HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

"Róisín Dubh" (; "Dark Rosaleen" or "Little Dark Rose") is one of Ireland's most famous political songs. It is based on an older love-lyric which referred to the poet's beloved rather than, as here, being a metaphor for Ireland. The intimate tone of the original carries over into the political song. It is often attributed to Antoine Ó Raifteiri, but almost certainly predates him.


Background

The song is named after Róisín Dubh Ní Néill (Rose O'Neill), one of the daughters of Hugh O'Neill,
Earl of Tyrone The Earl of Tyrone is a title created three times in the Peerage of Ireland, and once in the Spanish nobility. It was created for the final time in 1746 for Marcus Beresford, 1st Viscount Tyrone, son-in-law of the last de Poer earls. His son wa ...
, who was betrothed (and later married) to
Red Hugh O'Donnell Hugh Roe O'Donnell II (; 20 October 1572 – 30 August 1602), also known as Red Hugh O'Donnell, was an Irish Chief of the Name, clan chief and senior leader of the Irish confederacy during the Nine Years' War (Ireland), Nine Years' War. He was ...
in 1587, when they were both teenagers. O'Donnell divorced Róisín in 1595. According to G. F. Dalton, Róisín's "misfortunes and her high birth attracted the attention of ballad-makers, who saw her as a type of Ireland." The song is reputed to have originated during the
Nine Years' War The Nine Years' War was a European great power conflict from 1688 to 1697 between Kingdom of France, France and the Grand Alliance (League of Augsburg), Grand Alliance. Although largely concentrated in Europe, fighting spread to colonial poss ...
in O'Donnell's camps. Another source attributes it to a Tyrconnellian poet under the reign of Red Hugh. According to music scholar Donal O'Sullivan, there is no evidence it was composed that early. Although ''Róisín Dubh'' is superficially a love song, it has been described as a patriotic poem that hides its nationalism via allegory. In a time when nationalistic expression was outlawed in Ireland, the poem was a way to covertly express nationalistic beliefs. The most popular iteration of ''Róisín Dubh'' was adapted by
James Clarence Mangan James Clarence Mangan, born James Mangan (; 1 May 1803 – 20 June 1849), was an Irish poetry, Irish poet. He freely translated works from German, Turkish, Persian, Arabic, and Irish, with his translations of Goethe gaining special interest. St ...
from a fragmentation of an existing love song to Róisín. It is traditionally sung in the
Irish language Irish (Standard Irish: ), also known as Irish Gaelic or simply Gaelic ( ), is a Celtic language of the Indo-European language family. It is a member of the Goidelic languages of the Insular Celtic sub branch of the family and is indigenous ...
, with only a few recordings of the English existing. It has been translated from the
Irish language Irish (Standard Irish: ), also known as Irish Gaelic or simply Gaelic ( ), is a Celtic language of the Indo-European language family. It is a member of the Goidelic languages of the Insular Celtic sub branch of the family and is indigenous ...
by Mangan and
Patrick Pearse Patrick Henry Pearse (also known as Pádraig or Pádraic Pearse; ; 10 November 1879 – 3 May 1916) was an Irish teacher, barrister, Irish poetry, poet, writer, Irish nationalism, nationalist, Irish republicanism, republican political activist a ...
. The following translation is by
Thomas Kinsella Thomas Kinsella (4 May 1928 – 22 December 2021) was an Irish poet, translator, editor, and publisher. Born outside Dublin, Kinsella attended University College Dublin before entering the civil service. He began publishing poetry in the early ...
(''The New Oxford Book of Irish Verse'', 1986).


