I've never read Toibin's novel but I always thought of the fellas in that scene as the old bachelors occupying various boarding houses and flats with nowhere to go on Christmas and the parish putting on a dinner for them. I'd see them myself in the '70s taking the train back, alone, into the city from Gaelic Park on a sweltering summer afternoon but they in their traditional countryman's garb of cap, dark suit coat and trousers. Those rides evoked similar emotions in me.
Story telling is the foundation of folk songs which now has lamentably been almost completely lost in modern times. Simple acoustic music and the human voice caresses and relaxes the soul in a way that modern electronic music simply cannot. Thank you for posting this.
B’fhéidir gurb í an fhadhb a dhaoine uaisle nach bhfuil oideachas againn ar na 256 Triad Gaelacha ón 9ú hAois agus an tábhacht a bhaineann le máistreacht ar na Goltraí, na Geantraí agus na Suantraí ?
One of my favourite ballads Thank you for this wonderful history of it
I've never read Toibin's novel but I always thought of the fellas in that scene as the old bachelors occupying various boarding houses and flats with nowhere to go on Christmas and the parish putting on a dinner for them. I'd see them myself in the '70s taking the train back, alone, into the city from Gaelic Park on a sweltering summer afternoon but they in their traditional countryman's garb of cap, dark suit coat and trousers. Those rides evoked similar emotions in me.
So lovely.❤
Thank you Terry. More to come. 🙂
Story telling is the foundation of folk songs which now has lamentably been almost completely lost in modern times. Simple acoustic music and the human voice caresses and relaxes the soul in a way that modern electronic music simply cannot. Thank you for posting this.
My pleasure John, and thank you. It's my hope that we get back to appreciating the melodic and lyrical beauty of our folk song heritage.
B’fhéidir gurb í an fhadhb a dhaoine uaisle nach bhfuil oideachas againn ar na 256 Triad Gaelacha ón 9ú hAois agus an tábhacht a bhaineann le máistreacht ar na Goltraí, na Geantraí agus na Suantraí ?
Go deimhin, mo chomh-Ghael. Is é an staidéar ar ár n-amhrán an staidéar ar ár stair.
My pleasure. It's always best to keep it simple and let the song speak.
Buíochas Eugene. An súimiúil.
Best version of this lovely ballad is the one sung by Michael O'Domnhaill
indeed his voice is nothing short of angelic