"There Were Roses" is an Irish folk song based on a true story. It was written by the Northern Ireland folk singer and songwriter

Tommy Sands Thomas Adrian Sands (born August 27, 1937) is an American pop music singer and actor. Working in show business as a child, Sands became an overnight sensation and instant teen idol when he appeared on ''Kraft Television Theater'' in January 19 ...

. It was first recorded in 1985 by

Robbie O'Connell Robbie O'Connell (born 1951) is an Irish singer songwriter who performs solo, as well as with The Green Fields of America. He also appears with Dónal Clancy (cousin), Dan Milner, and fiddler Rose Clancy. O'Connell has also toured and recorded ...

Mick Moloney Michael Moloney (15 November 1944 – 27 July 2022) was an Irish-born American musician and scholar. He was the artistic director of several major arts tours and co-founded Green Fields of America. Early life Moloney was born in Limerick, Ire ...

and Jimmy Keane as the title track of their first joint album titled ''There Were Roses'' and incorrectly credited to "Moloney, O'Connell & Keane" on the Green Linnet label. Tommy Sands had also recorded his own song and it was the opening track of his 1985 album ''Singing of the Times''.

Context

"There Were Roses" has been described as one of the best songs ever written about the Irish conflict known as

The Troubles The Troubles ( ga, Na Trioblóidí) were an ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland that lasted about 30 years from the late 1960s to 1998. Also known internationally as the Northern Ireland conflict, it is sometimes described as an "i ...

.Dna Users, Biography of Tommy Sands
The song recounts the true story of two men, "Allan Bell" from Benagh, a

Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...

and "Sean O'Malley" from

South Armagh South Armagh may refer to: *The southern part of County Armagh * South Armagh (Northern Ireland Parliament constituency) *South Armagh (UK Parliament constituency) *Provisional IRA South Armagh Brigade The South Armagh Brigade of the Provisional ...

, a Catholic. The two were very close friends despite the political strife between the Catholic and Protestant communities and they would meet at Ryan Road, near Mayobridge in South County Down, where the Sands family have a farm. The Sands family were all musicians and singers and their house was a focal point for Catholic and Protestant neighbours to enjoy music and

craic ''Craic'' ( ) or ''crack'' is a term for news, gossip, fun, entertainment, and enjoyable conversation, particularly prominent in Ireland. It is often used with the definite article – ''the'' craic – as in the expression "What's the craic ...

. That's how Sands had met them and "who were both good friends of mine" as in the lyrics. Sands had originally recorded the song using the real names of the two men, Scott and McDonnell, and did so with the agreement of their families. But just prior to the release of the album there was a change of heart on the part of one of the families. The already pressed LPs were destroyed and a new version of the song recorded using the fictitious names Bell and O'Malley. The song recounts the murder of 'Allan' just outside

Newry Town Newry City Football Club was a Northern Irish association football, football club founded in 1918 and dissolved in 2012. It was based in Newry, County Down and played its home matches at The Showgrounds (Newry), the Showgrounds. Club colours we ...

by the Republican paramilitaries. In the aftermath, Loyalist paramilitaries "came prowling 'round the lonely Ryan Road' for a Catholic to kill in retaliation; ironically, the man they selected for the revenge killing ("to even up the score" as in the lyrics), was 'Sean' who pleaded for his life but he was not spared. Sands comments in the song lyrics: "I wonder just how many wars are fought between good friends / And those that give the orders are not the ones to die / It's Bell and O'Malley and the likes of you and I", concluding: The 'roses' in the title and chorus reflects Sands's memory of that summer and the roses blooming in an arch surrounding a seat outside his family home. In the album that Sands released there is no indication about the actual names of the two victims that Sands knew. The events of the song took place in the summer of 1973 and it took Sands ten years after the murders of the two friends to write the song. In certain cover versions, the names of the two young men are changed and "Allan Bell" is replaced by "Isaac Scott" and "Sean O'Malley" by "Sean McDonnell". For example, in the very well known Cara Dillon version in her album ''

Sweet Liberty ''Sweet Liberty'' is a 1986 American comedy film written and directed by Alan Alda, and starring Alda in the lead role, alongside Michael Caine and Michelle Pfeiffer, with support from Bob Hoskins, Lois Chiles, Lise Hilboldt, Lillian Gish, and La ...

''.

Covers and adaptations

It has also been recorded by

Joan Baez Joan Chandos Baez (; born January 9, 1941) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and activist. Her contemporary folk music often includes songs of protest and social justice. Baez has performed publicly for over 60 years, releasing more ...

Kathy Mattea Kathleen Alice Mattea (born June 21, 1959) is an American country music and bluegrass singer. Active since 1984 as a recording artist, she has charted more than 30 singles on the '' Billboard'' Hot Country Songs charts, including four that re ...

Dolores Keane Dolores Keane (born 26 September 1953) is an Irish folk singer and occasional actress. She was a founding member of the group De Dannan and has since embarked on a solo career. Background Keane was born in a small village called Sylane (near ...

, Sean Keane,

Frank Patterson Frank Patterson (5 October 1938 – 10 June 2000) was an internationally renowned Irish tenor following in the tradition of singers such as Count John McCormack and Josef Locke. He was known as "Ireland's Golden Tenor". Early life Patterson wa ...

Paddy Reilly Patrick "Paddy" Reilly (born 18 October 1939) is an Irish folk singer and guitarist. Born in Rathcoole, County Dublin, he is one of Ireland's most famous balladeers and is best known for his renditions of "The Fields of Athenry", "Rose of Allen ...

Dick Gaughan Richard Peter Gaughan (born 17 May 1948) is a Scottish musician, singer and songwriter, particularly of folk and social protest songs. He is regarded as one of Scotland's leading singer-songwriters. Early years Gaughan was born in Glasgow's Roy ...

The Dubliners The Dubliners were an Folk music of Ireland, Irish folk band founded in Dublin in 1962 as The Ronnie Drew Ballad Group, named after its founding member; they subsequently renamed themselves The Dubliners. The line-up saw many changes in personn ...

Cara Dillon Cara Elizabeth Dillon (born 21 July 1975, in Dungiven, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland) is a Northern Irish folk singer. In 1995, she joined the folk supergroup Equation and signed a record deal with Warners Music Group. After leaving t ...

Lisa McHugh Lisa McHugh (born 16 August 1988) is a Scottish pop and country singer. She was born in Glasgow, Scotland to Irish parents. Her father is from Castlederg in County Tyrone and her mother is from Falcarragh, County Donegal. In June 2010 she moved ...

and many others.

Awards

In 2004 Sands and "There Were Roses" received the award for 'Best Original Song' at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.

In popular culture

In May 2002 Sands received an

Honorary Doctorate An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hon ...

from the

University of Nevada, Reno The University of Nevada, Reno (Nevada, the University of Nevada, or UNR) is a public land-grant research university in Reno, Nevada. It is the state's flagship public university and primary land grant institution. It was founded on October 12, ...

for his ''outstanding work as musician and ambassador for peace and understanding''. The song has also been translated into many languages and is currently included in the English language syllabus in German secondary schools.Tommy Sands.com Discography
/ref>

References

External links

{{Authority control 1985 songs British folk songs Songs about The Troubles (Northern Ireland) Irish folk songs