FTX-157- NOT A WORD OF NO SURRENDER

ROBERT CINNAMOND -1-

Robert came from Ballinderry, Co.Antrim, and learnt his songs from his parents, who came from Lough Neagh and from fishermen, travelling basketmakers and others. This is the first of 3 albums for which he contributed 65 songs. This first album contains 19 songs, including some about local drownings and others of political protest, such as those about "The Ribbon Men", but he also sings others such as "The Aghalee Heroes", concerrning Orangemen, and a fight between the two at Castlewellan on the 12th of July in 1849, "Dolly's Brae". Robert also talks about the songs, about local people, weavers and fishermen, and he lilts a reel he calls "Drowsie Maggie".

1. NOT A WORD OF "NO SURRENDER" - 1'53"

2. Talk about singing by weaving women & fishermen round Lough Neagh; WEAVER'S SONG - 3'27"

3. Mouth-music: DROWSIE MAGGIE, talk about fishermen's music & introduction to next song - 2'42"

4. SCADY ROCK (Drowning Tragedy) - 2'53"

5. YOUNG McCANCE or DRUMMOND'S LAND talk bef & aft - 7'38"

6. SLOAN WELLESLEY (Drowning) talk bef & aft - 5'53"

7. THE BANKS OF THE BANN - 5'15"

8. THE HORSE TRAMWAY talk before - 1'44"

9. CLONMEL GAOL (2 verses) - 0'54"

10. YOU RIBBONMEN OF IRELAND - 1'04"

11. DOLLY'S BRAE - 4'41"

12. AGHALOE HEROES - 2'36"

13. ERIN'S GREEN SHORE - 5'48"

14. ERIN THE GREEN - 5'39"

15. VAN DIEMAN'S LAND - 5'00"

16. THE BANKS OF SWEET LOUGHREA - 5'19"

17. BANNWATERSIDE - 3'27"

18. BONNY KILWARREN talk bef - 2'45"

Recorded and interviewed by Sean O Boyle in 1955. Edited by Peter Kennedy and first published on Folktrax Cassettes 1980.

When he was assigning these songs to Folktrax in 1968, Robert Cinnamond wrote: "My mother was a sweet singer and taught me many of my songs. Her father was a huntsman, and had charge of two packs for the Big House. She was born Sally Branagh, also from Ballinderry, on the hill of the fairies, and told me many tales from the glen. God bless her, she would take me on her knee, and croon me to sleep every night. My sister was a linen weaver and sang all day long at the loom. My father sang in the pub and at all the local dances held in barns and kitchens, and was very popular. My father, when he'd a glass or two, sang himself and me to sleep at night. These songs are "traditional", that is from the people. There were no "pop" songs to distract. In olden times the singers sang for the love of singing. One boy sang all day long as he ploughed up the ground on the farm".

Robert Cinnamond (1884-1968) was born at Ballinderry, Co Antrim, on the shore of Lough Neagh. His father was a linen weaver, but after a short time working on his father's loom, he took up farm labouring and then making willow baskets. These were used as containers for export by the whisky distillers, but when war came it meant an end to this local occupation. He learned most of his songs from his parents and from the local Lough Neagh fishermen.