The Castle Of Dromore lyrics
Kate PowerThe October winds lament around
The castle of Dromore
Yet peace lies in her lofty halls,
My loving treasure store
Though Autumn leaves may droop and die
A bud of Spring are you
Sing hush-a-bye, loo, low, loo, low, lan,
Hush-a-bye, loo, low, loo
Dread spirit of the Blackwater,
Clan Owen's wild banshee
Bring no ill wind to hinder us,
My helpless babe and me
And Holy Mary pityin' us
To Heaven for grace doth sue
Sing hush-a-bye, loo, low, loo, low, lan,
Hush-a-bye, loo, low, loo
Take time to thrive my ray of hope
In the gardens of Dromore
Take heed young eaglet till thy wings
Are feathered fit to soar
A little rest and then the world
Is full of work to do
A little rest and then the world
Is full of work to do
Mm-mm-mm-mm-mm Mm-mm Mm-mm,
Mm-mm-mm-mm Mm-mm
The October winds lament around
The Castle of Dromore
Yet peace lies in her lofty halls,
My loving treasure store
Though Autumn leaves may droop and die
A bud of Spring are you
Sing hush-a-bye, loo, low, loo, low, lan,
Hush-a-bye, loo, low, loo
Sing hush-a-bye, loo, low, loo, low, lan,
Hush-a-bye, loo, low, loo
Song Details
Author: Unknown
Gaelic Title: Caislean Droim an Óir
Translation: The song was translated to English by Harold Boulton who also wrote the lyrics to The Sky Boat Song.
Brief: The song is an Irish lullaby about a mother comforting her child to sleep singing hush-a-bye, loo, low, loo, low, lan. No matter what troubles may lie beyond the castle walls, there is peace and safety in her lofty halls. The Holy Mary is watching over them and the mother bids the child to "take time to thrive" before moving on to adulthood.
Glossary:
Dromore Castle - a house in Templenoe, County Kerry, Ireland, looking out over the Kenmare River. There are several Dromore Castles in Ireland - counties Down, Kerry, Limerick and Tyrone. Many believe the castle is in County Tyrone due to the Blackwater reference.
Here is an excerpt from Mindie Burgoyne - travel writer, tour operator and author:
True. However there is also a Blackwater area near the Dromore Castle in Kerry. Secondly, it is likely that the lyrics were written by Harold Boulton who was a friend of the tennis player, Mahony who owned Dromore Castle in Kerry. Lastly, if you wander through the old gardens on the estate, you are immediately joined by the lyrics "take time to thrive my ray of hope in the gardens of Dromore." The gardens are all still walled with gated entrances. Perfect location to have a child safely play outside.Banshee: woman of the fairies
I was aware of the other locations before I wrote the post. After investigating, the only link I could find to the Tyrone castle was the Owen / Blackwater reference. Though it's compelling, the Boulton tie and the fact there the area around the Upper Kenmare River has a Blackwater reference, I'm led to believe the song refers to the Castle in Kerry.
Clan Owen: descendants of the Irish Eoghan Clan
Genre: Irish Lullaby
Covers: The Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem, Flying Column, Cherish The Ladies, The Corries, Aideen O'Donnell, Celtica, Angelumen, Brigham Phillips, Cait Agus Sean, Carissa Bovill...
Featured Artist: Kate Power - a notable folk musician, songwriter, and teacher, widely known for her work alongside Steve Einhorn, particularly through their involvement with Artichoke Music in Portland, Oregon.
Album: Celtic Twilight 3: Lullabies (Compilation Album - 1996).