Renditions

''Róisín Dubh'' has been frequently performed and recorded, both in its own native Irish and translated into English. (However, quality of the translations vary greatly, from strict ones to those bearing no relationship to the original Irish.) It has been sung by numerous Irish traditional singers including the late Joe Heaney and Maighread Ní Dhomhnaill, as well as in genres ranging from classical to rock and jazz. The instrumental range is as wide as the vocal, but the instruments best suited to render this air authentically are the native Irish uilleann pipes, flute, fiddle, and whistle, as these are capable of making the "caoine" ("cry"), the note-shaping and changing that is characteristic of the native Irish music. However, other versions using different instruments are also widely available. Musicians/composers who have performed or recorded the song include these: *
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 Connemara, County Galway, Ireland. He spent most of his adult life abroad, living in England, Scotland an ...
, famed
Connemara Connemara ( ; ) is a region on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of western County Galway, in the west of Ireland. The area has a strong association with traditional Irish culture and contains much of the Connacht Irish-speaking Gaeltacht, ...
sean-nós singer *
The Wolfe Tones The Wolfe Tones are an Irish rebel music band that incorporate Irish traditional music in their songs. Formed in 1963, they take their name from Theobald Wolfe Tone, one of the leaders of the Irish Rebellion of 1798, with the double meaning ...
recorded it in their debut album ''The Foggy Dew'' in 1965 * Paddy Tunney- folk singer and lilter from the county Fermanagh in Ulster *
Maighread Ní Dhomhnaill Maighréad Ní Dhomhnaill (; born 1955) is an Irish traditional singer from Kells, County Meath. She is known for her work with the short-lived, but very highly regarded Skara Brae and her collaborations with her sister Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill, a ...
– native Irish singer from the famed Ó Domhnaill singing family of
Rann na Feirste Ranafast or Rinnafarset, officially only known by its Irish name Rann na Feirste (), is a Gaeltacht village and townland in the Rosses district in the west of County Donegal in Ulster, the northern province in Ireland. Name Ranafast, or someti ...
,
County Donegal County Donegal ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county of the Republic of Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Ulster and is the northernmost county of Ireland. The county mostly borders Northern Ireland, sharing only a small b ...
. * Phil Lynnot of
Thin Lizzy Thin Lizzy are an Irish rock band formed in Dublin in 1969. The band initially consisted of bass guitarist, lead vocalist and principal songwriter Phil Lynott, drummer Brian Downey, guitarist Eric Bell and organist Eric Wrixon although Wr ...
*
Sinéad O'Connor Shuhada' Sadaqat (born Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor; , ; 8 December 1966 – 26 July 2023) was an Irish singer, songwriter, record producer and activist. Her debut studio album, ''The Lion and the Cobra'', was released in 1987 and achieve ...
* Caitlín Maude on her 1975 album ''Caitlín'' * Cherish the Ladies 1993 * Ann Mulqueen


Instrumental

* Seán Ó Riada, whose score for the 1959 film ''Mise Éire'' was based on the melody * The Dubliners. Instrumental, circa 1964. Also the song "For what died the sons of Róisín". * Joanie Madden, leader of Cherish the Ladies,
tin whistle The tin whistle, also known as the penny whistle, is a simple six-holed woodwind instrument. It is a type of fipple flute, a class of instrument which also includes the recorder and Native American flute. A tin whistle player is called a whistl ...
instrumental on her
solo album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track or cassette), or digital. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century ...
''Song of the Irish Whistle'' (1997) * Máire Ní Chathasaigh recorded an instrumental version for solo harp on her duo album with Chris Newma
''Live in the Highlands''
(1995)


Others

*
Thin Lizzy Thin Lizzy are an Irish rock band formed in Dublin in 1969. The band initially consisted of bass guitarist, lead vocalist and principal songwriter Phil Lynott, drummer Brian Downey, guitarist Eric Bell and organist Eric Wrixon although Wr ...
wrote the song "Black Rose" based on the story of Róisín Dubh. This song was covered by Northern Kings on their 2008 album '' Rethroned''. *
Flogging Molly Flogging Molly is an Irish-American seven-piece Celtic punk band formed in Los Angeles in 1997, led by Irish vocalist Dave King, formerly of the hard rock band Fastway. They are signed to their own record label, Borstal Beat Records. Histor ...
recorded the song "To Youth (My Sweet Roisin Dubh)" on the album ''
Within a Mile of Home ''Within a Mile of Home'' is the third studio album by the Celtic punk band Flogging Molly. Released in 2004, the album reached No. 20 on the U.S. Billboard Top 200 chart and No. 1 on the Independent Music chart. The album is dedicated to Joe ...
'' (2004) * Black 47 recorded a song titled Black Rose for the album Home of the Brave. *
The Rubberbandits The Rubberbandits are an Irish comedy hip-hop duo from Limerick. They consist of Blindboy Boatclub (real name Dave Chambers) and Mr Chrome (sometimes Bobby Chrome; real name Bob McGlynn). During performances and interviews, they conceal their i ...
begin the Irish language version of I Wanna Fight Your Father with a portion of “Róisín Dubh.”


See also

*
Kathleen Ni Houlihan Kathleen Ni Houlihan (, literally, "Kathleen, daughter of Houlihan") is a mythology, mythical symbol and emblem of Irish nationalism found in literature and art, sometimes representing Ireland as a personified woman. The figure of Kathleen ...
* Mise Éire * Four Green Fields * The Sean-Bhean bhocht *
Hibernia (personification) Hibernia is a national personification of Ireland. She appeared in numerous cartoons and drawings, in particular, during the nineteenth century. As depicted in frequent cartoons in '' Punch'', a magazine outspokenly hostile to Irish nationalism ...


Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Roisin Dubh Irish folk songs Personifications of Ireland Songs in Irish 1960s in Irish music 1970s in Irish music