Galway Bay

DESCRIPTION: "If you ever go across the sea to Ireland," then perhaps you can see Galway Bay. It's a land of beautiful women and children in the fields. They still speak a language the English don't know. The singer hopes to return there after death
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: before 1958 (Margaret Barry parody)
KEYWORDS: home Ireland travel
FOUND IN: Ireland
REFERENCES (1 citation):
DT, GLWAYBAY*
Roud #9306
SAME TUNE:
Galway Bay Parody (sung by Margaret Barry on Voice14)
Galway Bay (2) (DT, GLWYBAY2)
The Emigrants Return (File: Doyl4013)
NOTES [128 words]: The Digital Tradition lists this as by Arthur Colahan.
Its popularity is probably demonstrated by the supply of parodies. Ben Schwartz gave this description of Margaret Barry's (Roud #12926):
"Singer considers going back to Ireland; 'it may be when I hear she's passed away/' She had a mouth as big as Galway Bay and she'd live, swim and die in it if it were Guinness. The rest of the song is a complaint about everyone singing Galway Bay."
Ben adds, "Among the references in the song are Topic Records and 'The Bedford Arms,' where the performance was recorded."
The other parody, in the Digital Tradition, is apparently from Tommy Makem. It could perhaps be considered the same parody -- it also talks about Galway Bay full of drink. But the ending is different. - RBW
Last updated in version 4.1
File: RcGalBay

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