Match Day Music

[saffron sam2]

Still hard to beat this one Shane.

The morn was breaking bright and fair,
The lark sang in the sky,
Wheb the maid she bound her goIden hair,
With a blithe glance in her eye;
For, who beyond the gay green-wood,
Was a-waiting her with joy,
Oh, who but her gallant Renardine,
On the mountains of Pomeroy.

An outlawed man in a land forlorn,
He scorned to turn and fly,
But kept the cause of freedom safe
Up on the mountains high.

Full often in the dawning hour,
Full oft in twilight brown
He met the maid in the woodland bow'r,
Where the stream comes foaming down
For they were faithful in a love
No wars could e'er destroy.
No tyrant's law touched Renardine,
On the mountains of Pomeroy.

"Dear love, " she said, "l'm sore afraid,
For the foeman's force and you
They've tracked you in the lowland plain
And all the valley through.
My kinsmen frown when you are named
Your life they would destroy
'Beware,' they say, 'of Renardine,
On the mountains of Pomeroy."

"Fear not, fear not, sweetheart," he cried,
"Fear not the foe for me
No chain shall fall, whate'er betide,
On the arm that would be free!
Oh, leave your cruel kin and come,
When the lark is in the sky.
And it's with my gun I'll guard you,
On the mountains of Pomeroy."

The morn has come, she rose and fled
From her cruel kin and home;
And bright the wood, and rosy red,
And the dumbling torrent's foam.
But the mist came down and the tempest roared,
And did all around destroy;
And a pale, drowned bride met Renardine,
On the mountains of Pomeroy.

I think the London boys should go for The Gem of The Roe. I tried to get that Begley **** to sing it one night in Johnny Joe's but he wouldn't.

[saffron sam2]

Forget McIlhatton, the song. Just give the Antrim players a halfun of the stuff before they go out.

I'm told by a former Mayor of Glenravel, the brother of a former Antrim great and the son of a five times Derry championship winning goalkeeper that Mick McIlhatton never made a drop of the stuff. It appear that the heckler was in fact Mrs McIlhatton. The blurt.

[ONeill]

n a land of O'Cahan where bleak mountains rise
O'er those brown ridgy tops now the dusky clouds fly
Deep sunk in a valley a wild flower did grow
And her name was Finvola, the Gem of the Roe

For the Isles of Abunde appeared to out view
A youth clad in tartan, it's strange but it's true
With a star on his breast and unstrung was his bow
And he sighed for Finvola the Gem of the Roe

The Gem of the Roe, the Gem of the Roe
And he sighed for Finvola
The Gem of the Roe

To the grey shores of Alba his bride he did bear
But short were the fond years these lovers did share
For thrice on the hillside the Banshee cried low
Twas the death of Finvola the Gem of the Roe

The Gem of the Roe, the Gem of the Roe
Twas the death of Finvola
The Gem of the Roe

No more up the streamlet her maidens will hie
For wan the pale cheek and bedimmed the blue eye
In silent affliction our sorrows will flow
Since gone is Finvola the Gem of the Roe

The Gem of the Roe, the Gem of the Roe
Since gone is Finvola
The Gem of the Roe

[saffron sam2]

n a land of O'Cahan where bleak mountains rise
O'er those brown ridgy tops now the dusky clouds fly
Deep sunk in a valley a wild flower did grow
And her name was Finvola, the Gem of the Roe

For the Isles of Abunde appeared to out view
A youth clad in tartan, it's strange but it's true
With a star on his breast and unstrung was his bow
And he sighed for Finvola the Gem of the Roe

The Gem of the Roe, the Gem of the Roe
And he sighed for Finvola
The Gem of the Roe

To the grey shores of Alba his bride he did bear
But short were the fond years these lovers did share
For thrice on the hillside the Banshee cried low
Twas the death of Finvola the Gem of the Roe

The Gem of the Roe, the Gem of the Roe
Twas the death of Finvola
The Gem of the Roe

No more up the streamlet her maidens will hie
For wan the pale cheek and bedimmed the blue eye
In silent affliction our sorrows will flow
Since gone is Finvola the Gem of the Roe

The Gem of the Roe, the Gem of the Roe
Since gone is Finvola
The Gem of the Roe

I remember a big Glensman singing that one night in the Beechlawn - would have made the hairs stand on the neck. Walter, the enigmatic preacher had never heard it before, but knew it the next night I met him. Walter prefers Shanagolden as his party piece, which would also do nicely before a game.

The cold winds from the mountains are calling soft to me,
The smell of scented heather brings bitter memories:
A wild and lonely eagle up in the summer sky,
Flies high o'er Shanagolden, where my love Willie lies.

