Is there a connection between these two songs, because they sure do sound a lot alike?
It is one and the same Melody.The Moorlough Shore being the older version circa 1886 words as follow…
Your hills and dales and flowery vales
that lie near the Moorlough Shore.
Your winds that blow by Borden’s grove.
will I ever see you more
Where the primrose blows
and the violet grows.
Where the trout and salmon play.
With line and hook delight I took
to spend my youthful days.
Last night I went to see my love,
and to hear what she might say.
To see if she’d take pity on me,
lest I might go away.
She said, “I love an Irish lad,
and he was my only joy,
And ever since I saw his face
I’ve loved that soldier boy.”
Perhaps your soldier lad is lost
sailing over the sea or main.
Or perhaps he is gone with some other one,
you may never see him again.
Well, if my Irish lad is lost,
he’s the one I do adore,
And seven years I will wait for him
by the banks of the Moorlough Shore.
Farewell to Sinclair’s castle ground.
Farewell to the foggy hill.
where the linen webs lie bleaching silk
and the bawdeen stream runs still
Near there I spent my youthful days,
but alas they are no more
For cruelty has banished me
far away from the Moorlough Shore.
The Foggy Dew being a transposition of words to celebrate the later rising in1916.
Sinead O’Connor sings lovely versions of both and says that The Moorlough Shore is one of her favourites.I would concur.
Slán Go Foill
Uilliam
There is another Foggy Dew which is a reel
X: 1
T: Foggy Dew, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Gmaj
EF |: G2GA B2gf | e2dB A2GA | BA BG EG FA |1 G6EF :|2 G6ef ||
g2gfe2fg | ag fed2B^d | e3f gf e^d | e6EF |
G2GA B2gf | e2dB A2GA | BA BG EG FA | G6 |]
Thanks Uilliam, Sinead is where I first heard the Moorlough Shore. Her version of the Foggy Dew is my favorite version as well. She sings Moorlough Shore slightly differently from the Foggy Dew though.
Francie McPeake also made a recording of the Moorlough Shore many moons back..I think the melody was only slightly varied for the Foggy Dew to adapt it to a march,but the change is minimul.
If Ye want to go fishing at Moor Lough http://www.dcal-fishingni.gov.uk/index/disabled_access_locations/moor_lough_disabled.htm
Uilliam