''Sweeney's Men'' is an album by Sweeney's Men,''Sweeney's Men'' LP, Transatlantic Records Ltd, TRA SAM 37, 1968. recorded in early 1968 after 'Galway Joe' Dolan had left the band and been replaced by Terry Woods. Johnny Moynihan contributed "Rattlin' Roarin' Willy"—a song written by Robbie Burns and set to the slip jig rhythm (9/8)—and also Pecker Dunne's "Sullivan John", which had previously been sung by Dolan before he left the band. Moynihan also sang "Dicey Riley" and "The Handsome Cabin Boy", which he learnt from the singing of A.L. Lloyd.Sleeve notes from ''Sweeney's Men'' LP, Transatlantic Records Ltd, TRA SAM 37, 1968. "Johnston" is Moynihan's version of the tale of sinister murder also known as "Three Huntsmen", listed as entry H185 in Sam Henry's collection, ''Song the People''Sleeve notes from ''Andy Irvine - Abocurragh'', Andy Irvine AK-3, 2010. Andy Irvine contributed the sea shanty "Sally Brown", which he learnt from a

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...

recording of an old sailor in a Seamen's Home in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

. He also recorded the ballad " Willy O' Winsbury", the lyrics of which he learned from

Child A child () is a human being between the stages of childbirth, birth and puberty, or between the Development of the human body, developmental period of infancy and puberty. The term may also refer to an unborn human being. In English-speaking ...

's '' English and Scottish Popular Ballads'', and which he set to a different air. Irvine also covered the English folk song " Dance to Your Daddy", along with the Irish traditional song " Reynard The Fox", which celebrates a fox chase that took place in 1793. Terry Woods brought the well-known American ballad " Tom Dooley" and also the southern ballad " The House Carpenter", based on a recording by

Clarence Ashley Clarence "Tom" Ashley (born Clarence Earl McCurry; September 29, 1895 – June 2, 1967) was an American musician and singer, who played the clawhammer banjo and the guitar. He began performing at medicine shows in the Appalachia, Southern Appalac ...

. Woods also composed new music for "My Dearest Dear", a song by

Peggy Seeger Margaret "Peggy" Seeger (born June 17, 1935) is an American Folk music, folk singer and songwriter. She has lived in Britain for more than 60 years and was married to the singer-songwriter Ewan MacColl until his death in 1989. She is a member ...

. Moynihan and Irvine learnt the slip jig "The Exile's Jig" from a group of traditional musicians based in Dublin called Ceoltóirí Chualann, led by Seán Ó Riada. The album was re-released on CD in 1996, packaged together with Sweeney's Men second album, '' The Tracks of Sweeney''.''Sweeney's Men'' CD, Castle Communications Plc, ESM CD 435, 1996. The album is included in the collection ''Irish Folk Favourites''. "Old Woman In Cotton" is included on the collection ''Galway Bay: Irish Folk Traditions''. These are available on streaming platforms.

Track listing

#"Rattlin' Roarin' Willy" (Trad., Arr. Woods/Irvine/Moynihan) – 2:25 #"Sullivan's John" ( Pecker Dunne) – 3:15 #"Sally Brown" (Trad., Arr. Woods/Irvine/Moynihan) – 2:20 #"My Dearest Dear" (P. Seeger/T. Woods) – 3:53 #"The Exile's Jig" (instr) (Trad., Arr. Woods/Irvine/Moynihan) – 1:39 #"The Handsome Cabin Boy" (Trad., Arr. Woods/Irvine/Moynihan) – 4:45 #"Dicey Riley" (

Dominic Behan Dominic Behan ( ; ; 22 October 1928 – 3 August 1989) was an Irish writer, songwriter and singer from Dublin who wrote in Irish and English. He was a socialist and an Irish republican. Born into the literary Behan family, he was one of the mo ...

) – 1:41 #" Tom Dooley" (F. Warner) – 2:32 #" Willy O'Winsbury"" (Trad., Arr. Irvine) – 4:57 #"Dance To Your Daddy" (Trad., Arr. Woods/Irvine/Moynihan) – 2:14 #" The House Carpenter" (Trad., Arr. Woods/Irvine/Moynihan) – 3:57 #"Johnston" (Trad., Arr. Woods/Irvine/Moynihan) – 3:40 #"Reynard The Fox" (Trad., Arr. Woods/Irvine/Moynihan) – 3:26 #"Old Woman In Cotton" (Carrol, Irvine) – 2:45 (*) (*) Additional track on the 1996 CD.

Personnel

* Andy Irvine - vocals,

mandolin A mandolin (, ; literally "small mandola") is a Chordophone, stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally Plucked string instrument, plucked with a plectrum, pick. It most commonly has four Course (music), courses of doubled St ...

bouzouki The bouzouki (, also ; ; alt. pl. ''bouzoukia'', , from Greek , from Turkish ) is a musical instrument popular in West Asia (Syria, Iraq), Europe and Balkans (Greece, North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Turkey). It is a member of the long-necked lute fam ...

harmonica The harmonica, also known as a French harp or mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used worldwide in many musical genres, notably in blues, American folk music, classical music, jazz, country, and rock. The many types of harmonica incl ...

guitar The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...

* Johnny Moynihan - vocals,

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 ...

* Terry Woods - vocals, 6-string guitar, 12-string guitar, banjo,

concertina A concertina is a free-reed musical instrument, like the various accordions and the harmonica. It consists of expanding and contracting bellows, with buttons (or keys) usually on both ends, unlike accordion buttons, which are on the front. The ...

References

External links

Andy Irvine – Official website

{{Authority control 1968 debut albums Transatlantic Records albums Sweeney's Men albums