The Mountains of Pomeroy lyrics
Seamus Begley & Cathal HaydenThe morn was breaking bright and fair,
The lark sang in the sky,
When the maid she bound her goIden hair,
With a blythe glance in her eye;
For, who beyond the gay green-wood,
Was a-waiting her with joy,
Oh, who but her gallant Renardine,
On the mountains of Pomeroy.
An outlawed man in a land forlorn,
He scorned to turn and fly,
But he kept the cause of freedom safe
Up on the mountains high.
Full often in the dawning hour,
Full oft in twilight brown
He met the maid in the woodland bower,
Where the stream comes foaming down
For they were faithful in a love
No wars could e'er destroy.
No tyrant's law touched Renardine,
On the mountains of Pomeroy.
"Dear love", she said, "l am so afraid,
For the foeman's force and you
They've tracked you in the lowland plain
And all the valley through.
My kinsmen frown when you are named
Your life they would destroy
'Beware,' they say, 'of Renardine,
On the mountains of Pomeroy' "
"Fear not, fear not, sweetheart," he cried,
"Fear not the foe for me
No chain shall fall, whate'er betide,
On the arm that would be free!
Oh, leave your cruel kin and come,
When the lark is in the sky.
And it's with my gun I'll guard you,
On the mountains of Pomeroy."
The morn has come, she rose and fled
From her cruel kin and home;
And bright the wood, and rosy red,
And the tumbling torrent's foam.
But the mist came down and the tempest roared,
And did all around destroy;
And a pale, drowned bride met Renardine,
On the mountains of Pomeroy.
An outlawed man in a land forlorn,
He scorned to turn and fly,
But he kept the cause of freedom safe
On the mountains of Pomeroy.
Song Details
Author: Dr. George Sigerson (11 January 1836 – 17 February 1925) - an Irish physician, scientist, writer, politician and poet. He was a leading light in the Irish Literary Revival of the late 19th century in Ireland.
Other titles: Sléibhte Phomeroy / The Mountains of Pommeroy
Brief: The story of a young woman who falls in love with the outlaw - Reinardeen who would not run from the oppressors but instead choosing to stay in the mountains while keeping the cause of freedom safe.
Her family were against the relationship threatening to destroy his life but he pleaded with her to join him as he would protect her from her family and the 'tyrants' that were tracking him down.
At sunrise she escaped from her home to be with her love but a violent storm had taken hold and she was caught in a flood and drowned.
Location: The Mountains Of Pomeroy are a mountain range that runs west of the town of Pomeroy in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland.
References:
Sléibhte - Irish word for mountains, mountain ranges, mountainside
blythe - happy, carefree
bower - a leafy shelter or recess
e'er - short for 'ever' - often used in traditional lyrics
o'er - short for 'over'
foeman - an enemy in war
kinsmen - blood relatives
betide - to happen; come to pass
tempest - a violent storm
forlorn - dejected, miserable, discontented, disadvantaged
scorned - refused, rejected
Covers: Tommy Flemming, Malachi Cush, Niall Hanna, Derek Warfield & the Young Wolfe Tones, The Rapparees, Jackie O'Brien & The Pikemen...
Album: Cathal Hayden (Jan 01, 1999)