band continued first with Joe Strummer and then with Spider Stacy on vocals before...
) accompanying him on violin and pennywhistle.
Mundy version
Irish artist MundyMundy
Mundy is an Irish singer-songwriter. 'Mundy' is a nickname given to Enright, as it not only refers to his name Edmund, but it is how he pronounces the word "Monday".-Biography:...
collaborated with Sharon Shannon
Sharon Shannon
Sharon Shannon is an Irish musician. She is best known for her work with the accordion and for her fiddle technique. She also plays the tin whistle and melodeon. Her 1991 album Sharon Shannon is the best selling album of traditional Irish music ever released there...
on a cover of "Galway Girl", a track she had previously performed with Steve Earle
Steve Earle
Stephen Fain "Steve" Earle is an American singer-songwriter known for his rock and Texas Country as well as his political views. He is also a producer, author, a political activist, and an actor, and has written and directed a play....
. A studio version of the track reached #1 in the Irish Singles Chart
Irish Singles Chart
The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured...
in April 2008 and remained there for five weeks. It was the biggest selling download in the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
in 2008, winning a Meteor Music Award in the process. The song was the highest selling single in Ireland in 2008.
Mundy also recorded 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...
version of the track, entitled "Cailín na Gaillimhe", for Ceol '08
Ceol '08
Ceol 'O8 is a 17-track double album of songs in Irish, to celebrate Seachtain na Gaeilge. It sees the combination of established acts such as the Delorentos, Mundy and the Coronas, alongside newer talents such as Luan Parle and Gemma Hayes....
, an Irish language compilation record which was released in 2008 to raise money for several Irish charities.
Other versions
The song was also covered by the Minnesota based Irish Group, The Langer's Ball, on their debut album "As I Roved Out"(2008).The Elders played this song on their 5th album The Best Crowd We Ever Had
The Best Crowd We Ever Had
- Track listing :# "The Best Crowd We Ever Had" - 0:33# "1849" - 4:44# "Packy Go Home" - 5:31# "Fire in the Hole" - 4:34# "Moore Street Girls" - 3:51# "Message from the Battle Zone" - 4:23# "Saint Kevin" - 4:27# "True Believer" - 4:08# "Men of Erin" - 3:26...
.
The comedian Stewart Lee
Stewart Lee
Stewart Lee is an English stand-up comedian, writer and director known for being one half of the 1990s comedy duo Lee and Herring, and for co-writing and directing the critically acclaimed and controversial stage show Jerry Springer - The Opera...
references, and performs, the song in his 2009 Edinburgh Fringe show and also on his live DVD If You Prefer A Milder Comedian Please Ask for One released 11 Oct 2010.
Celtic Thunder recorded a version on their 2011 album Heritage