Annotation:Paddys Evermore

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PADDYS EVERMORE (Na Padruig go brat). Irish, Air or March (6/8 time). G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). One part. There have been a several patriotic, farewell and parody songs called "Paddys Evermore." O’Neill (1913) calls this a “splendid martial air.” Most famously, it was a United Irishman poem called "Paddy Evermore," beginning:

In concert join each soul that loves the Patriotic type,
Who dares the test of Union take, free to live or die;
Unite your notes, they'll echo strong, they'll make the rafters roar.

One patriotic song, printed on a broadside in 1858 (directed to be sung to the air "Adieu, Adieu Dear Ireland"), begins:

The hour is past to fawn or crouch
As suppliants for our right;
Let word and deed unshrinking vouch
The banded millions' might:
Let them who scorned the fountain rill,
Now dread the torrent's roar,
And hear our echoed chorus still,
We're Paddies evermore.

An earlier song ("A New Song, called "Paddy's Evermore"m Roud Number: V7638) was printed on a broadside in the first half of the 19th century. This song commences:

On the 8th of June, my boys, from Belfast town we sail'd,
On board the Heart of Erin, which never yet has fail'd,
Our ship she was in good repair, bound for the Yanky shore,
With a cargo of stout Irishmen and Paddy's evermore.

Eight seamen bold we had on board, who all their art well knew
With Author bold, and Dogherty Jack, whose colour was dark blue,
Wilson Boyd, chief mate my boys, who work'd both hard and sore,
For to carry safe those Irishment, and Paddy's evermore.

The following mention of the air appeared in The Irish Magazine, and monthly asylum for neglected biography (Dublin, 1809, p. 392):

We hear that an application is to be made from a certain quarter to government, to have three Irish pipers, taken in Flushing, hanged in College-green for their treasonable practices. These musical ruffians attended every sortie made by their countrymen, and by their manner of playing "Erin go Bragh" and "Paddys evermore", during every conflict lent such a degree of enthusiasm to the fellows in arms, that the loss of his Majesty's troops was very considerable. One of these rascally pipers is a Kildare man, and to increase his guilt is actually blind, the fellow's name is Soughan, he lost a leg in Hacketstown, and escaped to the Continent in the yera 1799. Mr. Peter Finerty recognized one of the pipers who turns out to be his uncle. Peter, with becoming patriotism and filial piety acknowledged his relation and has recommended his case to Sir Home Popham.

Source for notated version:

Printed sources: P.M. Haverty (One Hundred Irish Airs vol. 1), 1858; No. 23, p. 9. Hugh & Lisa Shields (Tunes of the Munster Pipers, Volume 2: Irish Traditional Music from the James Goodman Manuscripts). O'Neill (Music of Ireland: 1850 Melodies), 1903; No. 262, p. 45. Stanford/Petrie (Complete Collection), 1905; No. 868, p. 216.

Recorded sources:

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