“Paddy’s Green Shamrock Shore ” is a traditional Irish song originally from Donegal, of which several textual versions have been written for a single melody.
TUNE: Erin Shore
A typically Irish tune spread among travellers already at the end of 1700, today it is known with different titles: Shamrock shore, Erin Shore (LISTEN instrumental version of the Irish group The Corrs from Forgiven, Not Forgotten 1995), Lough Erin Shore (LISTEN to the version always instrumental of the Corrs from Unpluggesd 1999), Gleanntáin Ghlas’ Ghaoth Dobhair, Gleanntan Glas Gaoith Dobhair or The Green Glens Of Gweedor (with text written by Francie Mooney)
Standard version: Paddy’s Green Shamrock Shore
“The common Paddy’s Green Shamrock Shore was first sung on an EFDSS LP(1969) by Packie Manus Byrne, now over 80 and living in Ardara Co Donegal*. He was born at Corkermore between there and Killybegs. It was taken up by Paul Brady and subsequently. However, there are longer and more local (to north Derry, Donegal) versions in Sam Henry’s Songs of the People and in Jimmy McBride’s The Flower of Dunaff Hill.” (in Mudcats ) and Sam Henry writes “Another version has been received from the Articlave district, where the song was first sung in 1827 by an Inishowen ploughman.”
The recording made by Sean Davies at Cecil Sharp House dates back to 1969 and again in the sound archives of the ITMA we find the recording sung by Corney McDaid at McFeeley’s Bar, Clonmany, Co. Donegal in 1987 (see) and also Paul Brady recorded it many times.
Kevin Conneff recorded it with the Chieftains in 1992, “Another Country” ♪ (I, II, IV, V, II)
Amelia Hogan from “Transplants: From the Old World to the New.”
Liam Ó Maonlai & Donal Lunny ( I, IV, V, II)
Dolores Keane & Paul Brady live 1988 (I, II, IV, V)
| intro* Come Irishmen all, who hear my song, your fate is a mournful tale When your rents are behind and you’re being taxed blind and your crops have grown sickly and failed You’ll abandon your lands, and you’ll wash your hands of all that has come before and you’ll take to the sea to a new count-a-ree, far from the green Shamrock shore. I From Derry quay we sailed away On the twenty-third of May We were boarded by a pleasant crew Bound for Amerikay Fresh water then we did take on Five thousand gallons or more In case we’d run short going to New York Far away from the shamrock shore II (Chorus) Then fare thee well, sweet Liza dear And likewise to Derry town And twice farewell to my comrades bold (boys) That dwell on that sainted ground If fame or fortune shall favour me And I to have money in store I’ll come back and I’ll wed the wee lassie I left On Paddy’s green shamrock shore |
III At twelve o’clock we came in sight Of famous Mullin Head And Innistrochlin to the right stood out On the ocean’s bed A grander sight ne’er met my eyes Than e’er I saw before Than the sun going down ‘twixt sea and sky Far away from the shamrock shore IV We sailed three days (weeks), we were all seasick Not a man on board was free We were all confined unto our bunks And no-one to pity poor me No mother dear nor father kind To lift (hold) up my head, which was sore Which made me think more on the lassie I left On Paddy’s green shamrock shore V Well we safely reached the other side in three (fifteen) and twenty days We were taken as passengers by a man(1) and led round in six different ways, We each of us drank a parting glass in case we might never meet more, And we drank a health to Old Ireland and Paddy’s Green Shamrock Shore |
NOTES
*additional first verse by Garrison White
1) It refers to the reception of immigrants who were inspected and held for bureaucratic formalities, but the sentence is not very clear. Ellis Island was used as an entry point for immigrants only in 1892. Prior to that, for approximately 35 years, New York State had 8 million immigrants transit through the Castle Garden Immigration Depot in Lower Manhattan.
OTHER VERSIONS
This text was written by Patrick Brian Warfield, singer and multi-instrumentalist of the Irish group The Wolfe Tones. In his version the point of landing is not New York but Baltimore.
Young Dubliners
The Wolfe Tones from Across the Broad Atlantic 2005 ♪
| Lyrics: Patrick Brian Warfield I Oh, fare thee well to Ireland My own dear native land It’s breaking my heart to see friends part For it’s then that the tears do fall I’m on my way to Americae Will I e’er see home once more For now I leave my own true love And Paddy’s green shamrock shore II Our ship she lies at anchor She’s standing by the quay May fortune bright shine down each night As we sail across the sea Many ships have been lost, many lives it cost On this journey that lies before With a tear in my eye I’ll say goodbye To Paddy’s green shamrock shore |
III So fare thee well my own true love I’ll think of you night and day And a place in my mind you surely will find Although we’ll be far, far away Though I’ll be alone far away from home I’ll think of the good times once more Until the day I can make my way Back home to the shamrock shore IV And now our ship is on the way May heaven protect us all With the winds and the sail we surely can’t fail On this voyage to Baltimore But my parents and friends did wave to the end ‘Til I could see them no more I then took a chance with one last glance At Paddy’s green shamrock shore |
This version takes up the 3rd stanza of the previous version as a chorus
The High Kings
| I So fare thee well, my own true love I’ll think of you night and day Farewell to old Ireland Good-bye to you, Bannastrant(1) No time to look back Facing the wind, fighting the waves May heaven protect us all From cold, hunger and angry squalls Pray I won’t be lost Wind in the sails, carry me safe Chorus: So fare thee well, my own true love I’ll think of you night and day A place in my mind you will surely find Although I am so far away And when I’m alone far away from home I’ll think of the good times once more Until I can make it back someday here To Paddy’s green shamrock shore. |
II Out now on the ocean deep Ship’s noise makes it hard to sleep Tears fill up my eyes The image of you won’t go away (Chorus) III New York is in sight at last My heart, it is pounding fast Trying to be brave Wishing you near By my side, a stór (2) (Chorus) Until I can make it back someday here To Paddy’s green shamrock shore |
NOTES
1) Banna Strand , Banna Beach, is situated in Tralee Bay County Kerry
2) my love
LINK
http://www.ceolas.org/cgi-bin/ht2/ht2-fc2/file=/tunes/fc2/fc.html&style=&refer=&abstract=&ftpstyle=&grab=&linemode=&max=250?isindex=green+shamrock+shore
http://www.kinglaoghaire.com/lyrics/191-paddy-s-green-shamrock-shore http://www.kinglaoghaire.com/lyrics/192-paddys-green-shamrock-shore-1 http://www.celticlyricscorner.net/soundtracks/paddys.htm
https://thesession.org/tunes/5936 https://thesession.org/discussions/2129 https://thesession.org/tunes/7048 https://thesession.org/recordings/218
