"Boolavogue" is an
Irish ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...
commemorating the campaign of
Father John Murphy and his army in
County Wexford
County Wexford ( ga, Contae Loch Garman) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and is part of the Southern Region. Named after the town of Wexford, it was based on the historic Gaelic territory of Hy Kinsella (''Uí Ceinns ...
during the
Irish Rebellion of 1798. It was composed by
Patrick Joseph McCall in 1898, the centenary of the Rebellion.
Topic
The ballad covers the victories of Father John Murphy of the village of
Boolavogue
Boolavogue, also spelt Boolavoge or Boleyvogue (), is a village 12 km northeast of Enniscorthy in County Wexford, Ireland. It is in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ferns.
It has given its name to " Boolavogue", an Irish ballad commemorating t ...
in County Wexford as he led his parishioners in routing the
Camolin Cavalry
The Camolin Cavalry was a mounted yeomanry unit drawn from the area around the village of Camolin, Wexford, Ireland. It was a part of this unit, commanded by Lieutenant Bookey, which encountered Father John Murphy's small band of rebels at The B ...
on 26 May 1798, to defeat the British at
Oulart Hill, as well as at
Enniscorthy. The Wexford insurgents fought bravely against professional troops, and were eventually defeated at the
Battle of Vinegar Hill on 21 June. Father Murphy and the other leaders were hanged.
Father Murphy was a priest who at first tried to persuade people not to take part in the rebellion. He changed his opinion and became a reluctant rebel leader after soldiers burned down the homes of his parishioners whom they suspected of rebellion. The Lieutenant Thomas Bookey whose 'regiment' is mentioned in the song was the leader of the
Yeoman Cavalry in the Boolavogue area.
Music
McCall, who also composed the popular ballads "
Kelly the Boy from Killanne" and "
Follow Me up to Carlow", wrote "Boolavogue" to the old air "Eochaill" (in English, "''
Youghal
Youghal ( ; ) is a seaside resort town in County Cork, Ireland. Located on the estuary of the River Blackwater, the town is a former military and economic centre. Located on the edge of a steep riverbank, the town has a long and narrow layout. ...
Harbour''"). The tune had previously been borrowed for the Irish/Australian traditional song "
Moreton Bay" (1830), about an Irish convict's brutal treatment in Australia, and would later be used by
Seán Ó Riada as part of the film score for ''
Mise Éire
''Mise Éire'' (, Irish for "I mIreland") is a 1912 Irish-language poem by the Irish poet and Republican revolutionary leader Patrick Pearse.
Background
''Mise Éire is'' a 1912 Irish-language poem by the Irish poet and Republican revolutio ...
'' (
1959
Events January
* January 1 - Cuba: Fulgencio Batista flees Havana when the forces of Fidel Castro advance.
* January 2 - Lunar probe Luna 1 was the first man-made object to attain escape velocity from Earth. It reached the vicinity of E ...
). The song was inspired by songs contemporary to the events of 1798 such as "
Come All You Warriors
"Come All You Warriors" (also known as "Father Murphy") is a ballad concerning the 1798 Rising. The narrative focuses on the predominant figure in the Wexford Rising, Father John Murphy of the parish of Boulavogue.
The song was written within a ...
".
Liam Gaul
[Glory O! Glory O! The Life of PJ McCall by Liam Gaul, The History Press Ireland, 2011] states that "Boolavogue" is the song most closely associated with PJ McCall, and has become an anthem for Wexford. Gaul notes that "Boolavogue" was not published in any of McCall’s literary works, and was first printed in the ''
Irish Independent
The ''Irish Independent'' is an Irish daily newspaper and online publication which is owned by Independent News & Media (INM), a subsidiary of Mediahuis.
The newspaper version often includes glossy magazines.
Traditionally a broadsheet new ...
'' on 18 June 1898 under the title ''Fr Murphy of the County Wexford''. This title was still being used when it appeared in the 1922 edition of Padraig Breathnach’s ''Songs of the Gael''. It was only later that the song became widely known as "Boolavogue".
McCall was from Dublin, but often visited Wexford, and was familiar with its history and geography. "Boolavogue" contains references to people and places that played a major part in the 1798 Rising.
References
External links
The tune as a midi file* More background t
Boolavogueat Irish Music Daily
Musical description of the song including first verse of lyrics.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Boolavogue (Song)
Songs about revolutionaries
Ballads of the Irish Rebellion of 1798
County Wexford
Irish folk songs
Irish poems
Songs written by Patrick Joseph McCall
The Dubliners songs
1898 songs