"On Raglan Road" is a well-known Irish song from a poem written by Irish poet Patrick Kavanagh named after Raglan Road in Ballsbridge, Dublin. [1] In the poem, the speaker recalls, while walking on a "quiet street," a love affair that he had with a much younger woman. Although he knew he would risk being hurt if he initiated a relationship, he did so anyway, and ultimately faced heartache after the relationship ended. [2]
It was first published as a poem in The Irish Press on 3 October 1946 under the title "Dark Haired Miriam Ran Away". [1] Peter Kavanagh, Patrick's brother, said, "it was written about Patrick's girlfriend Hilda, but to avoid embarrassment, he used the name of my girlfriend in the title." [1] Her real name was Dr. Hilda Moriarty, then a medical student from County Kerry. [3] [4] Though she regarded Kavanagh as a friend, her feelings were not romantic, and in 1947, she married Donogh O'Malley, [4] [5] who later became Fianna Fáil Minister for Education.
In 1987, Moriarty was interviewed by Irish broadcaster RTÉ for a documentary about Kavanagh called Gentle Tiger. [6] In the interview, she said one of the main reasons for the failure of their relationship was that a wide age gap existed between them. She was only 22, whereas he was 40. [7]
Moriarty also described how "On Raglan Road" came to be written. Kavanagh had lived in Pembroke Road in Dublin, but as he could not afford the rent he sublet the flat. He then moved into Mrs. Kenny's boarding house on Raglan Road (a road off Pembroke Road), which cost 10 shillings a week full board. The house is presently the Mexican embassy. Moriarty was also staying on Raglan Road. Kavanagh observed coming and going from Raglan Road to University on a daily basis, and as an excuse to meet with her in the Country Shop on St Stephen's Green or Mitchell's on Dawson Street, he often asked Moriarty to critique his work. Kavanagh described himself as a peasant poet, but Moriarty was not that impressed and teased him, "Can you not, then, write about anything other than stony grey soil and bogs, Paddy?" Kavanagh said, "I will immortalise you in poetry, Hilda." According to Moriarty, he went away and wrote the poem.
Moriarty subsequently featured in rough drafts of 4 untitled works, 3 were to become "Bluebells for Love." The other was a rough, first draft of "Dark Haired Miriam Ran Away." These 4 pieces, known as the "Hilda Poems", are available to read on the Patrick Kavanagh Trust website. It wasn't until 1964 when "On Raglan Road" first appeared under that title, along with a line change. It appeared in his "Collected Poems." When he passed away, his biography tells us that Hilda sent a wreath of red roses in the letter H, suggesting that the relationship wasn't entirely one sided, perhaps.
| "Scorn Not His Simplicity/On Raglan Road" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by The Dubliners | ||||
| Released | 1971 | |||
| Genre | Folk, Irish | |||
| Length | 3:15 | |||
| Label | CHYME | |||
| Composer(s) | Traditional | |||
| Lyricist(s) | Patrick Kavanagh | |||
| The Dubliners singles chronology | ||||
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The poem was put to music when the poet met Luke Kelly of the well-known Irish band The Dubliners in a pub in Dublin called The Bailey. [8] It was set to the music of the traditional song "The Dawning of the Day" (Fáinne Geal an Lae). An Irish-language song with this name (Fáinne Geal an Lae) was published by Edward Walsh (1805–1850) in 1847 in Irish Popular Songs, and later translated into English as "The Dawning of the Day," published by Patrick Weston Joyce in 1873. [9] Given the similarity in themes and the use of the phrase "dawning of the day" in both "On Raglan Road" and the traditional tune, Kavanagh quite likely imagined the pairing of verse and tune from the beginning. Indeed, a recording was broadcast of Kavanagh singing "On Raglan Road" to the tune on Irish television, and in 1974, Benedict Kiely recalled in an interview for RTÉ of Kavanagh trying out the paired verse and tune for him soon after its writing. Kelly himself acknowledges that song was given to him that evening at The Bailey.
The Dubliners released the original recording as the B-side to "Scorn Not His Simplicity" in 1971. [10] One year later the song was included on their live album Hometown! Their most famous recording of the song was included on the 1986 compilation album Luke's Legacy, which was recorded in the same session as the 1983 album Prodigal Sons .
Besides Kelly's version with The Dubliners, the song, often known simply as "Raglan Road", has since been performed by Van Morrison with The Chieftains, Mark Knopfler, Ed Sheeran, The Young Dubliners, Sinéad O'Connor, Billy Bragg, Roger Daltrey, Dick Gaughan, Loreena McKennitt, Billy Joel, Joan Osborne, Órla Fallon, Ian Tamblyn, Tommy Fleming, Mary Black, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, Martin Simpson, and Nyle Wolfe among others. [11] [ citation needed ]
The Luke Kelly version was also featured in the 2008 film In Bruges . [12]
The song was performed by Andrew Scott in the 2013 Irish film The Stag .
Ballsbridge is an affluent neighbourhood of the city of Dublin, the capital of Ireland. The area is largely situated north and west of a three-arch stone bridge across the River Dodder, on the south side of the city. The sign on the bridge still proclaims it as "Ball's Bridge", in recognition of the fact that the original bridge on that location was built and owned by the Ball family, a well-known Dublin merchant family in the 1500s and the 1600s. The current bridge was built in 1791.
