Jamie I'm gonna do the Irish thing here and offer one place that feels like I could call it home. Though I've never been there, all my ancestors come from there and one very important cousin remains there and I speak to her often. The music of this land speaks to my heart.
The place is Limerick, Ireland.
I have two YouTube songs for you.
The first song is sung by Cherish the Ladies:
Here are the lyrics of "My Own Native Land"
There's a dear little isle in the Western Ocean
An island of purity, holy and grand
Whose name fills its daughters and sons with emotion
When heard on the shores of a far distant land.
It's Ireland, God bless her, the birthplace of heroes
The home of the patriot, warrior and sage
Of bards and of chieftains whose names live in story
May they live forever on history's page.
You once were a proud and a glorious nation
Your name and your fame were known all o'er the world
'Til misfortune came o'er you and sad desolation
And the emerald banner in slavery lay unfurled.
They tortured your children, despoiled your green bowers
They tried to exterminate you long, long ago
But the Irish are somehow like wild, creeping flowers
The faster you pluck them, the quicker they grow.
I love every blade of grass, green on your mountain,
Every leaf on your tree, every rock upon your strand
I love your green hills and your murmuring fountains I love you,
a *cuisle, my own dear native land.
6 comments:
Mary, I don't know how you found these tunes, but they're lovely. The singing in the first one is exquisite to listen to, although I'm not that gone on the lyrics.
And the second is also lovely, in a totally different way.
Unfortunately, we're back to an emigration situation here, due to a messed-up economy. But then, it's not like the old days, when emigrants never got to come home again.
I do hope you'll make a visit here some day- then maybe we could meet!
Mary, These are beautiful. That feeling of home for a place you've never seen is so unique. I hope you do get to Ireland some day.
Hi Mary
I saw you over at Lily Hydrangea's blog and came over to look at your (many) blogs. I live in Brooklyn and blog quite a bit about Brooklyn and NYC. I am of Irish descent and have visited Ireland many times, including Limerick. I have quite a few blog posts about my trips there which can be found in my archive labels under "Ireland" It is a wonderful country to visit and I do hope you get the opportunity to go one day.
Your class at Queensborough sounds very interesting! I wonder if I could find the same here in Kingsborough College?
Kind regards, Pat
Ireland is just beautiful. My great grandmother came from Cork to England during the potato famine and for years I so wanted to visit. I did eventually get there in 2005.
If you get an opportunity to visit Ireland - take it! I finally fulfilled a dream of a walking tour in Ireland (Kerry) last summer. It was the best holiday ever.
Like you, I have Irish ancestors and the music has always spoken to me, too.
I hope one day to get to Ireland.
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