Irish Folk: Exposure for the Uninitiated

Those who know me are probably aware of my long-running addiction to Irish Folk music. I really just can't get enough of it. I could listen to twenty different versions of the same song in a row and enjoy every second of it. There's something to be said of songs that can define and encourage a country through times of war and famine, and continue to impact listeners for many ages.

This post is meant to highlight, via YouTube, a nice - albeit small - sample of what I consider to be great Irish music. You may also be able to learn a bit, as I've included several links to information regarding the historical events and/or places some of these songs stemmed from.

The Foggy Dew

This version features Sinead O'Connor singing for The Chieftans on their 1995 album The Long Black Veil. The song itself is a chronicling of the Easter Uprise of 1916 and was intended to encourage the men of the time to fight for an Ireland free of English control. Though the attempts of this rebellion were unsuccessful at first, their efforts eventually led to the establishment of the Irish Republic in 1919.

Muirsheen Durkin

Luke Kelly and the Dubliners performed this traditional Irish folk tune on the Ed Sullivan show in 1968 (according to the video). From what I can tell, the actual meaning of the title "Muirsheen Durkin" is, for the most part, up in the air. However, what I've found most sites agree upon are the following points: 1) Pratie is just another word for potato. 2) Muirsheen is probably just another word for misses in some Celtic language.

The song itself is rather straight-forward as to its meaning. A fellow is fed up with the constant toiling in his life, so he heeds the grand news from America and plans to strike it rich.

Star of the County Down

Performed here by Orthodox Celts, an Irish/Celtic band from Belgrade, Serbia. This tune is the first person perspective of a man whose chance meeting with Rose McCann leaves him infatuated with her. The song continues on until at the end he basically says he'll do what it takes to make her his wife.

Rocky Road to Dublin

The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem perform this tune, which is about a man's adventures from his home in Tuam to Liverpool in England. Judging from the lyrics, it seems he gets to Dublin but has his pack (bundle) stolen from him. From here, I'm not sure if he gets fed up with life in Dublin, if he's searching for the man who stole his pack, or just wishes to continue on his journey, but he jumps a ship to Liverpool. The song ends with the impression that the adventure is just beginning.

Black Velvet Band

Another performance by the Dubliners with Luke Kelly. This song is about a man who meets a woman, and as they're walking one night, the lady steals a gold watch from a man that passes by. She then places the watch in the author's hand. Obviously, the woman gets away with the crime, but the author gets tried and convicted. So he's sent off to Australia (more accurately Van Diemen's land, or Tasmania), which was the "penal colony" of Ireland and England in the 1800's.


So that's it for now. I hope these videos were enjoyable. If you're interested in more, there's a wealth of Irish Folk on YouTube. I'd suggest looking up some more Luke Kelly, as he's been proclaimed the greatest Irish Folk singer that has been or ever will be. He had a voice perfectly suited for the variety of themes that appeared in the music he sang.

Until next time, though, beware of them pretty colleens.