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Author Topic: Danny Boy  (Read 1907 times)

Offline Pennines

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Danny Boy
« on: Thursday 29 March 18 11:59 BST (UK) »
Sorry -- I know this isn't really family history -- but several years ago I can remember an Irish Boxer winning a gold medal at what I think was the Olympic Games.

The organisers couldn't find the Irish National Anthem -- so the referee (or someone like that) - started singing 'Danny Boy'. It was quite one of the most moving moments ever and I wept throughout the song -- but no-one else seems to remember it.

Can anyone recall this incident please and the year this happened?

Many thanks

Places of interest;
Lancashire, West Yorkshire, Southern Ireland, Scotland.

Offline aghadowey

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Re: Danny Boy
« Reply #1 on: Thursday 29 March 18 12:05 BST (UK) »
Away sorting out DNA matches... I may be gone for some time many years!

Offline Pennines

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Re: Danny Boy
« Reply #2 on: Thursday 29 March 18 17:09 BST (UK) »
Aghadowey -- thank you so, so much!

It was the 1990 one that I remembered. So it was the Commonwealth Games -- they were going to play 'Danny Boy' anyway - but the tape stuck. It was the chap who was trying to work the tape player who sang the song - not the referee. He did so well in the circumstances (ie not a singer).

I'll be able to tell the story accurately in future!

(This site has been down all afternoon. I saw your post much earlier - looked at both links - came back to post a thank you and couldn't. Hope I wasn't the cause of the breakdown by going to You Tube!)

Many thanks again.
Places of interest;
Lancashire, West Yorkshire, Southern Ireland, Scotland.

Offline familyroutes

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Re: Danny Boy
« Reply #3 on: Thursday 29 March 18 19:08 BST (UK) »
Are you thinking of Barry McGuigan's father singing Danny Boy at Barry McGuigan v B Taylor 1985
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOJn_SVv_9A
Patrick McGuigan was a famous Irish singer born in Clones, County Monaghan.  He competed for Ireland at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1968,coming in fourth place.
O'Kane, O'Mullan: Garvagh Derry
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McManus: Aghagallon ,Antrim
McGowan: Drumshambo, Leitrim

Offline Pennines

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Re: Danny Boy
« Reply #4 on: Thursday 29 March 18 20:07 BST (UK) »
Hi Familyroutes,

Thank you for your input -- no it was definitely an actual medal ceremony that I remembered - and it WAS the one from 1990, although I couldn't remember the year till I saw it via the You Tube link provided by Aghadowey.

I would have remembered Barry McGuigan if it had been at one of his fights.

Gosh -- don't father and son look alike!

Thank you anyway - I don't mind how many times I hear that wonderful song.
Places of interest;
Lancashire, West Yorkshire, Southern Ireland, Scotland.

Offline KGarrad

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Re: Danny Boy
« Reply #5 on: Thursday 29 March 18 22:40 BST (UK) »
Just getting a plug for my home town!

"Danny Boy" was written by Frederic Weatherley, of Portishead, North Somerset ;D
He set it to an old Irish tune, "Londonderry Air".
Garrad (Suffolk, Essex, Somerset), Crocker (Somerset), Vanstone (Devon, Jersey), Sims (Wiltshire), Bridger (Kent)

Offline aghadowey

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Re: Danny Boy
« Reply #6 on: Thursday 29 March 18 23:03 BST (UK) »
... and it was Jane Ross from Limavady (just over the mountain from me) who collected the tune "Londonderry Air" which Danny Boy was based on...  ;D
Away sorting out DNA matches... I may be gone for some time many years!

Offline Pennines

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Re: Danny Boy
« Reply #7 on: Friday 30 March 18 16:27 BST (UK) »
It has got to be my most favourite song ever. The music and the lyrics are just wonderful. I have always wondered if it was a mother saying the words to her son as he went to war, or a wife to husband.

More likely a mother to son if she thought she may die whilst he was away -- but I don't know.

I don't blame anyone for basking in reflected glory by saying they live near or in places connected to it!
Places of interest;
Lancashire, West Yorkshire, Southern Ireland, Scotland.

Offline Elwyn Soutter

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Re: Danny Boy
« Reply #8 on: Monday 02 April 18 15:39 BST (UK) »
According to Jim Hunter at the University of Ulster, the tune we know today as the Londonderry Air was first taken down in 1851 by Jane Ross of Limavady who heard a blind fiddler play it in the street in Limavady. (Today there’s a blue plaque to commemorate the spot). The fiddler was reportedly Jimmy McCurry, a native of Myroe. Here’s Jimmy in the 1901 census:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Londonderry/Myroe/Myroe_Level/1523675/

Though born in Co Derry, Jimmy’s father was from Portnahaven in Islay and was also a fiddle player. Indeed his family had once been bards to the Lords of the Isles who used to rule the southern Hebrides and parts of north Antrim from Finlaggan, on Islay. So Jimmy is bound to have learned some of his repertoire from his Scottish father.

So the tune may be a native Irish tune or, as some have suggested, it may in fact be Scottish. (Not that there’s really a lot of difference). But it amuses me to think that what is surely the most famous Irish song in the world has words written by an Englishman to a tune that’s possibly Scottish.

Elwyn
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