And to you too I always feel really sad when I hear this - but some of the poor souls got through it and here we are to tell the tale!! All the Best Gill N Wales ----- Original Message ----- From: "CIARAN COLGAN" <chggf@btinternet.com> To: <IRISH-IN-UK-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, March 17, 2006 10:38 PM Subject: [UK-Irish] The Fields of Athenry >I would like to share this song with you on this St Patrick's day which has >become an unofficial anthem of Irish sporting fans and nation at home and >around the world. It is entrenched in the Irish psyche and now classified >as a great sporting anthem. > > It strikes a cord I think against adversity as one does not always reach > the promised land but one will die trying and > singing until one is hoarse. As you may or may not know Irish wars were > merry and the songs sad. > > This great ballad is sung where ever Irish sport fans gather be it on the > terraces of Celtic Park in Glasgow to Lansdowne Road in Dublin to Thomand > park in Limerick and all the great sporting venues of Europe where ever > the Irish National Rugby Team turns up be it Melbourne Auckland Rome Paris > Twickenham and last week when over 30OOO people in the freezing weather > sung the Anthem at Trafalgar Square at the conclusion of the St Pats > Festival > > Here it is and enjoy and maybe have a go. It is very effective with a > group of people. > > By a lonely prison wall > I heard the young girl calling > Michael they have taken you away > For you stole Trevelyns corn > So the young might see the morn > Now a prison ship lies waiting in the bay > > Chorus > > Low lie the Fields Of Athenry > Where once we watched the small freebirds fly > Our Love was on the wing > We had dreams and songs to sing > It is so lonely round the fields of Athenry > > Chorus > > By a lonely prison wall > I heard a young man calling > Nothing matters Mary when you are free > Against the famine and the Crown > I rebelled they cut me down > Now you must raise our child with dignity > > Chorus > > By a lonely harbour wall > She watched the last star falling > As the prison ship sailed out against the sky > For she'll live in hope and pray > For her love in Botany Bay > It is so lonely round the fields of Athenry > > > Chorus > > It is about a young mans struggle to feed his wife and child during the > famine. Lord Tevelyn brought a supply of corn form the States. It was > useless Indian corn. People were so desperate they stole the corn and > were deported to Australia never to see their families again. > > Happy St Patrick's Day everyone > > > If you are a Colgan From Mayo Ireland please contact me. > > > Ciaran Colgan > chggf@btinternet.com > > > > > ==== IRISH-IN-UK Mailing List ==== > To unsub or change your subscription: > http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/other/Ethnic-Irish/IRISH-IN-UK.html > > ============================== > Jumpstart your genealogy with OneWorldTree. Search not only for > ancestors, but entire generations. Learn more: > http://www.ancestry.com/s13972/rd.ashx > >

"The Fields of Athenry" is just one of maybe a hundred or so songs written by Pete St. John. A lot of people are under the illusion that it was written during the Famine times or just after, but it wasn't, it was only written in 1984/5. Pete St. John is still alive and kicking here in Ireland and has some great songs to his credit amongst them is another great "old" Classic, "The Rare Oul Times" originally recorded by the Dublin City Ramblers in 1978. For the people in the States, Pete has a representative there for his music including his 911 Tribute song, contact Kieron Mooney at kmooney614@aol.com Thanks to Pete we can all have a good cry over our homeland when we're away. He's a Gentleman in real life and has time for fundraising for one of my own causes, Diabetes Research and is a director of the Beaumont Foundation from Beaumont Hospital here in Dublin. In my eyes he is a legend in his own lifetime. Songs of his will live forever in the memory of the Irish People just like that late lamented neighbour of mine P J Mc.Call who wrote that famous Wexford anthem Boolavogue. Long may he reign in the Irish Music world. slan Cyril Newsome Loch Garman ----- Original Message ----- From: "Gill Smith" <gilliandavies@lineone.net> To: <IRISH-IN-UK-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, March 18, 2006 6:59 AM Subject: Re: [UK-Irish] The Fields of Athenry > And to you too > > I always feel really sad when I hear this - but some of the poor souls got > through it and here we are to tell the tale!! > > All the Best > > Gill > N Wales > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "CIARAN COLGAN" <chggf@btinternet.com> > To: <IRISH-IN-UK-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Friday, March 17, 2006 10:38 PM > Subject: [UK-Irish] The Fields of Athenry > > > >I would like to share this song with you on this St Patrick's day which has > >become an unofficial anthem of Irish sporting fans and nation at home and > >around the world. It is entrenched in the Irish psyche and now classified > >as a great sporting anthem. > > > > It strikes a cord I think against adversity as one does not always reach > > the promised land but one will die trying and > > singing until one is hoarse. As you may or may not know Irish wars were > > merry and the songs sad. > > > > This great ballad is sung where ever Irish sport fans gather be it on the > > terraces of Celtic Park in Glasgow to Lansdowne Road in Dublin to Thomand > > park in Limerick and all the great sporting venues of Europe where ever > > the Irish National Rugby Team turns up be it Melbourne Auckland Rome Paris > > Twickenham and last week when over 30OOO people in the freezing weather > > sung the Anthem at Trafalgar Square at the conclusion of the St Pats > > Festival > > > > Here it is and enjoy and maybe have a go. It is very effective with a > > group of people. > > > > By a lonely prison wall > > I heard the young girl calling > > Michael they have taken you away > > For you stole Trevelyns corn > > So the young might see the morn > > Now a prison ship lies waiting in the bay > > > > Chorus > > > > Low lie the Fields Of Athenry > > Where once we watched the small freebirds fly > > Our Love was on the wing > > We had dreams and songs to sing > > It is so lonely round the fields of Athenry > > > > Chorus > > > > By a lonely prison wall > > I heard a young man calling > > Nothing matters Mary when you are free > > Against the famine and the Crown > > I rebelled they cut me down > > Now you must raise our child with dignity > > > > Chorus > > > > By a lonely harbour wall > > She watched the last star falling > > As the prison ship sailed out against the sky > > For she'll live in hope and pray > > For her love in Botany Bay > > It is so lonely round the fields of Athenry > > > > > > Chorus > > > > It is about a young mans struggle to feed his wife and child during the > > famine. Lord Tevelyn brought a supply of corn form the States. It was > > useless Indian corn. People were so desperate they stole the corn and > > were deported to Australia never to see their families again. > > > > Happy St Patrick's Day everyone > > > > > > If you are a Colgan From Mayo Ireland please contact me. > > > > > > Ciaran Colgan > > chggf@btinternet.com > > > > > > > > > > ==== IRISH-IN-UK Mailing List ==== > > To unsub or change your subscription: > > http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/other/Ethnic-Irish/IRISH-IN-UK.html > > > > ============================== > > Jumpstart your genealogy with OneWorldTree. Search not only for > > ancestors, but entire generations. Learn more: > > http://www.ancestry.com/s13972/rd.ashx > > > > > > > ==== IRISH-IN-UK Mailing List ==== > To unsub or change your subscription: > http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/other/Ethnic-Irish/IRISH-IN-UK.html > > ============================== > Search the US Census Collection. Over 140 million records added in the > last 12 months. Largest online collection in the world. Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13965/rd.ashx > > >