CARRIGDHOUN - Denny Lane (1818 - 1895)
sung by Stewart Hendrickson (mp3). SheetMusic(pdf)
The heath was green on Carrigdhoun
Bright shone the sun o'er Ard-na-Lee
The dark green trees bent trembling down
To kiss the slumbering Owen na Bui
That happy day t'was but last May
'Tis like a dream to me
When Donal swore, aye o'er and o'er
We'd part no more a stór mo chroi
On Carrigdhoun the heath is brown
The clouds are dark o'er Ard-na-Lee
And many a stream comes rushing down
To swell the angry Owen na Bui
The moaning blast is sweeping past
Through many a leafless tree
And I'm alone, for he is gone
My hawk has flown, ochone mo chroi
Soft April showers and bright May flowers
Will bring the summer back again
But will they bring me back the hours
I spent with my brave Donal then
There's but a chance, he's gone to France
To wear the Fleur-de-Lis
But I'll follow you, my Donal Dhu
For still I'm true to you mo chroi
The song was originally called "The Lament of the Irish Maiden" and was written by Denny Lane from Cork. It is a political song telling of the flight from Ireland of Sarsfield's "Wild Geese" in 1691. 10,000 Irish troops surrendered after the Siege of Limmerick by William of Orange. They were allowed to leave the country. Their leaving of the shores of Ireland became known as the “flight of the wild geese.” The air for Carrigdhoun was the inspiration for the music to the Percy French song "The Mountains of Mourne". It was also used for "Bendermeer's Stream" by Thomas Moore (1779-1852)