MAVOURNEEN

[Emmeline]

Yes, this is my second name - given to me by a mother who loved all things Irish. There was sometimes talk of a gt.gt.grandmother born in County Mayo but I have found nothing to prove this. I believe she was reading a book at the time she was expecting me in which a famous film director had given his daughter the  name. My mother was
always one for the film stars. When I was  small she would often sing to me " Come back to Erin - Mavourneen, Mavourneen, come back to Erin the land of thy birth " and her very favourite was " I'll take you home again Kathleen " - maybe there was some Irish there after all - and she always told me it meant ' my darling .'
Can anyone tell me if this is so and how Mavourneen would be spelt in the Gaelic.    Thank you.

[Pat Reid]

Emmeline:
Mavourneen comes from the "mo mhuirnin".  Mo means "my". Muirnin means "darling". The "h" after the "m" changes gives it the "v" sound.
And your mother was right. Aren't moms always right?  It does mean "my darling".


Pat

[Emmeline]

Dear Pat Reid - Thanks so much for your reply. Just what I wanted to know. I shall give that information to my daughters - they may decide to use the name again. Maybe !

[Pat Reid]

Emmeline:
Here are the words and a digital copy of a publication of it in a broadside in 1849. Now you can sing it too!!!
http://www.nls.uk/broadsides/broadside.cfm/id/16136

Pat

[Emmeline]

Dear Pat Reid - Many thanks indeed. The words are beautiful and to think it was written in 1849. I shall be trilling away just like my mother used to. I feel I now know more about my name - given to me so long ago but not as far back as 1849 !  Thanks again Pat - appreciated.