Erin's Flowery Vale (The Irish Girl's Lament) [Laws O29]
DESCRIPTION: The singer chances to see a young couple talking. He is about to take ship for America. She repeatedly expresses her fear that he will forget her. He promises to be true. They kiss; he departs; the singer leaves
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1925 (Sam Henry collection)
KEYWORDS: separation emigration promise parting
FOUND IN: Canada(Mar) Ireland
REFERENCES (9 citations):
Laws O29, "Erin's Flowery Vale (The Irish Girl's Lament)"
Doerflinger-SongsOfTheSailorAndLumberman, pp. 318-319, "The Irish Girl's Lament" (1 text, 1 tune)
Henry/Huntingdon/Herrmann-SamHenrysSongsOfThePeople H85, pp. 300-301, "Dobbin's Flowery Vale" (1 text, 1 tune)
Morton-FolksongsSungInUlster 33, "Dobbins Flowery Vale" (1 text, 1 tune)
OLochlainn-IrishStreetBallads 82, "Dobbin's Flowery Vale" (1 text, 1 tune)
Tunney-WhereSongsDoThunder, pp. 85-87, "Dobbin's Flowery Vale" (1 text)
OBoyle-TheIrishSongTradition 9, "Dobbin's Flowery Vale" (1 text, 1 tune)
Creighton-FolksongsFromSouthernNewBrunswick 13, "Overn's Flowery Vale" (1 text, 1 tune)
DT 484, ERINVALE
Roud #999
BROADSIDES:
Bodleian, Harding B 25(585), "Erin's Flow'ry Vale," unknown, n.d.; also 2806 c.15(56), "Dobbin's Flowery Vale"
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Mullinabrone" (plot, lyrics)
cf. "Caledonia (III -- Jean and Caledonia)" (plot)
cf. "Maid of Dunysheil" (plot)
cf. "Killyclare (Carrowclare; The Maid of Carrowclare)" (plot)
cf. "The Blooming Star of Eglintown" (plot)
cf. "Faithful Rambler, The (Jamie and Mary, Love's Parting)" (plot)
NOTES [91 words]: For the relationship of this song to "The Irish Girl," see the notes on that song. - RBW
The location of this song is sometimes taken to be in "Dobbins Flowery Vale." Morton-FolksongsSungInUlster explains: "Dobbins Flowery Vale is part of what was the estate of Colonel Dobbin, on the edge of the City of Armagh. Colonel Dobbin was M.P. for the area in the late eighteenth century."
Also collected and sung Kevin Mitchell, "Dobbin's Flowery Vale" (on Kevin and Ellen Mitchell, "Have a Drop Mair," Musical Tradition Records MTCD315-6 CD (2001)) - BS
File: LO29
Go to the Ballad Search form
Go to the Ballad Index Song List
Go to the Ballad Index Instructions
Go to the Ballad Index Bibliography or Discography
The Ballad Index Copyright 2024 by Robert B. Waltz and David G. Engle.