Sense of Place
The Road from Killorglin to Cahersiveen
This song has become one of the local anthems and an essential part of the repertoire for singers locally. The composer of this song was James Sugrue (born 1909), from Coolnaharragill Upper, Glenbeigh. He was known as ‘Jim Bud’, He composed a lot of songs and was said to be able to make up a rhyme about an occurrence in the time it would ‘take you to spit’.
Fágfad-sa an Baile Seo Amárach
Amhrán imirce a chum imirceach de bhunadh Uíbh Ráthaigh. B’as An Rinn Rua i bparóiste na Priarachta do Dhonncha Mac Cárthaigh. Meastar gur rugadh é timpeall na bliana 1905. Chuaigh sé ar imirce go Meiriceá agus é óg. ‘Muintir na Leamhna’ a tugtar ar an dtreibh des na Cárthaigh lenar bhain sé. Do chum Donncha Mac Cárthaigh mórán amhrán agus thugtaí an ‘Raithilleach’ mar leasainm air de bharr a chumas filíochta. B’é a chum an t-amhrán ‘Mo Shlán Beo Soir’ a cloistear in Uíbh Ráthach go fóill. Samhradh na bliana 1966 thug triúr iníon leis an gCárthach cuairt ar Bhaile an Sceilg. Do bhuaileadar le Molly Coffey agus do thóg sí siúd an t-amhrán uathu agus bhreac na focail seo.
This is a song about emigration composed by an emigrant from Iveragh. Donncha Mac Cárthaigh was from Rinn Rua in the parish of Prior. He subsequently emigrated to America. It is thought he was born sometime around 1905 or 1906. His branch of McCarthys were known as ‘Muintir na Leamhna’ (McCarthys of the Laune). Donncha composed many songs, ‘Mo Shlán Beo Soir’ being one of his better-known compositions. He was affectionately known as ‘An Raithilleach’ due to his prowess as a poet (a reference to the great 17th century Kerry poet Aodhagán Ó Raithille). In August 1966 three of Donncha Mac Cárthaigh’s daughters visited Baile an Sceilg and met Molly Coffey, who recorded and transcribed this song. A stained-glass window in the church in Dún Géagáin is dedicated to Donncha Mac Cárthaigh.
I first heard this song of love and longing in Sneem House around 2004. The lady who sang the song, Mrs Maureen ‘Crowley’ O’Sullivan recalls it being sung in the village in her youth.
The song was composed by John Foley, New Road, Reencaheragh, Portmagee. He was a near relative of the poet Diarmuid Ó Failbhe an file a chum ‘An Gheadach Dá Crú sa Ghleann’. It was first recorded in 1988 by Peter Locke, Tralee, It was donated to the Binneas project by Pat O’Leary, Ballynabloun, The Glen, a gentleman who is a well of knowledge on the genealogy and history of the area.
This song was composed by P.M. Coffey while resident in the U.S.A. He came from Cloghanelinaghan, Over the water. Matt Joe O’Neil, of Deelis, recalls his mother, Mrs Ellen O’Neill nee Casey, telling him that she met the composer of this song in Chicago, Illinois circa 1920’s. A fragment of another song in the Binneas collection attributed to the composer states ‘The night Pat Kiely died, the banshee cried, around the slopes of Castlequin’
The composer of this song is said to be a man by the name of Bowler, who came from Derreenmoira (Dirreen moira). It is thought to have been written circa 1880. It has been a popular song in the oral tradition, and is still sung in the area to this day. Various versions have been collected by Binneas from recordings, singers and in handwritten form.
The composer of this song was Patrick McCarthy jnr. He was residing in the Staff Barracks, Tralee, at the time of its composition. He was a frequent contributor to ‘The Kerryman’. The location of Mount Luke mentioned in the fifth verse is on the West side of the road when heading towards Cuas Crome.
