Miltown Malbay Band plays The Coolin, 1877

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Sduddy
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Joined: Sun Sep 26, 2010 10:07 am

Miltown Malbay Band plays The Coolin, 1877

Post by Sduddy » Sat Apr 17, 2021 10:39 am

I was surprised to read that the St. Joseph's Band from Miltown Malbay played The Coolin (a slow air):

Clare Freeman, Wed 24 Jan 1877,
St Joseph's Temperance Society. From our correspondent. The usual weekly meeting of St. Joseph's Temperance Society was held in their Hall, Milltown Malbay, on Sunday last. The minutes having been read by the secretary, the chair was occupied by the vice-president, Mr T Molony. It was resolved that all members present, headed by the band, should march in procession to the residence of their highly esteemed and popular president, Michael Kenny, Esq.; the day was fine, the sun shone forth in splendour as the procession wended its way through the town, headed by the beautiful banner of the Society. The band struck up the soul-stirring national air of the 'Coulin.' On arriving at Freagh Castle Mr Kenny appeared and was received with tremendous cheers, and congratulated on his speedy recovery. Having spoken to the assemblage some time on the severity of his indisposition, and the many false rumours circulated regarding himself, Mr Kenny advised them to remember their pledges, and said that the day will come when each and every one of them would meet his reward both here and hereafter, and the seed planted by poor Father Ned would again blossom and bear bountiful fruit and bring peace and happiness to many homes.
"Fr. Ned" was Father Shaughnessy.
Michael Kenny seems to have been a patron of the Temperance Band. This report is from the previous year:
Clare Freeman, Sat 2 Sep 1876:
Miltown Malbay Temperance Society. A monster pic-nic excursion of the Miltown Temperance Society was made to Kilkee on Sunday last, of a most enjoyable and recreative character, and the committee request us to return their best thanks to Michael Kenny, Esq., of Freigh Castle, their esteemed president, who manifested the interest he felt in contributing to the comforts and amusement of its members by a donation of £3 and a fat sheep. Mr Kenny, since he assumed the presidency, has acted most liberally in the interests of the society, and spared no exertion in raising it to the high position it holds as one of the first, not only in Clare, but in Ireland, a credit its officers, an example of morality, and a blessing to the district where it has been so successfully established. Mr Kenny is looked upon as father of the flock, and the members look up to him as children to a parent. The Rev. Father Whyte, P.P., also contributed liberally, as did also Mr T. Molony, the respected vice-president. The picnic was of the best, and the members who partook of it respectable and gentlemanly in their manner.
Sheila

Sduddy
Posts: 1826
Joined: Sun Sep 26, 2010 10:07 am

Re: Miltown Malbay Band plays The Coolin, 1877

Post by Sduddy » Sun Apr 25, 2021 9:36 am

Well, I shouldn’t be surprised that the band played The Coolin: in his book, Flowing Tides, Gearóid Ó hAllmhuráin, says (on page 79),
Following precedents set by Ireland’s “apostle of temperance,” Father Mathew, in the 1840s, Clare priests reorganized temperance societies in the 1870s. Reading rooms, processions, and dry soirées were part of this crusade, which came to fruition with the liturgical revolution that swept through Catholic Ireland. They also formed brass and reed bands that played Catholic hymns, nationalist airs, marches, and Moore’s melodies.
The Coolin was one of the old airs published in Edward Bunting’s “Ancient Music of Ireland” in 1797. Thomas Moore (of “Moore’s Melodies”) and John Stevenson took these old airs and gave them a make-over, with new arrangements by Stevenson and new lyrics by Moore, so suitable for singing in concert halls and drawing rooms, they took off immediately. A blind harper from Tyrone, called Arthur O’Neill (1734-1816)**, complained bitterly about this; referring to Stevenson, he said, “this barren knight should in my opinion confine himself to his business in Dublin, and not interfere with Mr Bunting, and I shall also endeavour to draw a contrast between the reviver and the restorer of ancient Irish music and a titled upstart that attempts to plaster his works upon those who took pains to look for the works of Mr. B.” But Moore defended their action: “Had I not ventured on these very admissible liberties, many of the songs now most known and popular would have been still sleeping with all their authentic dross about them.” (go to the 6.30 mark in this piece by Eugene Dunphy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVtK5lrvxok). Moore gave new lyrics to The Coolin and called it “Though the Last Glimpse of Erin”. This might be the route by which the air came to the Temperance Band.
Gearóid Ó hAllmhuráin says that some airs played by the Temperance Bands found their way into vernacular repertoires. Whether The Coolin, when played on the uilleann pipes, for instance, was an escapee from Moore’s Melodies, or whether it was a version that pre-existed the Melodies, I am totally unqualified to say, but the opening line of this folk-song version by Al O’Donnell, “Say, did you see her?” suggests that it came from some old Irish version*, the opening line of which is “An bhfaca tú an chúilfhionn”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyXyVmziLGo

* https://www.cranfordpub.com/langan/Coolin.htm

** The memoirs of the Harper, Arthur O’Neill (1734-1816), show that he travelled all over Ireland, including Co. Clare, “When I left County of Limerick I went through the towns of Six Mile Bridge, Ennis, Gort,” (http://pybertra.free.fr/ceol/oneill.htm).

Here is an account of a soirée held by the Lahinch Temperance Association:
Clare Freeman, Wed 16 Jan 1878:
Lahinch Temperance Soiree. From a correspondent. On Sunday last, the members of the Lahinch Temperance Association held their usual half-yearly soiree in the Temperance Hall. The room, which is now a spacious one, being lately enlarged with some additional improvements, and capable of containing about two hundred persons, was almost crowded. The decorations in evergreens were very artistically and tastefully arranged. Some choice pictures were hung around the walls, while three powerful lamps (double wick burners) were suspended from the ceiling and diffused such grand light that everything looked well, these lamps were much admired by the company and are the gift of the Rev E. O’Shaughnessy P.P.
About 9.30 p.m. all the invited guests were present. The fair sex were there in round numbers and helped to lend an additional charm, dancing commenced and was kept up with great spirit till 12 o’clock when refreshments were served, the Band alternately playing to the delight of the company. After tea Mr Curran rose and said he was not prepared to make anything like a speech not having received previous notice which would enable him to respond in more suitable terms, but that he would entertain the audience for a short time with a recitation entitled “The Downfall of Poland, “ by Campbell [https://www.bartleby.com/270/10/61.html], which was received with great applause, he afterwards sang a National song “Who fears to speak of ’98,” in excellent style. The Misses Crawford and Moroney sang “What are the Wild Waves Saying” which was well received. Miss Edwards gave “Mother I’ve Come Home to Die,” [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bH6IBKL-k-s]. Mr Horton sang “The Good Rhine Wine,” Mr Curren recited “Loes Charley Mor O’Donoghue”: [Dúcas: https://www.duchas.ie/ga/cbes/5070791/5064214/5096288], which the audience loudly applauded. Dancing was again renewed, and kept up till the small hours of the morning, when all parties separated well pleased with the night’s amusement.
Sheila

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