The Dubliners were an Irish folk band founded in Dublin in 1962 as The Ronnie Drew Ballad Group, named after its founding member; they subsequently renamed themselves The Dubliners. The line-up saw many changes in personnel over their fifty-year career, but the group's success was centred on lead singers Luke Kelly and Ronnie Drew. The band garnered international success with their lively Irish folk songs, traditional street ballads and instrumentals. The band were regulars on the folk scenes in both Dublin and London in the early 1960s. They were signed to the Major Minor label in 1965 after backing from Dominic Behan who was paid by the label to work with the group and help them to build a better act fit for larger concert hall venues. The Dubliners worked with Behan regularly between 1965 and 1966; Behan wrote numerous songs for this act including the song McAlpine's Fusiliers created specifically to showcase Ronnie Drew's gravel voice. They went on to receive extensive airplay on Radio Caroline, which was part-owned by Phil Solomon CEO of Major Minor, and eventually appeared on Top of the Pops in 1967 with hits "Seven Drunken Nights" and "The Black Velvet Band". Often performing political songs considered controversial at the time, they drew criticism from some folk purists. Ireland's national broadcaster RTÉ placed an unofficial ban on their music from 1967 to 1971. During this time the band's popularity began to spread across mainland Europe and they appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show in the United States. The group's success remained steady right through the 1970s and a number of collaborations with The Pogues in 1987 saw them enter the UK Singles Chart on another two occasions.
Patrick Kavanagh was an Irish poet and novelist. His best-known works include the novel Tarry Flynn, and the poems "On Raglan Road" and "The Great Hunger". He is known for his accounts of Irish life through reference to the everyday and commonplace.
Luke Kelly was an Irish singer, folk musician and actor from Dublin, Ireland. Born into a working-class household in Dublin city, Kelly moved to England in his late teens and by his early 20s had become involved in a folk music revival. Returning to Dublin in the 1960s, he is noted as a founding member of the band The Dubliners in 1962. The Irish Post and other commentators have regarded Kelly, known for his distinctive singing style and sometimes political messages, as one of Ireland's greatest folk singers.
Joseph Ronald Drew was an Irish singer, folk musician and actor who had a fifty-year career recording with The Dubliners.
"The Town I Loved So Well" is a song written by Phil Coulter about his childhood in Derry, Northern Ireland. The first three verses are about the simple lifestyle he grew up with in Derry, while the final two deal with the Troubles, and lament how his placid hometown had become a major military outpost, plagued with violence. The final verse includes a message of hope for a "bright, brand new day", saying "They will not forget but their hearts are set / on tomorrow and peace once again".
Thomas Connellan was an Irish harp player and composer.
John Sheahan is an Irish musician and composer. He joined The Dubliners in 1964 and played with them until 2012 when The Dubliners' name was retired following the death of founding member Barney McKenna. Sheahan is the last surviving member of the definitive lineup of the Dubliners.
Baggot Street is a street in Dublin, Ireland.
"The Dawning of the Day" is the name of two old Irish airs.
Raglan Road is a road running between Pembroke Road and Clyde Road in Ballsbridge, Dublin 4, Ireland. It is the setting of Patrick Kavanagh's poem "On Raglan Road".
Seán Cannon is an Irish musician. Since 1982 he has been a guitarist for The Dubliners and their follow-up-band The Dublin Legends.
The Dubliners is the debut album by the Irish folk band The Dubliners. A studio recording in front of a small invited audience, It was produced by Nathan Joseph and released by Transatlantic Records in 1964. The line-up consisted of Ronnie Drew, Barney McKenna, Luke Kelly and Ciarán Bourke.
James McCann was an Irish entertainer and folk musician. Although a solo artist for most of his career, McCann was a member of the folk group The Dubliners from 1974 until 1979, then later appearing with them in their 2002 reunion and their 50th anniversary tour in 2012.
A Time to Remember is the 2009 double album recording of the show by the same name, by The Dubliners, recorded in Vienna. First performed in Vicar Street, Dublin on 4 July 2009 and later taken on tour around Europe, it was conceived as a tribute to their deceased members. The show features the group playing along live to video and audio performances featuring former members Ciarán Bourke, Luke Kelly and Ronnie Drew, as well as performances from The Dubliners' then current lineup. This is the last Dubliner's release featuring Barney McKenna, as he died in 2012. This also means that it is the last album to feature a founding member, as following McKenna's death none of the founding members of the band are still alive.
50 Years is an album by The Dubliners released on 19 November 2012. The album charted at No. 10 in Ireland, and received gold certification in December 2012 from the IRMA. The album was highly rated in the US, UK and across Europe. The album features songs by all members of the band.
The Dubliners 50th Anniversary Tour was a tour in 2012 by the Dubliners celebrating 50 years. The group was awarded a lifetime achievement award by BBC Radio 2 in February. However, in April, founding member and tenor banjo player Barney McKenna died. Banjo player Gerry O'Connor filled his place until the end of the tour. In November the group released the album 50 Years charting in the Irish Top 10. John Sheahan after 48 years decided he could no longer continue with the band due to the death of Barney McKenna. In December the group played its final concerts at Vicar Street and were joined on stage by Jim McCann. The band met with President Michael Higgins in the presidential palace in Dublin. The group appeared on BBC's Jools Holland Annual Hootenanny on New Year's Eve. With the exception of John Sheahan, the rest of the group continues touring as The Dublin Legends – Spirit of the Dubliners.
