Na Conneries

A Choimthin mhallaithe ghuídhim-se deachair ort agus gráin Mhic Dé
‘S ar an ghasr(a) úd ‘tá ceangailte go dlúth led’ thaobh
‘Síad do dhearbhaigh i láthair Coisdealbha ar an dtriúr fear séimh
Is a chuir na Connerys thar na farraigí ‘dtís na New South Wales

Don té bheadh na seasamh ann is a dhéanfhadh macnamh ar ár gcúis dá phlé
Mar do sheasfhadh sí ón a seacht ar maidin go dtí tar éis a naoi
Chrith an talamh fúinn le linn na labhartha dá dtabhairt sna mbréag
Mo ghreidhn-se an t-anam bocht, tá sí damanta más fíor do’n chléir

Tá jaicéad gairid á dhéanamh ó mhaidin dúinn agus trúsar dá réir
Culaith farraige nár thaithíomar i dtúis ár saol
Marach feabhas ár gcarad dúinn bhí ár muinéil cnagaithe,sinn go doimhin san aol
Ach gur casadh sinn chun téarma catheamh ins na New South Wales

A Bhanríon bheannaithe ‘s a Rí na bhFlaitheas geal tabhair fuascailt orainn araon
Is ar ár mbanaltra atá sa bhaile go dubhach ’nár ndhéidh
Le linn an Aifrinn bígí ag achainí is ag ghuí chun Dé
Ar na Connerys thabhairt saor abhaile cughainn dtí Botha’Dhún na gCraobh.

From the time I first heard Seamus Ennis playing the Connerys in the early 1960's it has been one of my favourite airs. A couple of years later my youngest sister Fionnuala brought the words from Irish College in Cape Clear. I only became fully aware of the Connery's saga many years later when I settled in the area of Co. Waterford where it was all played out the 1820's/30's. I have only changed the last line from my original version. Here I sing Botha'Dhún na gCraobh - rather than New South Wales - from the singing of Seamus Ó Cofaigh one of the finest sean nós singers from the area.