Rang Deireanach an tSamhraidh - Dúlamán srl.

This will be the last class/workshop of our series.  I may continue to blog more songs though, as there are just so many to learn about and enjoy!  This time we will look at some very popular songs from the old traditional repetoir.  And we'll get another look at how different performances and arrangements can be.

One of the first groups to make popular arrangements of traditional songs was Clannad.  Here is their version of

Dúlamán

Here are their lyrics, with a translation.  A little tricky/peculiar, and again, this is a song with more than one speaker.  Altan, another big group from Donnegal who are known for their Irish language song arrangements, also did this song (their lyrics are almost the same).  Here is their version.  Celtic Women even did this song as part of their show.  Here it is preceded by An Cailín Álainn.  So this song is about as mainstream as Irish language songs get!  Although among the many other versions out there is one by the Dutch folk/rock/pagan band Omnia, so it runs the gamut. It's even in that animated movie, the Song of the Sea (sort of).  It is quite catchy...

Another very popular song, which is actually another Jacobite song about Bonny Prince Charlie, is

Mo Ghile Mear.

The lyrics aren't easy in this one - they are a few hundred years old, after all!  We don't always know where songs came from, but apparently Seán Clárach Mac Domhnaill as Ráth Luirc (1691–1754) wrote this one.  Lots of people have recorded this one, too.  Here's Mary Black singing it.  Not the same verses as above!  How about a nice choral arrangement (ah, the lyrics I know!)?  The Chieftains even let Sting sing the chorus in Irish...

(Seo amhrán neamh-thraidisiúnta dár gcara Caitríona ar an 26ú lá seo de Lúnasa!)

Ach cad a dhéanfaimid feasta?  But what will we do from now on?

Cill Chais

That version is The Dubliners.  Here are the lyrics.  Beware the translation!  This is another group from Galway doing it (in 1981), with English verses too.  There are lots of versions around of this song, too.  This song is apparently about the 18th century but probably composed in the 19th century (so not all that old...).  It's a lament for Margaret Magennis, Viscountess Iveagh, née Burke and also known as Margaret Butler (relative, a Sheosaimh?!).  I believe this is part of the Guinness family.

Antaine Ó Raiftearaí (c.1779-1835)

As I've mentioned already, in 2010 I was privileged to be part of a great TV program, which also became a book (2015), by Tadhg Mac Dhonnagháin, Mise Raiftearaí: An Fíodóir Focal (I am Raftery, the weaver of words). Antaine Ó Raiftearaí was a great poet and songwriter, a blind fiddle player, in the early 19thh century. He was one of the last great professional Irish language poets of the remnant of Gaelic Ireland. Hopefully someday I can show you all that program (I have a copy). I was in it because Raftery's most famous poem, Mise Raiftearaí an File (which Tadhg does not believe he actually wrote!) was published originally in An Gaodhal (An Gael), the periodical which I now edit and publish. Raftery's songs and poems are still very popular. It was Patrick Pearse who re-ignited interest in Raftery, after he heard someone singing one of the songs when he was learning Irish.


I have not found a way to get the film on-line, but this is a clip from it, about the first song we will look at, Eanach Dhúin (usually now mis-spelled as Eanach Chuain or Cuan - spelling is an issue with Raftery's name and more than one song title!). One of the saddest songs in Irish, and that's saying something! This is of course what is now called sean nós singing.

Eanach Cuan [Dhúin] 

(the great Joe Heaney/Séosamh Ó hÉanaí singing in the above link).  Here are all his lyrics.
Here are the lyrics, with translation.
In case you are interested, there is an English language version.  Even though it is very nice, it's not as close to the reality of the story and the true feeling of the original.

This is not by any means the most famous of Raftery's songs.  That would be the one that everyone knows:

Cill Aodáin

(which should be Cill Liadáin!).  This is a completely different type of song - it's just fun.  An exaggerated praise of one of his stomping grounds in Mayo.   Here are they lyrics with translation.  Strangely, although it is super well known, there aren't many versions on youtube.  Here are the first 2/3 with a little explanation first.
Here are some kids doing parts of this and another great song.  These songs have always been taught in the schools.
This song has been played around with in all different ways.  Áine Uí Cheallaigh (who was in Riverdance and other shows, a great singer especially in Irish) did a very interesting version with orchestra (in Riverdance).

