Riley's Farewell (Riley to America; John Riley) [Laws M8]

DESCRIPTION: Riley and his sweetheart are forbidden by her father to marry. Aided by the girl's mother, Riley goes to America and buys a plot of land. He comes back; the two set out for America. Their ship is wrecked on the way. Before dying the girl blames her father
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1847 (Journal of William Histed of the Cortes)
KEYWORDS: courting love mother father exile wreck death
FOUND IN: Britain(Scotland(Aber),England(Lond)) US(Ap,MW,NE,SE) Canada(Mar,Newf) Ireland
REFERENCES (29 citations):
Laws M8, "Riley's Farewell (Riley to America; John Riley)"
Gardham-EarliestVersions, "JOHN REILLY"
Greig-FolkSongInBuchan-FolkSongOfTheNorthEast #110, p. 2, "John Rylie" (1 text)
Greig/Duncan1 22, "John Riley" (6 texts, 2 tunes)
OShaughnessy-YellowbellyBalladsPart2 40, "Reilly the Fisherman" (1 text, 1 tune)
Palmer-FolkSongsCollectedBy-Ralph-VaughanWilliams, #56, "John Reilly" (1 text, 1 tune)
Palmer-SongsOfTheMidlands, pp. 95-96, "John Riley" (1 text, 1 tune)
Purslow-TheConstantLovers, p. 114, "Young Reilly" (1 text, 1 tune)
Henry/Huntingdon/Herrmann-SamHenrysSongsOfThePeople H468, pp. 441-442, "John Reilly the Sailor Lad" (1 text, 1 tune)
OLochlainn-MoreIrishStreetBallads 7, "Reilly the Fisherman" (1 text, 1 tune)
O'Conor-OldTimeSongsAndBalladOfIreland, p. 49, "O'Reilly the Fisherman" (1 text)
Graham-Joe-Holmes-SongsMusicTraditionsOfAnUlsterman 37, "John Reilly the Sailor" (1 text, 1 tune)
Warner-TraditionalAmericanFolkSongsFromAnneAndFrankWarnerColl 147, "John Reilly" (1 text, 1 tune)
Pound-AmericanBalladsAndSongs, 39, pp. 89-90, "Jack Riley" (1 text, containing only the beginning portion of the song)
Chappell-FolkSongsOfRoanokeAndTheAlbermarle 37, "John Reilly" (1 text, 1 tune)
Thomas-DevilsDitties, pp. 166-167, "Riley Song"; "William Riley" (1 text plus a fragment, 1 tune); pp. 168-169, "Bound for Amerikee" (1 fragment, 1 tune, certainly a Riley song although it might not be this one)
Lane/Gosbee-SongsOfShipsAndSailors, p. 139, "John Riley's Farewell" (1 text, 1 tune)
Huntington-SongsTheWhalemenSang, pp. 105-108, "John Riley" (1 text, 1 tune)
Creighton/Senior-TraditionalSongsOfNovaScotia, pp. 170-171, "Johnny Riley" (4 texts, 3 tunes)
Creighton-MaritimeFolkSongs, pp. 102-103, "Young Riley" (1 text, 1 tune)
Creighton-FolksongsFromSouthernNewBrunswick 60, "Johnny Riley" (1 text, 1 tune)
Greenleaf/Mansfield-BalladsAndSeaSongsOfNewfoundland 90, "Riley to Ameriky" (1 text)
Peacock, pp. 698-700, "O'Reilly the Fisherman" (1 text, 2 tunes)
Leach-FolkBalladsSongsOfLowerLabradorCoast 13, "John Riley" (1 text, 1 tune)
Karpeles-FolkSongsFromNewfoundland 45, "Reilly the Fisherman" (1 text, 1 tune)
Lehr/Best-ComeAndIWillSingYou 84, "O'Reilly the Fisherman" (1 text, 1 tune)
Fowke/MacMillan-PenguinBookOfCanadianFolkSongs 67, "Will O'Riley" (1 text, 1 tune)
Mackenzie-BalladsAndSeaSongsFromNovaScotia 43, "Reilly's Farewell" (1 text)
DT 463, RILYFRWL JREILLY4*
Roud #270
RECORDINGS:
Robert Cinnamond, "Young Reilly the Fisherman" (on IRRCinnamond03)
Michael Flanagan, "O'Reilly to America" (on IRClare01)
Mrs. Edward Gallagher, "Young Riley" (on MRHCreighton)
Mike Kent, "John O'Reilly" (on MUNFLA/Leach)
Jack Knight, "Willie Riley" (on MUNFLA/Leach)
Sarah Anne O'Neill, "John Reilly" (on Voice04)
BROADSIDES:
Bodleian, Harding B 17(257b), "Riley the Fisherman," A. Ryle and Co. (London), 1845-1859; also Firth c.12(287), Firth b.26(209), Harding B 11(1864), Harding B 11(1865), Harding B 11(3286), "Riley the Fisherman"; 2806 c.16(201), "Riley's Farewell"
Murray, Mu23-y4:036, "John Riely," unknown, 19C
NLScotland, L.C.Fol.178.A.2(072), "John Reily," James Lindsay, Glasgow, c. 1870
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "William and Harriet" [Laws M7]
ALTERNATE TITLES:
Riley the Fisherman
John Rally
Willie Riley
Reilly
NOTES [33 words]: Not to be confused with the broken-token "John Riley." [Nor should the] "Young Riley" [versions] be confused with the "Young Riley" that's an alternate title to "O'Reilly from the County Leitrim." - PJS
Last updated in version 6.8
File: LM08

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