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Cliffs of Dooneen...

  • 15-11-2007 4:09pm
    #1
    jackdaw
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,788 ✭✭✭


    I love this song .. but where are the cliffs of dooneen ??

    from the words
    You may travel far, far, from your own native home,
    Far away o’er the mountains, far away o’er the foam,
    But of all the fine places that I’ve ever been,
    Oh, there’s none can compare with the Cliffs of Dooneen.

    It’s a nice place to be on a fine summer’s day,
    Watching all the wild flowers that ne’er do decay,
    Oh, the hare and the pheasant are plain to be seen,
    Making homes for their young round the Cliffs of Dooneen.

    Take a view o’er the mountains, fine sights you’ll see there;
    You’ll see high, rocky mountains on the west coast of Clare,
    Oh, the towns of Kilkee and Kilrush can be seen,
    From the high, rocky slopes ‘round the Cliffs of Dooneen.

    So fare thee well to Dooneen, fare thee well for a while,
    And although we are parted by the raging sea wild,
    Once again I will wander with my fine Irish lad,
    Round the high rocky slopes of the Cliff of Dooneen.

    you would think Clare , but someone was saying they are in Kerry ??
    there was an argument about it on Joe Duffy I think :D

    anyway maybe this is more a Geog q, mods move if you think so..


Comments

  • #2
    mjquinno
    Registered Users Posts: 538 ✭✭✭mjquinno


    http://www.rte.ie/radio/rattlebag/top75story.html

    # The Cliffs Of Dooneen

    Tuesday 2nd July 2002: With its reference to the towns of Kilkee and Kilrush, The Cliffs Of Dooneen has become one of Co Clare's favourite songs over the past 30 years or so. But it is a piece of music which comes with some mysteries attached - such as the precise location of those famous cliffs.
    Contributors: Christy Moore, musician; Harry Bradshaw, Traditional Music Archives; Áine Hensey, broadcaster; Ciarán MacMathúna, broadcaster; Paddy O'Sullivan.

    Killkee and kilrush are at differnet side of the loop head penisula. So Its hard to imagine where you could see the two towns from. I had many an argument with my mates about this one

    http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=52.668055,-9.562912&spn=0.132416,0.32135&z=12&om=1

    There is cliff going down past kilkee called dunlikky. but I am open to correction you cant see kilrush from there


  • #3
    mowgli
    Registered Users Posts: 9 ✭mowgli


    I've spent a fair amount of time around kilkee and kilrush - great surfing there :D and I've been told a few times that the song actually refers to the cliffs on the Kerry side of the Shannon estuary - between Ballybunnion and Rusheen

    Apparently you can actually see Kilkee and Kilrush from there on a clear day, which is pretty amazing.

    http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=52.51058,-9.586258&spn=0.360234,0.551376&z=11&om=1

    Either way it's a great song.


  • #4
    mjquinno
    Registered Users Posts: 538 ✭✭✭mjquinno


    interesting. i live close by kilkee and it is in a dip for lack of a better word that leads into the sea. so those cliff must be very tall! although of course the song might not be strictly literal.


  • #5
    mowgli
    Registered Users Posts: 9 ✭mowgli


    I've never looked myself so I can't say, but I'm told you can see part of the town of Kilkee. Any chance you could take a spin over there to have a look? ;)

    I think there's a bit of poetic licence as regards the "cliffs" though. I've travelled along the estuary by boat a couple of times and to call them cliffs is a bit of a stretch, especially compared to those along the Burren coastline.


  • #6
    mjquinno
    Registered Users Posts: 538 ✭✭✭mjquinno


    right i will . ill take a trip down there when im home tommorrow and bring along the camera. Ill post back see if i see anything.

    - O ya class song one my favorites.


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  • #7
    mowgli
    Registered Users Posts: 9 ✭mowgli


    Wow, that'd be great if you could. I've always wanted to go and have a look but never had the time when I was in the area.

    There's an interesting thread on the subject here.


  • #8
    ladybird2010
    Registered Users Posts: 11 ✭ladybird2010


    jackdaw wrote: »
    I love this song .. but where are the cliffs of dooneen ??

    from the words
    You may travel far, far, from your own native home,
    Far away o’er the mountains, far away o’er the foam,
    But of all the fine places that I’ve ever been,
    Oh, there’s none can compare with the Cliffs of Dooneen.

    It’s a nice place to be on a fine summer’s day,
    Watching all the wild flowers that ne’er do decay,
    Oh, the hare and the pheasant are plain to be seen,
    Making homes for their young round the Cliffs of Dooneen.

    Take a view o’er the mountains, fine sights you’ll see there;
    You’ll see high, rocky mountains on the west coast of Clare,
    Oh, the towns of Kilkee and Kilrush can be seen,
    From the high, rocky slopes ‘round the Cliffs of Dooneen.

    So fare thee well to Dooneen, fare thee well for a while,
    And although we are parted by the raging sea wild,
    Once again I will wander with my fine Irish lad,
    Round the high rocky slopes of the Cliff of Dooneen.

    you would think Clare , but someone was saying they are in Kerry ??
    there was an argument about it on Joe Duffy I think :D

    anyway maybe this is more a Geog q, mods move if you think so..




    Hi, The Cliffs of Dooneen are in Co. Kerry. Near Beal in Co. Kerry

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cliffs_of_Dooneen


  • #9
    Bawn12
    Registered Users Posts: 1 ✭Bawn12


    Yes the cliffs are in between beal and Ballybunion in north Kerry , they are small enough in fairness but on a clear summers day you can see both kilkee and kilrush
    The song itself was written here as well in my great grand parents house I still live here about a 1/4 mile from them and it is a beautiful place to be the song is absolutely spot on :)


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