The Glen of Aherlow (also known as Patrick Sheehan) is a
traditional Irish song which originated as a ballad written by
Irish republican
Irish republicanism ( ga, poblachtánachas Éireannach) is the political movement for the unity and independence of Ireland under a republic. Irish republicans view British rule in any part of Ireland as inherently illegitimate.
The develop ...
Charles Joseph Kickham (1828–1882). It was first printed in ''The Kilkenny Journal'',
Kilkenny
Kilkenny (). is a city in County Kilkenny, Ireland. It is located in the South-East Region and in the province of Leinster. It is built on both banks of the River Nore. The 2016 census gave the total population of Kilkenny as 26,512.
Kilken ...
, on 7 October 1857, the writer using the pseudonym “Darby Ryan, Junior.”
The song
After its publication the song was printed on
broadsides, and quickly became popular throughout Ireland. The song has some minor variants on spelling of names and places, depending on where it was sung or collected. It is number J11 in
Laws’ collection and #983 in the
Roud Folk Song Index
The Roud Folk Song Index is a database of around 250,000 references to nearly 25,000 songs collected from oral tradition in the English language from all over the world. It is compiled by Steve Roud (born 1949), a former librarian in the London ...
.
Historical background
The song is based on the true story of a young ex-soldier from the
Glen of Aherlow named Patrick Sheehan who was blinded at the
Siege of Sevastopol. Sheehan was later jailed in 1857 for begging in Grafton Street, Dublin, his British army pension having expired after six months.
Due to the publicity arising from this case, the British government was shamed into inquiring about Sheehan, to whom a life pension of a
shilling
The shilling is a historical coin, and the name of a unit of modern currencies formerly used in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, other British Commonwealth countries and Ireland, where they were generally equivalent to 12 pence o ...
a day was granted.
[Notes to ''Around the Hills of Clare'', Jim Carroll, 2000]
Recordings
A partial discography:
*
Joe Heaney
Joe Heaney (AKA Joe Éinniú; Irish: Seosamh Ó hÉanaí) (1 October 1919 – 1 May 1984) was an Irish traditional ( sean nós) singer from County Galway, Ireland. He spent most of his adult life abroad, living in England, Scotland and New York ...
1964, re-issued on ''The Road from Connemara'', Topic TSCD518D/Cló Iar-Chonnachta CICD 143 (October 2000)
*Vincie Boyle on ''Around the Hills of Clare'' Musical Traditions MTCD331-2/Góilín 005-6
*
Andy M. Stewart
Andrew McGregor "Andy" Stewart (8 September 1952 – 27 December 2015) was a Scottish singer, songwriter and instrumentalist, formerly the frontman for Silly Wizard. He was born in Alyth, Perthshire.
With Silly Wizard he not only sang, but also ...
References
{{reflist
External links
The Ballad Index
Irish folk songs