Máire ní hEidhin

(3 verses only in the link above).  This is again a totally different type of song, one praising a woman (and he did like his women...).  He even mentions himself in the song.  Here are the lyrics.
Here's the whole song being done at the Oireachtas (Buaiteoir Chorn Uí Riada 2013 Micheál Ó Confhaola).  The Oireachtas is the annual Irish language festival, and the Ó Riada prize is for sean nós singing - the biggest recognition you can get.
The biggest praise a woman can get is to have poems or songs written about her, of course.  And it is an ancient tradition that poets' praises or satires can make or break your reputation (and possibly have physical effects as well!).  If you are a wandering poet like Raftery was (one of the last), if your host is generous, you praise him, and vice-versa...  Raftery even had a poetry (insult) duel with another poet at one time - kind of like wizards battling!

So maybe you'll want to read the book now!

Preab san Ól (Drinking and Drunk Songs)

Contrary to the stereotype of the teetotaling Irish person, we in fact do have quite a few drinking songs, and songs about being a drunkard.  These things happen!  These are generally fun and funny songs.  This being our theme this week, we'll start with a big one.  The Dubliners did this with English and Irish alternating verses - this is a not uncommon practice in Irish songs, especially as the language started to wane.  The English verses often are quite different from the Irish, and sometimes have nothing in common.  In fact, there are some quite seditious Irish songs which the English thought were something else altogether.  Others are poetic translations.  We won't be bothered with the English rubbish.  So here's a fully Irish version of

Preab san Ól

(ag cur preab san ól - to drink with gusto)

Here are the lyrics.  Note that she does the verses in a different order, and some of the particular words are different (although the general meaning is the same).  The translation is, shall we say, a bit loose.  She is an Ulster singer (sister of Moya Breathnach from Clannad).

The point of the song is summed up by the last 2 lines of each verse:

Mar sin is dá bhrí sin, níl beart níos críonna,  (And on account of that, there's no wiser move)
Ná bheith go síoraí ag cur preab san ól.          (Than to be forever drinking with gusto).

Hey, remember Tadhg from last week?  He did a cute sort of bossa nova version of this song.

Next we go full carousal with

Bímis ag Ól

(Let us be drinking).  The recording in that link is the very famous (late) Diarmaid Ó Súilleabháin and singers from Cúil Aodha, which is a Gaeltacht in Cork.

Here's the famous Jimmy Crowley version. 

Ah, for the poitín from Cúil Aodha...

The chorus sums up this song:

Agus bímis ag ól ‘s ag ól is ag ól  (Let us drink...)
bímis ag ól is ag pógadh na mban (...and be kissin' the women)
bímis ag ól is ag rince le ceol  (...and dancing with music)
is nach aoibhinn an gnó bheith á bpógadh gan tart  (ain't it great to be kissin' 'em without thirst).

A couple of vocabulary notes:

momharach, stately, noble

téanaim - let's go (from téana)

ag diúgadh - draining (our cups)

glisneathach- glioscarnach (I'm pretty sure...)

tréith - weak, feeble (as in tréithlag)

taosc - a bailing bucket full

soghach = sóch

geocach

So so much for praising drinking.  Now let's be proud to be a drunk!  This is another super famous song:

Tá 'na Lá (Níl 'na Lá)

Some songs (like Dúlaman, although that one at least says 'arsa' to give you a clue) only make sense when you realize that more than one character is speaking.  This is about a drunk and the innkeeper's daughter and the innkeeper who's trying to get rid of him, and there's another drunk too, apparently...see my copy of the lyrics below).  It's day!  No it's not!  And so on.

Needless to say, this is a popular pub song...  And needless to say, there are many different versions.

Solas did a very different, quick version of this song, which I like a lot.

There are a lot of other great drunk and drinking songs - if only we had time!  Maybe down the road.  Anyway, there's An Crúiscín Lán (which has both fighting and drinking!), Amhrán an Phoitín (which shows the many benefits of the poitín...well, curses on the revenue man who comes after the still...), Ólaim Puins, Cadé Sin don Té Sin....  Explore Youtube!  Buy some song books!  Bímis ag canadh as Gaeilge!