“Erin's Green Shore”

Description

The singer dreams of meeting a beautiful girl in a green mantle. She tells him she (is a relative of Daniel O'Connell and) has come to awaken her countrymen who sleep on Erin's shore. The singer awakens and hopes the girl finds success

Notes

Daniel O'Connell (1775-1847) was an Irish patriot who worked vigorously for Catholic freedom. He did not take part in the 1798 rebellion, but promoted Irish and Catholic rights for many years, and in 1829 saw Britain lift the ban on Catholics in parliament. One of the greatest of the peaceful Irish leaders, his tragedy is that eventually neither side trusted him.

Creighton's version, "The Mantle of Green," should not be confused with Laws N38, "The Mantle So Green."

For a discussion of this type of song as a example of the genre known as the "aisling," see the notes to "Granuaile." - RBW

Broadside LOCSheet sm1855 590170: "words by James Sanford, music by A. Fletcher Stayman"; the date "created and published by Stayman and Brothers" of 1855 is later than the Bodleian Harding B 11(1085) broadside date. - BS

Cross references

• cf. "Eileen McMahon" (aisling format)
• cf. "Granuaile" (aisling format) and references there
• cf. "Poor Old Granuaile" (theme)
• cf. "Granuwale" (theme)
• cf. "Kate of Glenkeen" (tune)
• cf. "The Banks of the Little Eau Pleine" [Laws C2] (tune)
• cf. "Harry Dunn (The Hanging Limb)" [Laws C14] (tune)
• cf. "The Maid with the Bonny Brown Hair" (tune)
• cf. "The Patriot Queen" (theme: beautiful woman to rally Erin)
• cf. "The Blackbird of Avondale" or "The Arrest of Parnell" (theme)
• cf. "The Patriot Queen" (theme: beautiful woman to rally Erin)
• cf. "Daniel O'Connell (I)" (subject: Daniel O'Connell) and references there

Broadsides

• Bodleian, Harding B 11(1085), "Erin's Green Shore," G. Walker (Durham), 1797-1834; also 2806 b.10(182), Firth b.25(216), Johnson Ballads 1397, 2806 b.11(109), 2806 c.15(247)[title and beginning lines illegible], Harding B 11(1951), "Erin's Green Shore"
• LOCSheet, sm1855 590170, "A Dream" or "Erin's Green Shore," Stayman and Brothers (Philadelphia), 1855 (tune)
• LOCSinging, as200830, "Erin's Green Shore," Johnson's Cheap Printing Office (Philadelphia), 19C

Recordings

• Robert Cinnamond, "Erin's Green Shore" (on IRRCinnamond01)
• Packie Dolan, "Erin's Green Shore" (Montgomery Ward M-8619, c. 1941)
• Tom Lenihan, "Erin's Green Shore" (on IRTLenihan01)

References

1. Laws Q27, "Erin's Green Shore"
2. O'Conor, p. 38, "Erin's Green Shore" (1 text)
3. OLochlainn-More, pp. 262-263, "Erin's Green Shore" (1 text, tune referenced: see OLochlainn 6)
4. Zimmermann 27, "Erin's Green Shore" (1 text, 2 tunes)
5. Munnelly/Deasy-Lenihan 27, "Erin's Green Shore" (1 text, 1 tune)
6. Belden, pp. 282-283, "Erin's Green Shore" (1 text)
7. Randolph 75, "Erin's Green Shore" (1 text, 1 tune)
8. FSCatskills 73, "Erin's Green Shores" (1 text, 1 tune)
9. JHCox 151, "Erin's Green Shore" (3 texts plus mention of 1 more)
10. Greenleaf/Mansfield 69, "Erin's Green Shore" (1 text, 1 tune)
11. Peacock, pp. 362-365, "Erin's Green Shore" (2 texts, 2 tunes)
12. Creighton-NovaScotia 79, "The Mantle of Green" (1 text, 1 tune)
13. Creighton-Maritime, pp. 164-165, "Erin's Green Shore" (1 text, 2 tunes)
14. Ives-DullCare, pp. 140-141,245, "Erin's Green Shore" (1 text, 1 tune)
15. Darling-NAS, pp. 152-153, "Erin's Green Shore" (1 text)
16. cf. Gardner/Chickering, p. 479, "Erin's Green Shore" (source notes only)
17. DT 351, ERINGREN* ERINSHOR*
18. Roud #280
19. BI, LQ27