Annotation:Father Murphy of the County Wexford
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FATHER MURPHY OF THE COUNTY WEXFORD. Irish, Air (3/4 time). D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB. "This song commemorates Father John Murphy of Kilcormick in Wexford, who for a time headed the rebellion in Ninety-eight, but who in the end was taken and hanged. I give the words, partly from memory, and partly from an old printed ballad-sheet. An account of the various places, persons, and battles mentioned in it will be found in any moderately detailed History of Ireland, or in a History of the Revellion of 1798. The air I give from my own memory. So far as I know, the song--both air and words--now appears for the first time" (Joyce). The song begins:
At Boleyvouge, as teh sun was setting o'er the green meadows of Shelmaliere,
A rebel band set the heather blazing and brought the neighbours from far and near.
Then Father Murphy from old Kilcormick spurred up the rock with a warning cry:
"Arm, arm!" he cried, "for I've come to lead you, now priest and people must fight or die.
See the article in Wikipedia for more on Murphy [1].
Source for notated version:
Printed sources: Joyce (Old Irish Folk Music and Song), 1909; No. 429, p. 241.
Recorded sources: