Susannes Folksong-Notizen
[19??:] The words of this song
were composed by Canon Charles O Neill, who was parish priest of
Kilcoo and later of Newcastle. In 1919 he went to Dublin and
attended a sitting of the first Dail Eireann (Irish Parliament). He
was moved by the number of members whose names were answered during
roll call by "faoi ghlas ag na Gaill" (locked up by the
foreigners) and resolved to write a song in commemoration of the
Easter Rebellion. I have seen his song printed many times but have
never seen his name mentioned and I think it is about time he was
recognised. The music belongs to an old love song, recorded in 1913
by John McCormack and the original manuscript of the words and
music, in the posession of Kathleen Dallat of Ballycastle, names
Carl Hardebeck as the arranger. (Cathal O'Boyle, 'Songs of the
County Down')
[1980:] The air [...] obtained by Bunting [the collector] from James McKnight, a native Irish speaker from the Co. Down [...]. (Greaves, Easter 20)
- Verse 3:
O the night fell back, and the rifle's crack made "Perfidious Albion" reel 'Mid the leaden rain seven tongues of flame did shine o'er the lines of steel By each shining blade a prayer was said that to Ireland her sons be true And when morning broke still the war flag shook out its folds in the foggy dew - Verse 6
Ah! back through the glen I rode again and my heart with grief was sore For I parted then with valiant men whom I never shall see no more But to and fro in my dreams I go and I kneel and pray for you For slavery fled, O glorious dead! when you fell in the foggy dew
(Greaves, Easter 27f)
- [1988:] The "Irish Question" has been a perennial headache in British politics. It is more accurately called the "British problem", since the occupation of Catholic Ireland in the 17th century first by Presbyterian settlers from Scotland and then by Oliver Cromwell's armies, never succeeded in merging the political cultures of Britain and Ireland. In the years following the potato famine of 1846, which reduced the population of Ireland by 2 million within five years, separatist and nationalist movements grew. In 1858 the Irish Republican Brotherhood was founded. In 1870 the Home Rule Association was created to work for self-government for Ireland. Irish members of parliament, led by Charles Stewart Parnell, fought for home rule and assistance to the rural poor.
The Liberal-dominated House of Commons passed a Home Rule bill in 1893, but it was blocked by the House of Lords. In 1900 a new party, Sinn Fein ("Ourselves Alone") [sic!], was founded, and tapped a surge of Irish nationalism among a new generation of militants. When the Liberals once more passed a Home Rule bill in 1912, it could no longer be vetoed by the Lords. Protestants then insisted on the exclusion of the six northern counties with a Protestant majority, and on armed resistance [against Britain!]. German arms were landed at Larne for the Protestant "Ulster volunteers", and a number of British officers stated that they would not enforce Home Rule ['Curragh mutiny']. Catholics formed the "Irish volunteers", and shots were fired [by the army] when troops attempted to block their arms shipments.
Civil war seemed likely, when in 1914 the world war overtook it. Catholic leaders joined Protestants in rallying to the cause. Over 200,000 Irishmen volunteered, with the full support of the Irish Nationalist Party. Irish nationalism, though, grew as the war went on.
A small group of nationalists in the Irish Republican Brotherhood decided to seize the moment and fight for independence. Their plan to smuggle in German arms went hopelessly wrong on 21 April 1916, two days before their planned insurrection. The mobilization order was cancelled, but 2,000 men [and one woman!] took over the Central Post Office and other key buildings in Dublin anyway. The rebels had no hope of victory, and after a week of fighting, they surrendered. The leaders were executed, shocking Irish opinion and boosting Sinn Fein support. Their "martyrdom" inspired the Irish Republican Army in its nasty [sic!] guerrilla war against British troops and Irish "collaborators", which was partially resolved in 1921 by the creation of the Irish Free State, without the six counties of Ulster. (J. M. Winter, The Experience of World War I, 57)
[2002:] Charles O'Neill, B.A. Ord.[ained] on 21 July 1912. Born in Portglenone, on 20 September 1887. (brother to Fr. P.J.O'Neill, famed scholar of St Malachy's College [Belfast] and uncle of Revs. C. & M. Dallatt) c.c. [curate in charge?] Whitehouse, 1915. c.c. St. Peter's (While c.c. in St. Peter's preached at ceremony at Mass Rock, Cushendun [Antrim] 1933 and for some of text see "Irish Colleges on Continent). P[arish].P[riest]. Kilcoo, 15 July 1941 P.P. Newcastle 1 August 1955 Canon, October 1960 Author of the "Foggy Dew" Died on 8 May 1963 and buried in Newcastle [County Down] cemetery behind old Church in main street. (From [County] Down & Connor Diocesan Archives in Belfast, quoted in The Foggy Dew)
more: http://www.contemplator.com/folk4/fogydew.html
See also
http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=3275 The Foggy Dew
http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=27029 http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=33292
http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=40287 for Suvla Bay
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