The Age Of Revolution in the Irish Song Tradition: 1776-1815

by Terry Moylan

The Age of Revolution in the Irish Song Tradition is a definitive gathering of songs, poems and tunes composed between the 1776 American Revolution and Napoleon’s exile and death in 1821 and beyond dramatically conveying how the seismic events of those years inspired literary and musical effort across succeeding generations in Ireland. The material is drawn from tradition and from print and manuscript collections. These include contemporary sources – the various editions of Paddy’s Resource, Watty Cox’s Irish Magazine and Madden’s Literary Remains – and archival collections of songs and music. Many traditional songs have been notated directly from the singers themselves, and represent an important addition to the literature of bardic nationalism. The work breaks down as songs (text and tune) 157; poems (text only) 27; tunes (music only) 25. This includes 15 pieces in the Irish language, 14 from loyalist sources and 10 written by members of the United Irishmen including Wolfe Tone, Henry Joy McCracken, Jemmy Hope and Robert Emmet. All come with notes listing source and musical associations as well as historical and political background. Appropriate music accompanies the words attached to each tune, and the whole is liberally illustrated with over a hundred period engravings

176 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2001