“Erin's King (Daniel Is No More)”
Description
A maid sings "Erin's King, brave Dan's no more." Daniel O'Connell's career is reviewed: elected for Clare but did not take the oath, brought Emancipation, defended Father Maguire, defended accused conspirators at Doneraile, led us at Tara and Mullaghmast.
Notes
Zimmermann: "When O'Connell was elected first Catholic M.P., he refused to take the old oath against transubstantiation" (cf. "The Shan Van Voght" (1828)); "In 1827, he defended successfully Rev Thomas Maguire, a popular Catholic priest scandalously accused by a Miss Annie McGarrahan."; "In 1829, he obtained the acquittal of several peasants from Doneraile, County Cork, accused of a murder-attempt on an unpopular magistrate"; "Mullaghmast and Tara were the seats of two 'monster meetings' in 1843" (cf. "Glorious Repeal Meeting Held at Tara Hill" and "The Meeting of Tara"). - BS
The exact site of O'Connell's death is variously listed; Zimmermann says Genoa; Robert Kee in _The Most Distressful Country_ (being Volume I of _The Green Flag_), p. 258, says Lyon. All agree that he was on pilgrimage to Rome; he had given his last appeal to the House of Commons shortly before, saying "Ireland is in your hands" (Peter and Fiona Somerset Fry, _A History of Ireland_, p. 327; Terry Golway, _For the Cause of Liberty_, p. 117; Kee, p. 258 note his belief that a quarter of the population of Ireland would die if not given aid. This is a slight but understandable exaggeration: Of eight million Irish, about a million died and a million left the country.)
Hearers of the speech noted how far he had fallen, his voice was gone and most of his mental and physical force spent. Disraeli described him as a "feeble old man muttering from a table" (Golway, p. 117). The doctors said he needed rest. He ended up getting the longest rest of all. He was 71.
O'Connell's heart was taken to Rome; the rest of his body was returned to Ireland.
The love the people felt for him is shown by the many songs about him, and the several about his death -- though relatively few went into tradition. - RBW
Historical references
- May 15, 1847 - Daniel O'Connell dies on the way to Rome (source: Zimmermann)
Same tune
- The Riots in Belfast (Healy-O(SBv2, pp. 102-104)
Cross references
- cf. "Erin's King (Daniel Is No More)" (subject: O'Connell's death)
- cf. "Kerry Eagle" (subject: O'Connell's death)
- cf. "Daniel O'Connell (I)" (subject: Daniel O'Connell) and references there
Broadsides
- Bodleian, 2806 b.10(35), "Erin's Lament for O'Connell," H. Such (London), 1849-1862; also 2806 c.15(211), 2806 b.10(39), Harding B 19(101), "Erin's King" or "Daniel is No More"; 2806 b.10(41), 2806 b.10(33), "Erin's King" or "Brave Dan's No More"; Harding B 13(345), "Lines to the Memory of Daniel O'Connell"
References
- Zimmermann 54, "Erin's King" or "Daniel Is No More" (1 text)
- Healy-OISBv2, pp. 94-96, "Brave Dan's No More" (1 text)
- Roud #9278
- BI, Zimm054