Mursheen Durkin facts for kids
The Irish folk song "Mursheen Durkin" tells the exciting story of an Irish person who travels to California in 1849. This was during the California Gold Rush, a time when many people hoped to find gold. The song is about leaving your home country, which is called emigration. Unlike many sad songs about leaving, "Mursheen Durkin" is quite hopeful and cheerful!
The name "Mursheen" sounds a lot like "Máirtín," which is the Irish name for Martin. It could also be a smaller version of the name "Muiris" (Maurice). In the song, a "pratie" is a potato, which was a very important food in Ireland for a long time. When you hear "America" in the song, it often sounds like "Americay." This was a common way for Irish speakers to say it back then.
The tune for "Mursheen Durkin" comes from another popular 19th-century Irish tune called "Cailíní deasa Mhuigheo." This means "pretty girls of Mayo" and is a lively type of Irish dance music called a reel.
Popular Artists Who Sang "Mursheen Durkin"
This song became very famous when Johnny McEvoy's version reached the number one spot in Ireland in 1966. Many other musicians have also performed their own versions of "Mursheen Durkin."
Some of the well-known artists who have sung this song include:
- Christy Moore
- Sharon Shannon
- Four to the Bar (on their live album Craic on the Road)
- The Pogues
- The Irish Rovers (who sang it as "Mursheen Durkin" and "Goodbye Mrs. Durkin")
- Johnny McEvoy
- The Dubliners
- The Poxy Boggards
- Golden Bough
- The Mollys (on their album Hat Trick)
- Off Kilter (on their album Celtic Armadillo)
- Darby O'Gill
- The Wolfe Tones
- 1916 (on their album Last Call for Heroes)
- Na Fianna
- Paddy Goes To Holyhead
Different Versions of the Song
There are a few different versions of "Mursheen Durkin." One popular one is called "Molly Durkin," which became well-known in the United States in the 1940s thanks to Murty Rabbett. It's a song with a fast and cheerful beat. It tells the story of a man who decides to stop his hard work shoveling things like mortar or asphalt. Instead, he dreams of shoveling gold in California!
The song "Molly Durkin" is also about an Irishman's reaction to a woman's disapproval, rather than just about leaving Ireland.
The band The Irish Rovers made some changes to the lyrics when they sang their version, which they called "Goodbye Mrs. Durkin." Some of their changes included:
- "I was never tired resortin'"
- "and the other house besides"
- "as sure as my name is Barney"
- "I'll write you from New York" (this fits the song's rhythm better)
- They also included some lyrics found in the "Molly Durkin" song.
Recordings of "Mursheen Durkin"
You can find recordings of this song on these albums:
- Murty Rabbett & His Gaelic Band: "Farewell To Ireland" Properbox 3(P1109-12) (1999/2005)
- Ballinasloe Fair-Early Recordings Of Irish Music In America Traditional Crossroads CD 4284, CD (1998/2005)
