Mo Ghile Mear facts for kids
"Mo Ghile Mear" is a very famous Irish song. Its name means "My Gallant Darling" or "My Spirited Lad." The song we know today was put together in the early 1970s. A person named Dónal Ó Liatháin (who lived from 1934 to 2008) created it. He used an old tune from Cúil Aodha, a place in County Cork, Ireland. He also picked words from Irish-language poems written by Seán "Clárach" Mac Domhnaill (1691–1754).
Contents
Song's History
The words of "Mo Ghile Mear" come from older poems. One main poem is called Bímse Buan ar Buairt Gach Ló. This poem was written around 1746. It was a sad song about the failure of the Jacobite rising of 1745.
Ireland's Voice
In the original poem, Éire speaks. Éire is like the spirit or personification of Ireland. She is sad because Bonnie Prince Charlie had to leave Ireland. "Mo ghile mear" was a special name for him. It was used in many songs from that time. These songs supported the Jacobite cause. Jacobites wanted the Stuart family to be kings again.
Old Tunes and Meanings
Many Irish Jacobite songs used the tune "The White Cockade." This tune was first a love song from the 1600s. A "White Cockade" was a ribbon decoration worn by young women. But later, it became a military symbol. It showed support for the Jacobite cause.
Earlier Poems
Another part of the song's words comes from an even older poem. This poem was also by Mac Domhnaill. It was called Seal do bhíos im mhaighdin shéimh. This poem was published in 1847. It was thought to be Mac Domhnaill's first Jacobite poem. He wrote it during the Jacobite rising of 1715. In this poem, the hero who had to leave was the "Old Pretender," James Francis Edward Stuart. He was Bonnie Prince Charlie's father.
Creating the Modern Song
The modern song is linked to the composer Seán Ó Riada. He started an Irish-language choir in Cúil Aodha in the 1960s. Ó Riada found the tune for the song from an old man. His name was Domhnall Ó Buachalla, and he lived in Cúil Aodha.
Ó Riada sadly passed away early in 1971. The song was created about a year after his death, around 1972. Now, Ó Riada himself became the hero. He was the one missed and remembered in the song. The idea for the song came from a tape recording. It was Domhnall Ó Buachalla singing the tune. Ó Riada's son, Peadar, suggested to Dónal Ó Liatháin that he should make a song from this melody.
Ó Liatháin decided to pick verses from Mac Domhnaill's poems. He set these words to the tune. He chose verses that felt "universal." This means they could apply to many situations. So, the modern song is not just about the old Jacobite wars. It is also a tribute to Seán Ó Riada.
Recordings
Many artists have recorded "Mo Ghile Mear." Here are some of them:
- Mary Black – Collected, 1984
- James Last – James Last in Ireland, 1986 (vocals by Séamus Mac Mathúna)
- Relativity – Relativity, 1985
- Pádraigín Ní Uallacháin – A Stór Is A Stóirín, 1994
- The Chieftains & Sting – The Long Black Veil, 1995
- Celtic Woman – A New Journey, 2007
- Orla Fallon – My Land, 2011
- Celtic Thunder – Storm, 2011
- Battlefield Band – Beg and Borrow, 2015 (Scots Gaelic translation)
- Úna Palliser – used in a Specsavers advert
