Mary Machree

DESCRIPTION: "The flower of the valley was Mary Machree," whose beauty is described at length. Her soldier love goes away for many years, leaving her pining on the shore. At last, in the winter, he returns to her
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: before 1842 (broadside, Bodleian Firth b.25(44))
KEYWORDS: love soldier separation reunion
FOUND IN: Ireland
REFERENCES (3 citations):
Henry/Huntingdon/Herrmann-SamHenrysSongsOfThePeople H485, p. 308, "Mary Machree" (1 text, 1 tune)
O'Conor-OldTimeSongsAndBalladOfIreland, p. 154, "Mary Machree" (1 text)
Wolf-AmericanSongSheets, #1391, p. 94, "Mary Machree" (1 reference)
Roud #3231
BROADSIDES:
Bodleian, Firth b.25(44), "Mary Machree," Birt (London), 1833-1841; also Harding B 15(187a), Firth c.26(239), "Mary Machree"
LOCSinging, sb30316a, "Mary Machree," H. De Marsan (New York), 1864-1878
SAME TUNE:
Come Home to Me, Love (per broadside LOCSinging sb30316a)
NOTES [70 words]: According to William H. A. Williams, 'Twas Only an Irishman's Dream, University of Illinois Press, 1996, p. 34, "machree" is a popular word in Irish song because it comes from Irish Gaelic "mo chroí," "my heart." - RBW
Broadside LOCSinging sb30316a: H. De Marsan dating per Studying Nineteenth-Century Popular Song by Paul Charosh in American Music, Winter 1997, Vol 15.4, Table 1, available at FindArticles site. - BS
Last updated in version 5.2
File: HHH485

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