FTX-076 - THE BONNY BUNCH OF ROSES

THOMAS MORAN

One of the more prolific singers of British Ballads recorded in Ireland by Seamus Ennis in 1954. On this record he sings 32 ballads. Although none of these are included in the Child Collection, they represent the later type of Broadside Ballads including some from England & Scotland, which were sung in English in Ireland, during the earlier part of the twentieth century.

1. AS I ROVED OUT - 2'38"

2. THE BILBERRY or BLAEBERRY COURTSHIP - 3'19"

3. A BOY IN LOVE HE FEARS NO COLD - 1'59"

4. THE BLIND BEGGAR'S DAUGHTER - 2'46"

5. THE BONNY BUNCH OF ROSES-O - 3'34"

6. THE BROKEN TOKEN (YOUNG AND SINGLE SAILOR) - 2'47"

7. CAPTAIN THUNDERBOLT (THE SHANNON SIDE) - 4'38"

8. DRUMHULLOGAN'S BOTTOM - 3'09"

9. THE W ONDERFUL GERMAN MUSICIANER - 1'34"

10. GREEN BUSHES - 2'55"

11. HANDSOME POLLY (THE BONNY LASS O' FYVIE) - 2'52"

12. THE INDIAN LASS - 2'57"

13. JACK MULROE (THE CHESTER MERCHANT) - 2'07"

14. THE JOLLY TINKER - 1'56"

15. LOVELY ANNIE (FAREWELL, MY DEAREST NANCY) - 2'26"

 16. THE MAID OF MAGHERACLOONE - 2'29"

17. NEXT MONDAY MORNING - 1.59

18. THE OLD COW OF KINLOUGH - 1'48"

19. THE PAISLEY OFFICER - 3'44"

20. THE TAILOR'S COURTSHIP - 3'09"

21. UP TO THE RIGS OF LONDON TOWN - 1'01"

22. THE BLIND MAN HE COULD SEE (MARROWBONES) - 1'36"

Recorded by Seamus Ennis 1954. Edited by Peter Kennedy and first published on Folktrax Cassettes 1975 by arrangement with BBC Sound Archive.

Thomas MORAN (1876-1960) Lived all his life at Drumrahill, Co Leitrim, a hard-working farmer, known locally as "Moran the ballad-singer". He learned his ballads, humorous songs & stories from his mother, a talented musician with 4 brothers & 3 sisters equally as musical. He was 78 years old when recorded by Seamus Ennis but unfortunately never had the pleasure of hearing his songs broadcast by the BBC. Had he been a young man, I do believe he would have been one of the great ballad singers of his time, but, I am glad to say, tradition lives on in his grandchildren and is deeply cherished by them at all times. He had enjoyed life to the full". Introduced to Seamus Ennis by his nephew, Michael Colreavy, Nov 1947, Seamus said of him:

There were few songs for which he could not supply a full text and an interesting tune. I suspected from some of the songs he sang that Thomas must have travelled. No, he said, I learnt that song from a neighbour who hardly ever crossed a cow-track in his life. Were you ever in England? I was once in England, a couple of weeks of foolishness. Thomas Moran's songs came to Leitrim in Cromwellian times - the Plantation period - and exist today purely because of the gifted memory of those who rarely put pen to paper. Thomas said jokingly: The songs came in by these by-roads and the condition of the roads would not let them out again.

Michael Moran, who gave permission for the publication of this recording, wrote to us about his father in 1975:-

My father, who was a farmer at Mohill, Co. Leitrim all his life, learned his singing from his mother, Brigid Murphy, known locally as a talented musician. She had four brothers and three sisters, all as good as herself. His father was regularly invited to all the local functions on account of his humorous stories and his songs, which he disposed of freely. In his own way, he was like a tape-recorder, for, whatever he heard, he memorised and could sing immediately. He enjoyed life to the full. If he had been 30 years younger, he would have been Ireland's No.1 Prize Ballad-singer. However I am glad to tell you that my own children are also becoming ballad- singers and have already won prizes in Connaught, so you can see that it has been well handed down through the years.