Single $0.75
Song Info
Genre
Charts
Peak #802
Peak in subgenre #126
Author
Michael Considine
Rights
Public Domain
Uploaded
March 29, 2009
Track Files
MP3
MP3 3.4 MB • 128 kbps • 3:40
Story behind the song
Author
Michael Considine was born around 1850 and emigrated to the USA from Spancillhill at around 1870. Some of his siblings came with him, but some stayed behind. One of his brothers, Patrick, died, leaving his widow to look after a five month old son called John.
Working in Boston for about two years, he went to the USA with the intention of bringing his sweetheart over and for them to be married when he had made enough money for the passage. His sweetheart was "Mack the Ranger's daughter" and not "Ned the Farmer's daughter" as in the popularised version. The Ranger's house was within eyesight from Michael Considine's home as was the tailor Quigley's.
He stayed in Boston for two years or so before moving to California. At the age of 23, he suffered from ill health for a long time and, knowing he hadn't long to live, he wrote the poem "Spancilhill" to be sent home in remembrance of his love and it was kept safe by his six year old nephew, John Considine.
Michael Considine died sometime in 1873. And it seems that he went home somehow, either dead or alive, as he is buried in the Spancilhill graveyard. Mary MacNamara remained faithful to his memory and never married.
Lyrics
Last night as I lay dreaming of pleasant days gone by,
Delighted by the novelty, enchanted by the scene
Being on the twenty-third of June, the day before the fair,
I went to see my neighbours, to hear what they might say,
I paid a flying visit to my first and only love,
I dreamt I held and kissed her as in the days of yore
Me mind bein?bent on rambling to Ireland I did fly,
Where in my early boyhood so often I had been
When Ireland's sons and daughters in crowds assembled there
The old ones were all dead and gone, and the young ones turning grey
She's as fair as any lily and gentle as a dove
She said "Johnny you're only joking, as many?s the time before"
I stepped on board a vision and followed with the will,
I thought I heard a murmur and I think I hear it still,
The young, the old, the brave and the bold, their duty to fulfill,
I met the tailor Quigley, he's as bold as ever still,
She threw her arms around me, saying "Johnny, I love you still"
The cock he crew in the morning, he crew both loud and shrill,
When next I came to anchor at the cross near Spancil Hill.
It's that little stream of water that flows down Spancil Hill.
At the parish church of Clooney, a mile from Spancil Hill.
Sure he used to make my britches when I lived in Spancil Hill.
Ah she's Nell, the farmer's daughter, the pride of Spancil Hill
I awoke in California, many miles from Spancil Hill.
