Herosongs 3: Where History Meets Song Episode Three

Episode 3 - broadcast on July 28th at 7pm on RTE Radio 1

What do Bonnie Prince Charlie, Charles Stewart Parnell and Napoleon have in common?

In episode three of Herosongs presenter Therese McIntyre, explores some of the songs in the traditional canon about these three historical leaders often sung or lamented as loss leaders. She visits Parnell’s grave in Glasnevin Cemetery with resident historian Shane Macthomais and looks at the ballad sheet of ‘The Blackbird of Avondale’ one of two songs with the same title written about Parnell with Grace Toland in the Irish Traditional Music Archive as well her take on the song ‘My Name is Napoleon Boneparte’ also known as ‘Farwell to Paris’.

Felix Larkin, historian and the academic director of The Parnell Summer School shares his view on the Parnell song ‘The Blackbird of Avondale’.

Sean Nós singer Iarla Ó Lionáird shares his memories of singing the song about Jacobite pretender Bonnie Prince Charlie, ‘Mo Ghile Mear’ as a young boy; “I started singing it with the choir when Sean O’Riada was still alive so I’ve had a long relationship with it”.

We also hear from history lecturer Maura Cronin of Mary Immaculate College Limerick and Terry Moylan author of ‘The Age of Revolution in the Irish Song Tradition 1776-1815’, about the life of Bonnie Prince Charlie and Napoleon.