"My Lagan Love" (Roud 1418) is a song to a traditional Irish air, first collected in 1903 in northern County Donegal.
The English lyrics have been credited to Joseph Campbell (1879–1944), also known as Seosamh MacCathmhaoil and Joseph McCahill, among others).Songs of Uladh (Herbert Hughes and Joseph Campbell) published in Belfast by William Mullan and Sons; in Dublin by MH Gill, 1904 Campbell was a Belfast man whose grandparents came from the Irish-speaking area of Flurrybridge, South Armagh. He started collecting songs in County Antrim. In 1904, he began a collaboration with composer Herbert Hughes.Norah Saunders, 1988. Joseph Campbell: Poet & Nationalist 1879-1944, a Critical Biography Together, they collected traditional airs from the remote parts of County Donegal.
While on holidays in Donegal, Hughes had learned the air from Proinseas mac Suibhne, who had learned it from his father Seaghan mac Suibhne, who in turn had learned it fifty years previously from a man working with the Ordnance Survey of Ireland. Campbell said that mac Suibhne knew the tune under the title of "The Belfast Maid", but did not know the words. A song by this title was published in various early 19th century broadsides, with the first lines "In Belfast town of high renown / There lives a comely maid".A new song called The Belfast Maid Broadside Ballads Online from the Bodleian Libraries, Harding B25(165) This ballad now has Roud number 2930.
The Lagan referred to in the title most likely is the River Lagan in Belfast. Campbell's words mention Lambeg, which is just outside the city. The Lagan is the river that runs through Belfast. However, some argue that the Lagan in the song refers to a stream that empties into Lough Swilly in County Donegal, not far from where Herbert Hughes collected the song.A Song for Ireland.
The song was arranged in a classical style by Hamilton Harty; this was used by Mary O'Hara and Charlotte Church.
Performances 1910: John McCormack 1953: Margaret Barry on I Sang Through the Fairs (The Alan Lomax Portrait Series) 1958: Liam Devally on Irish Songs EP Delysé 1967: Dusty Springfield on her BBCTV series. 1968: Emmet Spiceland on The First 1969: Esther Ofarim on Dieter Finnern show, Berlin 1976: Horslips on The Book of Invasions: A Celtic Symphony (instrumental) 1977: Bob McGrath on Sleepytime Bird 1983: Phil Coulter on Classic Tranquility 1985: Kate Bush, bonus material on a 1997 re-release of Hounds of Love with lyrics written by John Carder Bush, Kate's brother 1987: Vermilion Sands on Water Blue 1987: Capercaillie on Crosswinds as "My Laggan Love/Fox on the Town" (instrumental) 1988: Van Morrison and The Chieftains on Irish Heartbeat 1990: Meg Davis on The Claddagh Walk 1994: Jean Redpath on Jean Redpath 1994: Barbara Dickson on Parcel of Rogues 1995: Brendan Power on "New Irish Harmonica" as "My Lagan Love" 1995: Caroline Lavelle on Spirit as "Lagan Love" 1996: Jim McCann on Grace and Other Love Songs 1997: James Galway and Phil Coulter on "Legends" 1998: Charlotte Church on Voice of an Angel 1998: Pentangle on Passe Avant 1999: Sheila Chandra on Moonsung as "Lagan Love/Nada Brahma" 1999: Carol Noonan on her recording Self-Titled as "Lagan Love" 2002: Sinéad O'Connor on Sean-Nós Nua 2003: Anuna on Invocation 2004: Sharon Knight on Song of the Sea 2005: The Corrs on Home 2009: Celtic Woman on Celtic Woman: Songs from the Heart 2010: Fionnuala Sherry on Songs From Before 2011: Celtic Thunder on Storm 2011: Lone Raven/Kara Markley on Flight to the Hinterlands 2011: Hayley Griffiths on Celtic Rose 2012: Lisa Hannigan and The Chieftains on The Chieftains: Voice of Ages 2012: Niopha Keegan on lead vocals with The Unthanks on The Unthanks with Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band 2012: Karnataka on New Light 2012: Voces8 on "In the Beginning" as "My Lagen Love/She Moved Through the Fair" 2015: TradArrr on "Cautionary Tales" as "My Lagan Love" 2015: Colm Mac Con Iomaire featuring Marketa Irglove English Dare to be Wild film soundtrack 2018: Mary Coughlan on the Cúl An Tí DVD (where she sings Gabriel Rosenstock's Gaelic translation with Kíla accompanying) 2020: The Haar on their eponymous debut album The Haar 2021: Hozier on Series 19 of RTE2's Other VoicesHozier - My Lagan Love (Other Voices Series 19) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCAFK7tQoU0
References
John A. McLaughlin: One Green Hill, 2003. Beyond the Pale, Belfast. .
External links
Folk & Traditional Song Lyrics - My Lagan Love