Mursheen Durkin

The Irish folk song "Mursheen Durkin" tells the story of an emigrant from Ireland who goes to mine for gold in California during the California Gold Rush, 1849.^[1] The song is about emigration, although atypically optimistic for the genre. The name "Muirsheen" is a good phonetic approximation to the pronunciation of "Máirtín" (Martin) in the West of Ireland; it could alternatively be construed as a diminutive of "Muiris" (Maurice). A pratie is a potato, the historical staple crop of Ireland. "America" is pronounced "Americay", as was common among Gaelic peoples around Ireland^[2]

The air to which it is sung is "Cailíní deasa Mhuigheo" (pretty girls of Mayo), which is a popular reel dating from the 19th century.^[3]

Performers

The song reached prominence when Johnny McEvoy's recording reached no. 1 in Ireland in 1966.^[4]

It has been covered by the following artists (and others):

• Christy Moore
• Sharon Shannon
• Four to the Bar on their live album Craic on the Road.
• The Pogues
• The Irish Rovers (both as "Muirsheen Durkin" and as "Goodbye Mrs. Durkin")
• Johnny McEvoy
• The Dubliners
• The Poxy Boggards
• Golden Bough
• The Mollys on their album Hat Trick
• Off Kilter on their album Celtic Armadillo
• Darby O'Gill
• The Wolfe Tones
• 1916 on their album last call for heroes

Variations

"Molly Durkin" is an Irish folk song made popular by Murty Rabbett in the 1940s in the United States. It is a derivation of "Mursheen Durkin".^[5] The song has a lively tempo and a man who decides to give up his work as a mortar shoveler (probably an asphalt shoveler as well) to take up shoveling gold in California is whimsically described. The song is not so much a song of leaving Ireland as it is an Irishman's response to a woman's scorn.^[6]

The Irish Rovers made several changes to the lyrics:

• Retitled to "Goodbye Mrs. Durkin"
• "I was never tired resortin'"
• "and the other house besides", suggesting a "house of ill repute"
• "as sure as my name is Barney"
• "I'll write you from New York", which fits the meter better
• Includes some lyrics contained in the song "Molly Durkin"

Recordings:

• Murty Rabbett & His Gaelic Band: "Farewell To Ireland" Properbox 3(P1109-12) (1999/2005)
• Ballinasloe Fair-Early Recordings Of Irish Music In America Traditional Crossroads CD 4284, CD (1998/2005)

References

1. Sean McMahon, A Little Bit of Heaven
2. Jonathan Baron, "A Narrow Sea - Episode 59 - The Hamely Tongue", BBC.co.uk
3. Colm Ó Lochlainn, More Irish Street Ballads, Dublin, 1965. p. 72
4. "Johnny McEveoy". Arts. County Kildare Community Network. February 2014. Retrieved 2 June 2014.
5. Folk Index
6. Lyrics from The American Songbook, by Jerry Silverman

External links

• http://www.affthecuff.org.uk/songs/mursheen.html
• http://www.8notes.com/scores/5619.asp?ftype=midi