The Fields of Athenry
By a lonely prison wall
I heard a sweet voice calling,
‘Oh Danny, they have taken you away.
For you stole Travelian’s corn,
That your babes might see the dawn,
Now a prison ship lies waiting in the bay.’
Fair lie the fields of Athenry
Where we stood to watch the small freebirds fly.
Our love grew with the spring,
We had dreams and songs to sing
As we wandered through the fields of Athenry.
I heard a young man calling
‘Nothing matters, Jenny, when your’e free
‘Gainst the famine and the crown,
I rebelled, they ran me down,
Now you must raise our children without me.’
On the windswept harbour wall,
She watched the last star rising
As the prison ship sailed out accross the sky
But she will watch and hope and pray,
For her love in Botany bay
whilst she is lonely in the fields of Athenry
Comment
its actually " lo lie the fields of athenry" not "fair lie"
i apologize 4 my crappy comments
the end is neigh
The modern version has "low lie..." the original was "fair lie..."
Lovely song. Do you know where I could find a copy of the original?
crackin song that one send shivers down my back!
UP MUNSTER everytime
Liam Burke is some Hurler. What a legend, Kilconeiron is blessed to have him!
I know 'Carrabane', did you see his performances against Beagh, Ballindereen and Meelick-Eyrecourt this month in the relegation play-offs?
I don't know how he does it, it's a one-man team and no other club has a man that can actually carry the other eleven withour fail.
Man-of-the match, top scorer and involved in every score in every game. As you said, LEGEND!
Yeah 'Hurler', he was superb in the play-offs. If he had help they wouldn't even have been there in the first place. He's the best Sportsman in any code that I've seen, and I've seen lots!
P.S. I reckon Kil-Leitrin will be relegated next year, along with (my shock-tip) Sarsfields. What do you think?
I don't know 'Carrabane', I think Sarsfields still enough Hurling in them to steer them clear of relegation. It's a long way off but if I was a betting man, I'd say Kilconeiron could go next year (especially without the Legend) along with Mellows. I reckon Pearses and Killimordaly will come up!
pearses to come up, what drugs are you on man, they would be better off in junior a
ya dancer... hail hail
love you all
Why has this wonderful song suddenly become so popular?
We were in Ireland in March 2003 and again in October, 2003 and heard it everywhere in pubs and on the radio.
see http://www.chivalry.com/cantaria/lyrics/fields-athenry.html
for lyrics to both the modern and original versions
Looks like you were right 'Hurler on the Ditch'.... Mullagh beat the crap out of Mellows in the Intermediate Final yesterday...... they looked like they will struggle alright!
'Hurler on Tour' doesn't fancy Pearses much, and to be honest, unless they can get Scarry and Ruane back fit, hurling and off the drink, they may as well forget about it.
your right there carrabane, but i fear it will take awhile to get ruane back fit, i hear he is at least 2 stone over weight, as for scarry a cracking hurler but is a bit too fond of the drink, but you would never know if they were to come back and get fit they would be massive additions to the pearses team.
Yeah 'hurler on tour', I've seen Ruane and he has gotton awfully big. I think that he's engaged now though and seems to have settled, so that can only be good for Hurling in the County.
Pearses never recoveded from Scarry going to Australia but I was told that they're paying for him to come home early to be ready for the Championship, so I reckon that 'Hurler on the Ditch' might be proven right yet!
GOD BLESS THE FIELDS OF ATHENRY- GOD BLESS IRELAND ESPECIALLY COUNTIES DONEGAL & TIPPERARY & GOD BLESS THE HOOPS! HAIL HAIL!!!!!!
just wondering carrabane, if the rumours circulating in the media that stephen dolan is going back hurlin with kilconeiron are true? he would definetely fill the void left by the departure of liam burke, with his blinding pace and eye for goal i for one would definetely pay to go and watch him. he was once billed as the new joe cooney if im not mistaken, have you heard anything yourself?
I have to say 'Carrabane' that I never thought that those two were so important to Padraig Pearses. What age are they? I probably played against them at under-age and I think I know them to see.
My friends at Pearses tell me that they should have beaten Cappatagle this year, and that cost them their Q-F place. I'll ask them if they know if those two will play next year.
THE DROPKICK MURPHYS DO A FANTASTIC VERSION ON THEIR LATEST ALBUM.CHECK OUT THEIR WEBSITE AT www.dropkickmurphys.com
Yes, The dropkicks do a terrific version!
Way to beat me to it.. I was just going to mention the Murphys!
Shut up and get off my web-site. Ye're friends of that crappy band. They probably suck to high heaven.
I'm so sick of Yanks pretending to be Irish. Irish people pay their taxes in Ireland and live in Ireland. The rest of ye are just deserters and Foreigners. Ye contribute nothing to MY country.
P.S. Americans should not be allowed to sing Irish songs.
Have you all forgot one thing, this lovely song is about the terrible famine and the struggle of the Irish during this time. It is not about sport, religion or any other such idiocy that it is sung in connection with!
Kitten: Sport isn't an idiocy, what is an idiocy is the drivel I have to delete/censor (oh bad me) around here. The comments on 'The Fields of Athenry' though have been great, this one string of comments is the only reason I keep the comments on the whole site open. And finally, the song is set against a backdrop of the famine, it isn't about the famine.
I've just been told that Scarry and Ruane are going to transfer to Liam Mellows. Do you know if this is true 'Hurler'?
Ruane has come back, but he says that Scarry has refused to due to 'work committments'. In other words, he can't be bothered!
He'd be a help if he did come back, we're short of guile, but it's hard to keep him interested at the same time.
I'll never 4get this song from my holiday in Spain.....met a great guy who sang it to me in a lil irish bar, i miss him
Hi there... ya'll sound like you know each other.. hope you don't mind me butting in... I'm trying to learn this song on my mando, but can't seem to find a midi for it... anyone?
Thanks
Colorado
Oops... just in case I don't see a post to this... please contact me... dreamrequest@hotmail.com
dirty fenian