I met him in the winter time when snow was on the ground
The Irish hills were peaceful and love was all around.
Scarcely twenty years old, a young man in his prime.
We were married, darling Willie by the eve of Christmas time.

Do you remember Willie, we walked the moonlit road
I held you in my arms, love, I would never let you go.
Our hands they were entwined, my love, all in the pale moonlight,
By the fields of Shanagolden on a lonely winter's night.

Then came the call to arms, love, the heather was aflame.
Down from the silent mountains, the Saxon strangers came.
I held you in my arms then, my young heart wild with fear,
In the fields by Shanagolden, in the springtime of the year.

You fought them, darling Willie, all through the summer days.
I heard the rifles firing in the mountains far away
I held you in my arms then, your blood ran free and bright,
And you died in Shanagolden, on a lonely summer's night.

But that was long ago, love, now our son grows fine and tall;
The hills they are at peace again: the Saxon strangers gone.
*There's roses growing on your grave, there's an eagle in the sky ,
Flying high o'er Shanagolden, where my love Willie lies.

Is Shanagolden in Antrim?

[mylestheslasher]

I think this latest "scheme" by the Ulster county of no marching band and a trad band is a loads of bollix. Personnally i found the pre match parade a unique GAA experience before the game. I think it is great to hear the crowd roar away to your right (or left) as the parade gets closer. What exactly did the marching band and parade do to get canned like this? The trad band they had in Breffni for Cavan V Armagh was mediocre at best and did little to add athmosphere to the occassion.

I do like the fact that they have people to sing the anthem, aslong as they can actually sing and they know the words, unlike at Breffni. Bring back the marchind band and parade I say.

[Hardy]

How do marching bands promote Irish culture? Isn't that more of an American thing?  And in Ireland isn't it more associated with the Orange Order and coat-trailimg parades than with Irish culture. It's always puzzled me anyway how that became a central part of GAA occasions.

[mylestheslasher]

How do marching bands promote Irish culture? Isn't that more of an American thing?  And in Ireland isn't it more associated with the Orange Order and coat-trailimg parades than with Irish culture. It's always puzzled me anyway how that became a central part of GAA occasions.

I'm not sure they do promote Irish culture but is that what they are there for? I'm not sure where the tradition came from but go into any GAA pub in the country and you are bound to see a black and white picture on the wall from the 30's, 40's or 50's with two teams parading behind the band on a big match day. Anyone know how long this has been going on or what justification the Ulster Council gave for stopping it?

[rrhf]

I genuinely think the matchday music has been an outstanding success.  What do you freaks want - a fire eating display or plate balancing chimpanzee?  
Britains got talent but Ireland wastes theirs lads, support your upcoming musicians, and give them a platform most sensible people recognise that its not a pop concert but it is better to listen to than some tanny announcer.   You guys obviuously do not want this so I ask the question am I alone in congratulating the Ulster council on their musical interludes.    

[ONeill]

Malachi Cush should be shot.

[ziggysego]

Bit extreme ain't it ok, wouldn't sticking him in an iron maiden be the best solution?

[rrhf]

Fascists

[Maguire01]

I genuinely think the matchday music has been an outstanding success.  What do you freaks want - a fire eating display or plate balancing chimpanzee?  
Britains got talent but Ireland wastes theirs lads, support your upcoming musicians, and give them a platform most sensible people recognise that its not a pop concert but it is better to listen to than some tanny announcer.   You guys obviuously do not want this so I ask the question am I alone in congratulating the Ulster council on their musical interludes.    

If Malachi Cush is the height of our homegrown talent, i'll gladly see it wasted.

[haranguerer]

I genuinely think the matchday music has been an outstanding success.  What do you freaks want - a fire eating display or plate balancing chimpanzee?  
Britains got talent but Ireland wastes theirs lads, support your upcoming musicians, and give them a platform most sensible people recognise that its not a pop concert but it is better to listen to than some tanny announcer.   You guys obviuously do not want this so I ask the question am I alone in congratulating the Ulster council on their musical interludes.    

Yes please! How much would it cost?

[mylestheslasher]

Fascists

Freaks and Fascists for daring to prefare a marching band and a parade to Malachy Cush. If you think Malachy cush is some sort of musical genius you are sadly mistaken. Now, if they had Shane McGowan at the matcg singing that would be something.

Did anyone notice also at the Cavan v Armagh game the two teams lined up soccer/rugby style before the match to be greeted by the Archbishop of Armagh. I also thought that this should  not have been allowed either, based on the fact that religious bias has no place in the GAA in my opinion. If you want to see him go to mass I say.

[Maguire01]

Now, if they had Shane McGowan at the matcg singing that would be something.

Yes, given the debate over advertising from alcohol companies, this would be a great move. Never mind the fact that he couldn't hold a note in a bucket.