![]() ![]() Kilmeny is a hamlet next to the Ballygrant quarry which, he suggests, is the "Ballygran" mentioned in the lyrics. Irish-American journalist Niall O'Dowd (2021) has compared the song to its Scottish equivalent "Over the Water", suggesting that the song may have originally referred to Kilmeny on the Scottish island of Islay. The story seems to surround Kilkenny indeed the "Ballygran" referred to in the song may be the local Ballingarry coal mines, so that the "marble.black as ink" in the lyrics would be a reference to coal. It contains verses which are similar to Carrickfergus, but the chorus is closer to another Irish/Scottish folk song called "Peggy Gordon". It was published by Mrs Pauline Lieder, in New York in 1880. Gogan also refers to a recording of a song called "Sweet Maggie Gordon" which is kept in the Music for the Nation section of the US Library of Congress. For example, the Ancient Music of Ireland, published by George Petrie in 1855, contained an Irish-language song called "An Bhean Uasal" which featured many but not all of the sentiments used in Carrickfergus. Robert Gogan suggests that Carrickfergus may have evolved from at least two separate songs, which would explain why it does not have a consistent narrative. ![]() By contrast, the English language lyrics are nostalgic, albeit with a slightly humorous twist at the end. The Irish lyrics were about a man being cuckolded, a bawdy and humorous ditty. Īn early version of the song appeared on a ballad sheet in Cork City in the mid-nineteenth century in macaronic form. Petrie wrote that he believed "Do Bhí Bean Uasal" came from either County Clare or County Limerick, and was in any case a Munster song. ![]() Joyce came from Ballyorgan in the Ballyhoura Mountains, on the borders of counties Limerick and Cork. Music collector George Petrie obtained two settings of this melody from fellow collector Patrick Joyce. The melody has been traced to an Irish-language song, "Do Bhí Bean Uasal" ("There Was a Noblewoman"), which is attributed to the poet Cathal Buí Mac Giolla Ghunna, who died in 1756 in County Clare. The 1964 album " The First Hurrah!" by The Clancy Brothers includes a song entitled "Carrickfergus (Do Bhí Bean Uasal)". In his book, "Ireland Sings" (London, 1965), Behan gives three verses, the first and third of which he says that he obtained from O'Toole and the middle one that he wrote himself. The modern song is due to Dominic Behan, who published it in 1965.īehan relates that he learned the song from actor Peter O'Toole. A somewhat differing version was released under the name "The Kerry Boatman", by Dominic Behan on an LP called The Irish Rover, in 1965. The Clancy Brothers' 1964 album titled " The First Hurrah!" includes this title. This may well form part of the song's context." Carrickfergus" is an Irish folk song, named after the town of Carrickfergus in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Work there attracted Irish immigrants, and the local churchyard apparently holds their graves, some of which have black marble memorial stones. During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries there was a successful stone quarry close to Ballygrant, in a place called Kilmeny. There is about 70 miles of Irish sea between the two places. What I can tell you is that Carrickfergus is in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, and that Ballygrant (the Ballygran of the first verse) is on the island of Islay, in Scotland's Inner Hebrides. This mudcat thread is well worth reading. But beyond that, not much is known for certain. It may have been based on an earlier gaelic language song called "Do bhí bean uasal" ("There Was a Noblewoman"), and there is an obvious similarity to " The Water is Wide". The song's history before O'Toole brought it to light is much more enigmatic. The Youtube version on this page is by Joan Baez, who sings the song beautifully. Carrickfergus subsequently grew in popularity and has been recorded by luninaries including The Dubliners and Van Morrison. Behan added what is now he middle verse, and recorded the song. In the 1960s, the Irish actor, Peter O'Toole, introduced it to Dominic Behan (it was O'Toole's favourite song, apparently). The song's recent history is an interesting one. ![]() There are obviously themes of exile, loss and love, and these, combined with the pathos of the tune, are what get to me. If you look closely at the words, you might argue that it seems to be composed of fragments of other songs, but to me that doesn't matter. Carrickfergus - Chords, Lyrics and Origins OriginsĬarrickfergus is, in my humble opinion anyway, one of the most beautiful ballads I've heard. ![]()
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