"The Sean-Bhean bhocht" (;

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

for "Poor old woman"), often spelled phonetically as "Shan Van Vocht", is a traditional Irish song from the period of the

Irish Rebellion of 1798 The Irish Rebellion of 1798 ( ga, Éirí Amach 1798; Ulster-Scots: ''The Hurries'') was a major uprising against British rule in Ireland. The main organising force was the Society of United Irishmen, a republican revolutionary group influence ...

, and dating in particular to the lead up to a French expedition to

Bantry Bay Bantry Bay ( ga, Cuan Baoi / Inbhear na mBárc / Bádh Bheanntraighe) is a bay located in County Cork, Ireland. The bay runs approximately from northeast to southwest into the Atlantic Ocean. It is approximately 3-to-4 km (1.8-to-2.5 mi ...

, that ultimately failed to get ashore in 1796. The ''Sean-Bhean bhocht'' is used to personify Ireland, a poetic motif which heralds back to the aisling of native

Irish language Irish ( Standard Irish: ), also known as Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Insular Celtic branch of the Celtic language family, which is a part of the Indo-European language family. Irish is indigenous to the island of Ireland and was ...

poetry. Many different versions of the song have been composed by balladeers over the years, with the lyrics adapted to reflect the political climate at the time of composition. The title of the song, tune and narration of the misfortunes of the ''Shean Bhean bhocht'' remain a constant however, and this version, probably the best known, expresses confidence in the victory of the

United Irishmen The Society of United Irishmen was a sworn association in the Kingdom of Ireland formed in the wake of the French Revolution to secure "an equal representation of all the people" in a national government. Despairing of constitutional reform, ...

in the looming

rebellion Rebellion, uprising, or insurrection is a refusal of obedience or order. It refers to the open resistance against the orders of an established authority. A rebellion originates from a sentiment of indignation and disapproval of a situation and ...

upon the arrival of French aid.

W. B. Yeats William Butler Yeats (13 June 186528 January 1939) was an Irish poet, dramatist, writer and one of the foremost figures of 20th-century literature. He was a driving force behind the Irish Literary Revival and became a pillar of the Irish liter ...

and

Augusta, Lady Gregory Isabella Augusta, Lady Gregory (''née'' Persse; 15 March 1852 – 22 May 1932) was an Irish dramatist, folklorist and theatre manager. With William Butler Yeats and Edward Martyn, she co-founded the Irish Literary Theatre and the Abbey Theatre, ...

based their 1902 nationalist play, ''

Cathleen Ní Houlihan ''Cathleen ni Houlihan'' is a one-act play written by William Butler Yeats and Lady Gregory in 1902. It was first performed on 2 April of that year and first published in the October number of ''Samhain''. Lady Gregory wrote the naturalistic peas ...

'', on the legend dramatized in this song. A more recent version of the character is the speaker in Tommy Makem's "Four Green Fields," a song composed in the modern context of Northern Ireland's partition from the Republic of Ireland. The character also appears as the old lady selling milk in the opening passage of ''

Ulysses Ulysses is one form of the Roman name for Odysseus, a hero in ancient Greek literature. Ulysses may also refer to: People * Ulysses (given name), including a list of people with this name Places in the United States * Ulysses, Kansas * Ulysse ...

'' by James Joyce.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sean-Bhean bhocht Irish folk songs Traditional ballads Ballads of the Irish Rebellion of 1798 Personifications of Ireland Year of song unknown National personifications

See also

References