Gartan Mother's Lullaby Explained

Gartan Mother's Lullaby
Published:	1904

"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 [Ulster] in 1904.^[1] 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 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"
• 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, recorded for the album For Our Children: 10th Anniversary
• 1992 - Kim Robertson, recorded for the album Tender Shepherd
• 1991 - Paddy Reilly, on his album The Gold and Silver Days
• 1977 - Alba, on their album "Alba"
• 1972 - The Dubliners, on their album Double Dubliners
• 1969 - The Corries, 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, appears on their album Songs Of Ireland

References

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Notes and References

1. https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/77802596
2. https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/30377859
3. The Gartan Mother's Lullaby - The Choral Scholars of University College Dublin https://www.google.com/search?gs_ssp=eJzj4tVP1zc0TCrPy8gxMMo1YPQST08sKknMU8jNL8lILVIvVsgpzclJTKoEAAU4DZY&q=gartan+mother%27s+lullaby&oq=garthan+mothers+lullaby&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j46j0l5.17217j0j8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
4. https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/46462343
5. https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2016/jan/18/poem-of-the-week-the-gartan-mothers-lullaby-by-joseph-campbell