"Gartan Mother's Lullaby" is an old Irish song and poem written by Herbert Hughes and Seosamh Mac Cathmhaoil, first published in ''Songs of Uladh lster' in 1904. Hughes collected the traditional melody in Donegal the previous year and Campbell wrote the lyrics. The song is a lullaby by a mother, from the parish of

Gartan Gartan () is a civil parish and townland in County Donegal, Ireland. The area is best known for being the birthplace of Columba, one of the three patron saints of Ireland and one of the most revered saints in the Christian world. Here he founded ...

in County Donegal. The song refers to a number of figures in Irish mythology, places in Ireland and words in the Irish language.

Pronunciation

*''Aoibheall'', ''(pronounced "ee-val" /ˈiːvəl/)'' commonly known as Aoibhinn the Beautiful, is the queen of the Northern Fairies. *''The Green Man'', (or ''Fear Glas'' in Irish) it is said if you see him in the morning, "no ill follows"; but if at night, death or some other terrible misfortune will surely overtake you. He is sometimes called ''Fear Liath'', or the Grey Man. *''Siabhra (pronounced "sheev-rah" /'ʃivɹə/)'', is typically a term for wicked or malevolent fairies, but in this instance is used as a generic term for an Irish fairy of any kind. *''Tearmann'', Irish for Termon, a village near Gartan in Donegal. *''Leanbhan'', is an old Irish word for ''little child''. (leanbh is Irish for child +án leanbhán is its diminutive.)

Recordings

*2016 - UCD Choral Scholars covered on the album "Invisible Stars" *2016 - Lisa Cuthbert covered on the album ''Paramour'' *2011 - Screaming Orphans covered on the album ''The Jacket's Green'' *2011 - Deirdre Shannon covered on the album ''Anamcheol'' *2010 - Peter Roberts covered on the album '' Love and the Ferryman'' *2010 - Fionnuala Sherry covered on the album '' Songs From Before'' *2007 - Tracey Rose Brown covered on the album " Songs In The Mist" *2007 - Allison Grivan covered on the album " Resonance" *2006 - Órla Fallon, covered on the album '' The Water Is Wide'' *2002 - Spiral Dance, covered on the album ''Notes of Being'' *2002 - Kerstin Blodig, covered on the album ''Valivann'' *2000 -

Meryl Streep Mary Louise "Meryl" Streep (born June 22, 1949) is an American actress. Known for her versatility and adept accent work, she has been described as "the best actress of her generation". She has received numerous accolades throughout her career ...

, recorded for the album ''For Our Children: 10th Anniversary'' *1992 - Kim Robertson, recorded for the album ''Tender Shepherd'' *1991 -

Paddy Reilly Patrick 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 Allendale" ...

, on his album ''The Gold and Silver Days'' *1977 -

Alba ''Alba'' ( , ) is the Scottish Gaelic name for Scotland. It is also, in English-language historiography, used to refer to the polity of Picts and Scots united in the ninth century as the Kingdom of Alba, until it developed into the Kingd ...

, on their album "

" *1972 -

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 pers ...

, on their album '' Double Dubliners'' *1969 -

The Corries The Corries were a Scottish folk group that emerged from the Scottish folk revival of the early 1960s. The group was a trio from their formation until 1966 when founder Bill Smith left the band but Roy Williamson and Ronnie Browne contin ...

, appears on their album ''Strings and Things'' *1963 - The Ian Campbell Folk Group, appears on their album ''This Is The Ian Campbell Folk Group!'' *1959 - Deirdre O'Callaghan, appears on their album ''Folk Songs From Erin'' *1958 -

Mary O'Hara Mary O'Hara (born 12 May 1935) is an Irish soprano and harpist from County Sligo. She gained attention on both sides of the Atlantic in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Her recordings of that period influenced a generation of Irish female singer ...

, appears on their album ''Songs Of Ireland''

References

The Guardian, Poem of the week: The Gartan Mother’s Lullaby by Joseph Campbell, Carol Rumens, Mon 18 Jan 2016 {{authority control Lullabies Irish songs Irish poems Irish folk songs 1904 songs 1900s in Irish music