The Lovely Shades of Sneem

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. An audio recording of the song was made for the Muckross House Collection in 1982 with Patrick O' Sullivan (87) in his home at Quay Road, Sneem. Patrick learned the song from William Sheehan, Caherdaniel in the early 1940’s. Pulleen (Pullen) mentioned in the third verse lies in the Townland of Ardgroom Inner in the Civil Parish of Kilcatherine and not to be confused with Pulleen Harbour on the South side of the Beara Peninsula which lies a few miles West of Bere Island.

Source: Mrs Maureen ‘Crowley’ O’Sullivan (Private Collection)

As I went out one evening, down by the riverside,

I spied a maid complaining, as the tears rolled down her cheeks.

Saying she fell in love with a farmer’s son, when she was scarce sixteen,

But alas he had to emigrate, from the lovely shades of Sneem.

My parents too they gave consent along with him to roam,

What shall they do when I am gone across the raging foam.

The boat may reach some foreign shore, or on the ocean deep,

It may lead to a blue-eyed maiden from the lovely shades of Sneem.

Farewell to the young man from Bonane who first came courting me.

A tailor’s son from Ballybog, and a soldier boy from Dreen.

Some more came o’er from sweet Ardmore and the boys of sweet Pulleen (Pullen)