STOLEN IRISH SONGS.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume VI, Issue 289, 15 November 1878, Page 9

STOLEN IRISH SONGS.

IHE enquiry last week as to the authorship of " Kathleen Mavourncca' and " Derraot Asthore" suggests a few words on the origin of other popular Irish songs, many of which have been wrongfully appropriated. One of the most interesting is " Savourneen Dheelish " which was the occasion of a double controversy. It was written by Lady Morgan, not by the dramatist, George Coleman, and there is no justice in crediting it to him because it was sung in his musical drama. Ihe Surrender of Calais." Professor Walker, in his learned work on Irish bards, given to the ltoyal Academy, mentions a similar injustice in the case of a song in the third act of Sheridan's opera, The Duenna, the air of which is said to be of Scotch, but was really ». ?J? gLn< Anotuei ' is that which gives the '• Last Eosc of Summer to J lowtow because he interwove it with the opera of " Martha " Ihe original song was « The Groves of Blarney." Moore apolgized for writing his song •' 'Tis gone, and Forever," to the air of « Savourneen Bhcelihh, on the ground that Campbell had previously adapted, or was supposed to have written, a beautiful ballad to the same exquinte 111 r \° y ' c i?" J< ;' c T Mooxc ' s d:i y » controversy arose as to whether the ™° r , ot t}* Pleasures of Hope" really wrote the " Exile of Erin." \v lute s &chos of Many Lands.'' gives plausibility to the claim of George Nugent ltejnolds. who composed the very* pathetic ballad, Mary le Moore," and who during his intimacy with Campbell is wud to have given him for publication the poem in question It is remarkable that some of the most remarkable of (i Scottish " songs were not produced by natives of Scotland. « Hob Roy's Wife'" was by an Irish woman. Mrs. Grant, of Callow ; " My Aiu Fireside " ■»y ■»»». Hamiltou, auother Irishwoman; and the tune "Within 'a Mile of Jidinburgli Town? was by Dr. Smith, a graduate of Trinity College. J ley ! Johnny Cope, are you Watilkin .'" was composed by an Ulsterman named O'Hara, who followed the Pretender into Scotland. ;'lhcrois Na^e.Luck about the House," is often ascribed to Burns; but wnttcn by Meikle, the translator of Camocns. Iho *>°"S "I'lie Bunks of Banna," was written by Sir George Ogles, to the air << Down Beside Me," which was by Myles'O'Reilfy, he Irish har^r of Cavau. The Scotch coveted this air, for as & back as 1/JW Lobert Turn.s, in a letter to Ueorge Thompson favoured putting it in a collection of Scotch songs, though admitting that it M'iis certainly Irish. The mention of Burns suggest the circumstance that the Scotch also attempted to purloin Carroll O'Daly'.s plaintive melody "Eileen ahoou, to winch Moore wrote the beautiful words of '• Krin the Imr and the binile in thine Kyes/, There arc two songs entitled fcilccn a Loon, the first bearing evidence of great antiquity, the acrvcrMoubyaManbtcrbardof the seventh century, and transited by John D'Allou. This beautiful air has been palmed off on ho public under the name "Itobiu Adair," as a Scotch melody. Hums asserted that it aud " Molly Asthore," which is termed •• Grainacflicc, were Scotch. He was in error, bul the circumstancei.su proof of their merit and his taste. '• Kobin Adair" himself was an Irishman and early in the last century n member of the Irish Parliament. ihe well-known Irish greeting, Ccud Millc Faitth',v as taken t rom the concluding stanza of •• Eileen a Boon" as translated by Fur-'-The Scottish Blue Bells" was written by Charles Doyne Sillery, ol'thc'Mfatt^lS 4, -pi Ml ™ rice JJ J r e "i l . lff * ¥x » in a lecture on Minister Poets, says un i Kl^cnny" was composed by Egan O'lleillv ; ami 'Cashclof Munstcr" was by the Rev. William English, a monk in Cork, who died nearly a century ago. Other members of the Royal Irish Academy have clone much to reclaim the songs of the Irish bards, whose records, as Walker says, are ofwouderful interest; and now that the centenary of Moore is almost at hand, it is to be hoped that the zeal which is so opportunely reviving the Irish tongue will aid in restoring to due recognition the undying ballads to which it first ~avo i