CARRIGDHOUN
- Denny Lane (1818 - 1895)
The
heath was green on Carrigdhoun
Bright
shone the sun o'er Ard-na-Lee
The
dark green trees bent trembling down
To
kiss the slumbering Owen na Bui
That
happy day t'was but last May
'Tis
like a dream to me
When
Donal swore, aye o'er and o'er
We'd
part no more a stór mo chroi
On
Carrigdhoun the heath is brown
The
clouds are dark o'er Ard-na-Lee
And
many a stream comes rushing down
To
swell the angry Owen na Bui
The
moaning blast is sweeping past
Through
many a leafless tree
And
I'm alone, for he is gone
My
hawk has flown, ochone mo chroi
Soft
April showers and bright May flowers
Will
bring the summer back again
But
will they bring me back the hours
I
spent with my brave Donal then
There's but a chance, he's gone to France
To
wear the Fleur-de-Lis
But
I'll follow you, my Donal Dhu
For
still I'm true to you mo chroi
The song was
originally called "The Lament of the Irish Maiden" and was written by
Denny Lane from Cork.
It is a political song telling of the flight from Ireland of
Sarsfield's
"Wild Geese" in 1691. 10,000 Irish troops surrendered after the Siege
of Limmerick by William of Orange. They were allowed to leave the
country.
Their leaving of the shores of Ireland
became known as the “flight of the wild geese.” The air for Carrigdhoun
was the
inspiration for the music to the Percy French song "The Mountains of
Mourne". It was also used for "Bendermeer's Stream" by Thomas Moore
(1779-1852)
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