1054. Red Haired Mary (Sean McCarthy)

Описание: Sean McCarthy, born in Listowel, County Kerry, was a singer-songwriter and poet who hosted programs on RTE Radio 1 for several years. Some of his best-known songs are "Shanagolden", "Highland Paddy", "Murphy's Volunteers", "Step It Out Mary", "The Hills of Connemara" and, of course, "Red Haired Mary".

In his songbook "The Road to Song: Sean McCarthy, His Songs, Their Music and Story", he wrote the following about the origin of this song:

"The young farmer, walked tall and proud, alongside the big Spanish Donkey. Sparks from his large hobnail boots looked and sounded like fireworks at a Rose of Tralee Festival. Mary walked barefoot, along the soft edge of the Dingle road, her long red hair streaming like a crimson kite in the autumn wind. They came together at the bend of the road, a mile outside the town.

"John Reagan's heifers, which I was driving to market, were bellowing and looking for water, so I passed them in a hurry. I saw the tall young farmer, and the Red Haired girl, alter though fighting a gallant battle, against great odds, outside Murphy's Pub. A battle that encompassed the Donkey, the Law, Mary's father, her brother, several inlaws, and of course, the Tall Farmer.

"The victors? Why love, of course, instant love. Red Haired Mary, and her tall man, walked into the autumn eve sunshine, with the big Spanish ass braying in approval. It was ten years later that I wrote the song. The song tells all: The fight, the short courtship, the donkey's contribution, and of course, the happy ending. The Wolfe Tones and Danny Doyle were two of the first to make their story famous but scores of other singers have sung the donkey's praises as well.

"Sometimes now, when I fiddle with juke boxes in New York, Liverpool or London, I see "Red Haired Mary" in the titles. The song is being sung by young people that I never met, and it gives me a great feeling to know that Red Mary is known world wide."

It has been recorded by The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem, Foster and Allen, Three Pints Shy and YouTube singer, threelegsoman.

This song was requested by TheRealmccoy316

Lyrics and chords:
E
As I was going to the fair at Dingle
.............................. A
One fine morning last July
E
When going down the road before me,
................................. B7 ............ E
A red haired girl I chanced to spy.

I went up to her, says I, "Young lady,
Me donkey, he will carry two."
And she looked at me, her eyes a-twinkle,
And cheeks they were a rosey hue.

"Well I thank you kindly, sir," she answered,
And then she tossed her bright red hair,
"Now seein' that you've got your donkey,
I will ride with you to the Dingle fair."

But when we reached the fair at Dingle,
I took her hand for to say good-bye,
When a tinkerman stepped up beside me,
And he struck me in my right eye!

"Keep your hands off red-haired Mary,
Her and I are to be wed.
We're seein' the priest this very morning,
And tonight we'll lie in a marriage bed."

Now I was feeling kind of peevish,
And my poor old eye was sad and sore,
So I tapped him lightly with me hobnails,
And he flew back through Tim Murphy's door!

Then a policeman, he came round the corner,
And he told me I had broke the law,
Then me donkey kicked him in the ankle,
And he fell down and broke his jaw!

Now he went off to find his brother;
The biggest man you ever did meet.
He 'gently' tapped me with his knuckles,
And I was minus two front teeth.

Now this red haired girl, she kept on smiling.
"Young sir, I'll go with you instead.
We'll forget the priest this very morning,
And tonight we'll lie in Murphy's shed!

Through the Dingle Fair we rode together,
My black eye and her red hair.
Smilin' gaily at the tinkers,
Be God we were a handsome pair.

You can see a playlist of my Irish songs here:
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list...

Lyrics and chords of many of my songs are no longer available, as my website has expired. I am currently posting lyrics to the information panels on all my videos and those that are too long to post in full will be found on my new website: https://raymondsfolkpage.wordpress.com