February and March fun

1916 Project

Ballad of James Connolly

An dán: Feoilséantóir

Start practicing this jig fellas!

This song is about Granuaile, or Grace O'Malley, the sea-queen of Connacht.

She lived in the sixteenth century and was usually in conflict with the Tudors, an English family, who were set on conquering Ireland. It probably dates from Gráinne's own lifetime as a song welcoming her home after one of the occasions in which she was held captive by the English.

Padriac Pearse, one of the leaders of the Irish Rebellion of 1916, composed the poem, upon which modern versions of the song are based, as invitation to all the Irishmen in Europe who were fighting for the British Empire and the freedom of small nations to come home and tackle the ancient foe on their own little island.

Those fractions!!

January Fun