A good crowd turned out for the Boyle Singers' Session in Dodd's on June 21st. Some were local and some travelled, from South Sligo and South Roscommon, and a from a good few places in between. There were well over 20 songs sung, several stories told and a couple of poems recited.
Mrs John Conroy was one of the humorous hits of the night. There were many choice lines in that song: I will, says she, transported be, for Mrs John Conroy… We could do with hearing it again to capture some more.
Úna Bhán Mac Dermott was the heroine of one song and a different Úna Bhán, Úna Bhán McDonnell was the heroine of a song by John Keegan Casey (the author of The Rising of the Moon).
Another local love song was Willie Reilly and his Coleen Bawn: O rise up, Willy Reilly and come along with me.... This early 19th century song has travelled all over the world. William Bulfin in his Rambles in Eirinn mentions the estate near Ballinafad where Squire Folliard and his daughter, the Coleen Bawn of the song, lived. That song involved the process of law as did the Land League incident in 1881 at Coolavin, Co. Sligo described in the newly composed song The Coolavin Lament, sung by its composer the other night.
Every song can’t get a mention, unfortunately, but two personal favourites were:
A lady fair in a garden walking, When a well-dressed gentleman came riding by.
He stepped up to her for to view her, And said, 'Fair lady, would you fancy I?'
And
Edward on Lough Erne Shore
The Sun was setting behind the mountain, The dew was falling upon the leaves
And I was seated beside a fountain, And a feathered songster sang on a tree.
And last but not least - the Knockcroghery song.
Oíche mhaith.
