More (Mostly) Folk Music

Diarmuid O'Leary and the Bards   •   Ireland's Bards

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  • Ireland's Bards
    • 1975 - Polydor 2908 024 LP (IRL)
  • Side One
    1. Farewell to Carlingford (Tommy Makem)
    2. Avondale (D. Behan)
    3. Flower of Scotland (Roy Williamson)
    4. Christian island (Gordon Lightfoot)
    5. Upton Ambush (Trad.)
    6. Freedom walk (P. McGuigan)
    7. Crooked Jack (D. Behan)
  • Side Two
    1. Billy O'Rourke (Trad.)
    2. Robert Emmet (Trad.)
    3. Ar Éirinn ní h-eosfamn Cé Hí & The Hunt (Trad.)
    4. Come all Ye Fair & Tender Maidens (Sigerson, Clifford)
    5. Boys of Barr-na-Sráide (Trad.)
    6. Oh South Wind (Trad.)
    7. The Gypsy Maiden (Shea, Farrelly)

  • The Bards
    • Ann Keaveny: Lead vocal, keyboard and electronic base [ sic]
    • Diarmuid O'Leary: Vocal, guitar.
    • Pat Ryan: Mandolin, bozouki, vocals.
  • Credits
    • Produced by Jerry Hughes
    • Mixed at Dublin Sound Ltd.
    • Engineered by Pat Morley
    • Recorded live at the Heatherville Club
    • Photography: Roy Esmonde and Edmund Ross
    • Sleeve Design: Des O'Meara & Partners Ltd.

Sleeve Notes

The bards of long ago, when they travelled at all, went from one big house to another to play and sing for small private audiences from which the general public were largely excluded. In this more democratic age, our Bards of this record travel much more extensively and play to much wider audiences. They have been heard as far away as Canada in the west and Holland in the east. Here at home they are well known from Letterkenny to Wexford and from Dingle to Belfast.

Their selection of songs on this album reflects their travels and includes a Canadian song, Christian Island. They also feature a mixture of love songs and patriotic songs and I am glad they have included one of our own loveliest airs "Ar Eirmn m h-eosfamn Ce Hi".

The Bards themselves represent a wide cultural mix: Diarmuid Leary [ sic] from Wexford combining with Pat Ryan from Clare and with the lovely Ann Keaveny from Waterford between them.

CIARÁN MAC MATHÚNA