Annotation:Sweet Portaferry
X:1 T:Sweet Portaferry M:3/8 L:1/8 R:Air S:Edward Bunting (1840) Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:Eb B/A/|GGA|F2 G/F/|EFG|B2 c/d/|ece/c/|B/A/GF|EEE|E2 B/A/| GGA|F2 G/F/|EFG|B2 c/d/|ece/c/|BGF|E2E|E2|| B/A/|GAB|e2 e/d/|cBc|E2 E/F/|GBB|ede|c2c|B2 B/A/| GGA|F2 G/F/|EFG|B2 c/d/|ece/c/|B/A/GF|EEE|E2||
SWEET PORTAFERRY (Cuan Milis an Challaidy). Irish, Air (3/8 time). E Flat Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB (Bunting): AAB (Haverty). Portaferry is about 20 miles southeast of Belfast. The melody is related to "Londubh agus an Ciarseach (An)", No. 7 in Belfast collector Edward Bunting's 1840 Ancient Music of Ireland. While Bunting collected the melody, which he noted was "Very ancient, author and date unknown," he did not print the words. Cathal O'Boyle searched for them among Bunting's papers but could not find them; fortunately he mentioned his frustration to a friend, Newcastle mandolin player Thomas Pollard (All-Ireland champion in 1968) who said he had the words to a song called "Sweet Portaferry" from an elderly aunt of his. They scanned to Buntings tune:
You may gaze from green mountains across the bright seas
Where wonder and pleasement are taking their ease;
You may search the world over from there to Japan,
Transported with nature and the glory of man.
But why should men toil foreign lands to explore
When wonder and pleasement are here at the door,
'And who would go roving through country and town
From Sweet Portaferry and the Kingdom of Down.
