Ireland's Favourite Folk Song

Rechuchote · 25-04-2019 12:22PM #1

RTE is advertising this, but I can't find a longlist anywhere. What are their contenders?

laros · 25-04-2019 12:29PM

There is a list of 10 songs Ronan Collins revealed the first 5 on radio one today the other 5 will be revealed on ronans show tomorrow.

bullpost · 25-04-2019 12:33PM

The Green Fields of France, The Foggy Dew, Danny Boy, A Rainy Night in SoHo and On Raglan Road.

Not sure I'd call A Rainy night in Soho a folk song?

Ultimate Seduction · 25-04-2019 12:37PM

How, when can we vote? Green Field of France for me. Although not a classic, Last Great love song would be my number 2, followed closley by Raglan Road

Rechuchote · 25-04-2019 12:42PM

Bizarre! Of these, the only ones I'd call folk songs would be Raglan Road and Danny Boy, and even both of them were written commercially rather than coming from the folk canon.

Edit - oh, and The Foggy Dew. Definitely folk ok.

friendlyfun · 25-04-2019 12:43PM

I'd say the Auld Triangle or Grace.

js35 · 25-04-2019 12:44PM

Seven drunken nights :pac:

Rechuchote · 25-04-2019 12:46PM

Auld Triangle defo. Grace, meh.

Rechuchote · 25-04-2019 12:48PM

Odd that neither version of Galway Bay is in… you could do a hunt through the works of the Dubliners, Clancy Brothers, Chieftains, Black family, Sands family, O Beaglaoich family, etc and find genuine folk songs; odd that none of the many songs in Irish are in…

youcancallmeal · 25-04-2019 01:38PM

It wouldn't be my favourite but I'd say grace will probably win it

loyatemu · 25-04-2019 01:41PM

Rechuchote wrote: »

Bizarre! Of these, the only ones I'd call folk songs would be Raglan Road and Danny Boy, and even both of them were written commercially rather than coming from the folk canon.

Edit - oh, and The Foggy Dew. Definitely folk ok.

what defines the "folk canon"? songs where we don't know who wrote them?

Rechuchote · 25-04-2019 02:24PM

youcancallmeal wrote: »

It wouldn't be my favourite but I'd say grace will probably win it

Grace isn't shortlisted, so no!

youcancallmeal · 25-04-2019 02:36PM

Rechuchote wrote: »

Grace isn't shortlisted, so no!

Ha shows how much I know about folk songs

Rechuchote · 25-04-2019 03:36PM

youcancallmeal wrote: »

Ha shows how much I know about folk songs

Or about the shortlist, more like! :pac:

laros · 25-04-2019 06:58PM

If you want to hear a great folksong,. Little Musgrave... The planxty version from the reunion gig in vicar Street in particular, I think its an English folksong actually

s3rtvdbwfj81ch · 25-04-2019 07:03PM

Óró sé de bheatha bhaile is a great one

Glebee · 25-04-2019 07:04PM

laros wrote: »

If you want to hear a great folksong,. Little Musgrave... The planxty version from the reunion gig in vicar Street in particular, I think its an English folksong actually

Winner.

Rechuchote · 25-04-2019 07:20PM

Green Fields of France is English too, Eric Bogle wrote it, I think.

25-04-2019 07:31PM

https://youtu.be/kz_dHcduUTU

Definitely something by Luke Kelly, IMO. This or "the town I loved so well".

Bellerstring · 25-04-2019 07:41PM

https://youtu.be/B0x7nBHNOZI
This has to be the one

Ipso · 26-04-2019 12:06AM

Rechuchote wrote: »

Green Fields of France is English too, Eric Bogle wrote it, I think.

Scotch/Australian. Scozzie.

loyatemu · 26-04-2019 08:19AM

laros wrote: »

If you want to hear a great folksong,. Little Musgrave... The planxty version from the reunion gig in vicar Street in particular, I think its an English folksong actually

Fairport Convention's "Matty Groves" is essentially the same song

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uK_7AqH1VGQ

Glebee · 26-04-2019 06:57PM

Just saw the full list.. Theres way better stuff out there by miles..

A Rainy Night in Soho- Would you call that a folk song?
A Womens Heart- Would you call that a folk song?

There more what you would hear played in Temple Bar pubs for the tourists in my opinion

Rechuchote · 26-04-2019 09:45PM

It's weird - we have such wonderful songs, going back to the 16th century and earlier, and still sung! Really beautiful music. And yet this anodyne slush (apart from a couple) is what RTE has chosen.

Roadtoad · 27-04-2019 01:03PM

Right, as a well known and successful commentator of all things in the Arts, here's my call on the way the results will pan out:

Winner: The Town I loved so well, by a country mile.

I spent a while last night going through the short list, it didn't take long to eliminate half the field, anything with a smell of pikes or rifles, or the Muirsheen Durkin pantheon.

Why: Sentiment, Irish author, a very topical story about a living history we are (nearly) all happy to see slide into the past.

If you insist on an each-way bet, a penny each on Willie McBride and the Parting Glass.

Personally, I'm surprised that Grace and any number of the Planxty/Moore/Brady anthems didn't find a place in the list. Of course having a five-week viewing and bizarrely being presented by one of the short list singers will make it worth viewing.

Edit: Add 'She moved through the fair' to the missed list

goose2005 · 27-04-2019 01:55PM

Glebee wrote: »

Just saw the full list.. Theres way better stuff out there by miles..

A Rainy Night in Soho- Would you call that a folk song?
A Womens Heart- Would you call that a folk song?

There more what you would hear played in Temple Bar pubs for the tourists in my opinion

This is RTE Nua, you have to have a song written by a woman!!

Rechuchote · 27-04-2019 03:13PM

The Town I Loved So Well is likely to win, not because it's the best song but because of the emotions over Lyra McKee's killing.

JP Liz V1 · 27-04-2019 08:51PM

Glebee wrote: »

Just saw the full list.. Theres way better stuff out there by miles..

A Rainy Night in Soho- Would you call that a folk song?
A Womens Heart- Would you call that a folk song?

There more what you would hear played in Temple Bar pubs for the tourists in my opinion

What is the full list?

Glebee · 27-04-2019 11:24PM

JP Liz V1 wrote: »

What is the full list?

https://www.rte.ie/culture/folk-song/

JP Liz V1 · 27-04-2019 11:55PM

Glebee wrote: »

https://www.rte.ie/culture/folk-song/

Raglan Road
The Green Fields of France
A Rainy Night in Soho
The Foggy Dew
The Town I Loved So Well
Do Bheatha Abhaile
Danny Boy
The Parting Glass
The Rocky Road to Dublin
A Woman's Heart

I thought Grace was a sure contender

Glebee · 28-04-2019 09:24AM

JP Liz V1 wrote: »

Raglan Road
The Green Fields of France
A Rainy Night in Soho
The Foggy Dew
The Town I Loved So Well
Do Bheatha Abhaile
Danny Boy
The Parting Glass
The Rocky Road to Dublin
A Woman's Heart

I thought Grace was a sure contender

To many people dying and being shot at. Although I suppose the foggy dew fits that bill as well. Some one would surely get offended.

Ireland's Favourite Folk Song

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