Religious Songs
Song of welcome to the Archbishop of Cashel
This song was performed by the children of the Presentation Convent, Caherciveen, Co. Kerry On the occasion of his laying of the corner stone in the O’Connell Memorial Church 1st August 1888.
Marbhna an Athar Tadhg Mac Cárthaigh
Marbhna nó caoineadh faoi bhás sagairt. De réir ailt a foilsíodh sa Kerry Sentinel (23.01.1897) dob é ‘John O’Sullivan’ ó Bharr na Sráide i gCathair Saidhbhín a chum an marbhna.
A lament composed following the death of a well-liked priest, an tAthair Tadhg Mac Cárthaigh (Fr. Timothy McCarthy). The song describes the shock and profound loss experienced across the parishes of Iveragh following his death. According to a column published in the Kerry Sentinel (23.01.1897), the lament was composed by ‘John O’Sullivan’ from Barr na Sráide, Cahersiveen.
The children of the Cahersiveen Presentation Convent School sang this song to the Very Reverend Canon Brosnan on his triumphant return from Rome. On the 10th December 1883 he was received in private audience by Pope Leo XIII to seek approval to build the Daniel O’Connell memorial church of the Holy Cross. His petition was successful and papal approval was granted on 1st January 1884.
It is generally believed that the original of A.P Graves, “Father O’Flynn” was Father Walsh, a native of Buttevant, County Cork and parish priest of Sneem for over thirty-seven years until his death in 1866. He was an enthusiastic musician and had compiled a manuscript collection of Irish music. An examination of Dr. Petrie’s collection attributes twenty-five melodies obtained from Father Walsh. The air to the song, written in jig-time is also known as ‘Top of the Cork road’ or the older English country dance-tune ‘The Yorkshire lasses’.