Eithne Dunbar from the Brockville Irish Cultural Society recalls the Irish Famine through the Irish folk song “The Galway Shawl”.

Interior shot. Woman seated and viewed from shoulders up with short brown hair, glasses, and a purple top. She is smiling and speaking to camera. Grey bricks and a display board are visible in background.

My name is Eithne Dunbar. I am living here in Brockville, Ontario, Canada.

I emigrated in 1972, and, of course, I have fond memories of Galway. Because Galway, Connemara, is where I learned most of my Irish. When I was eleven years old I spent three months in Tiernee, Lettermore, County Galway, where I learned to love the Irish language, and learned to love Galway, out by the Atlantic Ocean. I also went to university – University College Galway – and spent four years there, and have great memories of Galway City, and the Galway people.

So this song is called the “Galway Shawl”, and the shawl also reminds me of the Famine times when the women, in those times, dressed with a shawl.

So here we go.

Eithne Dunbar clears her throat.

This is in honour of the women from the Famine and the tough times that they went through.

Eithne Dunbar starts to sing:

In Oranmore in the county Galway
One pleasant evening in the month of May.
I spied a fair maid; she was young and handsome
And 'round her shoulders was the Galway shawl.

She wore no jewels, nor fancy diamonds, 
No paint nor powder, no, none at all. 
She wore a bonnet with a ribbon on it 
And round her shoulders was the Galway shawl.

We kept on walking as she kept on talking
Till her father’s cottage came in to view.
Said she, 'come in sir', and meet my father
And for to please him, play 'The Foggy Dew'.

I played ‘The Blackbird’ and ‘The Stack of Barley’, 
‘Rodney's Glory’ and ‘The Foggy Dew’.
She sang each note like an Irish linnet. 
And the tears flowed in her eyes so blue.

'Twas early, early, all in the morning, 
When I set sail for old Donegal. 
She said 'Goodby, sir,’ as she cried 
And my heart remains with the Galway shawl.

She wore no jewels, nor fancy diamonds, 
No paint nor powder, no, none at all. 
She wore a bonnet with a ribbon on it 
And round her shoulders was the Galway shawl.

Sine.

Final image of water with onscreen Ireland Park Foundation logo. Celtic style music playing.