Chuir an tiarna talún fear as seilbh i gCill Urlaí agus bhí ar féin agus a chlann bogadh go bothán bocht dearóil. Tuigtear gur Dáithí Clifford an fear a bhí i gceist agus gur tharla an eachtra am éigin idir na blianta 1850-1870. Bothán Dáith a tugadh ar an áit inar chuir sé fé. Bhí an áit sin ar an dtaobh thuaidh de Chnoc na dTobar, taobh thiar des na Ródaibh. Bhí Bá an Daingin ar a aghaidh amach, farraige agus failltreacha féna bhun. Lá amháin d’imigh dhá ghé an fharraige amach air agus chum sé an t-amhrán seo. Bailíodh an leagan seo ó Phadraig Ó Leidhin, feirmeoir a raibh cónaí air ar an bhFaill Móir, sa bhliain 1936.
The ‘Dáith’ in the title of this is a shortened version of name Daithí. David Clifford of Killurley East was evicted from his home sometime circa 1850-1870's. He and his family were forced to move to an inhospitable spot on the northern slopes of Cnoc na dTobar ’with its back to the sun and its face to the wind’ west of Roads, a couple of miles around the coast from Kells Bay. The song, collected in 1936 from Pádraig Ó Leidhin, a farmer from Filemore, laments two of Daithí’s geese which flew away out over Dingle Bay.
The verses were composed by Thomas J. Smyth of Knightstown, Valentia Island. He emigrated to the United States sometime in the first half of the 20th Century. He was a close relative of journalist and poet Liam MacGabhann (1908–1979) also from Valentia. Although probably written without an air, in more recent times the air to the verse of the song ‘The little skillet pot’ has been used.
The following lines were collected as part of the national folklore collection for schools 1937-1939. It was collected by John O’Shea, Rang VII, Cromán National School, from his Father, Pádraig O’Séaghda (51). The múinteoir was Diarmuid Ó Brosnacháin. The shortness of the song would suggest that additional verses have been lost to us. However the verses that remain hold a fascinating insight into one particular day in the life of Rossbeigh and its surrounding area. The verses pre-date the burning of the Landlords residence ‘Wynn’s Castle’ by Republicans in 1921 and possibly refer to the period around World War I when the ‘Castle’ and grounds were let to the British Military Command and used as a training centre for reservists. The verse referring to target practice in the sandbanks by the Crown Forces is of significant historical importance. The Great Southern and Western Railway Company (GS & WR) opened the 12.5 miles long rail link between Farranfore and Iveragh Road in Killorglin with the Irish gauge of 5 ft 3 in on 15 January 1885. The line was extended by 27 miles to Valentia Harbour, where it terminated, commencing in 1890 and formally opened on 12 September 1893.
Little is known of the composer of this song. He was a cyclist who travelled through Glencar sometime around 1940, his name is unknown. It was published in the Cork examiner circa 1940.
Ba é Donncha Mac Cárthaigh na Leamhna a chum an t-amhrán seo sa bhliain 1905 agus e ar deoraíocht i Meiriceá. Ag dul siar ar laethanta a óige a bhé se agus é go buartha brónach agus é ag smaoineamh ar a óige sa bhaile in Uíbh Ráthach. Tá an leagan anseo bunaithe ar thaifead a dhein Raidió na Gaeltachta le Molly Uí Chofaigh don ndlúthdhiosca Maidin Bhog Álainn.
This song was composed by Mac Carthaigh na Leamhna in 1905 whilst he was in America. He reflects on past memories and the happiness of his youth while sad and troubled far from home. This version of the song is based on a recording with Molly Coffey made by Raidió na Gaeltachta for the CD Maidin Bhog Álainn.
There are many versions of this evocative song collected from the community and some confusion reigns as to the original. It is still sung to this day with variations and ordering of verses. The five verses in this version of the song were collected by Herbert Hughes in 1936 and are the oldest version of this song collected by the Binneas project to date.
This song was composed by Deborah V Curran, Ardkearagh, Waterville, circa 1925. It is interesting that in the first verse of this song that the composer talks of the fields around Waterville ‘are green with corn’ a crop that is almost absent from this part of South Kerry in recent times. The evidence of mills can be seen throughout the area. Millstones can be seen in gardens, used as a historical decoration, incorporated in the fabric of buildings or as a focal point in stone walls.