Inghean Uí Mhórdha - Katherine O'More

O'More Family Crest
O'More Family Crest

Bunting entitled this song Seabhas na h-Éirne - The Hawk of Ballyshannon'. The alternate name is Inghean Uí Mhórdha - Miss O'More. The tune is well known and exists in many versions. This version is beautiful but the original air is not strictly retained. There are several fanciful tales about how this song came to be. Actually the song celebrates the wedding of Charles O'Donnell, the subject of song 126, to Katherine O'More. The opening lines of the poem mean "Here is a gift of the fairest of women from Conor O'Reilly to the Mailey hills." The music requires two verses of eight lines each, corresponding to the two halves of the tune. ...O'Sullivan v 2 p 82 - 4

1. So féirín deagh-mhná is áille
Ó Chonar Uí Raghallaigh go Sléibhtibh Uí Mháille,
An rígh-bhean óg is milse póg,
Ar Inghin Uí Mhórdha a thráchtaim;

Gaol na mbrígh-bhfear láidir,
Is faide a léigeadh cíos ar cáirde,
Planda an tséin is na réidh-bhfolt daite,
Is tú atáim a rádh anois.

2. Nárbh aoibhin don té a bheith dá caidreadh,
Géag na gcuachal fáinneach,
Siúr na righthe aníos ó Theamhair,
Shíolruigh ó Chonall Chearnach:

Molaim thú féin an réim so a ghlacadh,
Aon-mhic tapuidhe Mhánuis,
Seabhac na h-Éirne is Bhéal Ath Seanaidh,
Is mian croidhe gach óig-mhná.

Song Notations

Notations are courtesy of Carolan, the Life and Times of an Irish Harper by Dónal O'Sullivan vol 1 pg. Celtic Music Edition 1983.

Courtesy of Vivian and Jack Hennessey, IrishPage.com, 2024.
For phonetics consult the pocket dictionary Fóclóir Póca.
Replay background music: Katherine O'More
The Moore coat of arms came into existence centuries ago. The process of creating coats of arms (also often called family crests) began in the eight and ninth centuries. The new art of Heraldry made it possible for families and even individual family members to have their very own coat of arms.


Filleadh go liosta
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