Annotation:Coolun (The)

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COOLUN/COOLIN, THE (An Cúilfhionn/Chuilfhionn) AKA- "An Cuilfion Le Atrugad," "An Cuilrionn," "The Coulin," "The Coolin," "Cuilin," "Old Coolun (The)." AKA and see "In this Calm Sheltered Villa," "Had You Seen My Sweet Coolin," "Oh! hush the soft sigh," "Oh! the hours I have passed," "Though the Last Glimpse of Eri," "Lady of the Desert (The)." Irish, Slow Air (3/4 time). D Major (Gow, Mulhollan): G Major (Clinton, Ó Canainn, O'Farrell, O'Flannagan, O'Neill/1915 & 1850, Roche): F Major (Joyce). Standard tuning (fiddle). AB (Joyce, O'Neill/1850, Sullivan): AAB with variations (Roche): AA'B (Ó Canainn): AABB (Clinton, Gow, Mulhollan, O'Flannagan): AABBCCDDEEFF (O'Farrell). "The Queen of Irish Airs" maintains Francis O'Neill (1913). There are many versions of this ancient and celebrated air "of which Bunting's and Moore's are not among the best: they are both wanting in simplicity," states Joyce (1909), who prints the tune as collected by Forde from Hugh O'Beirne (a Munster fiddler from whom a great many tunes were collected). He considers Forde's version "beautiful...(and) probably the original unadulterated melody," and adds that it is similar to the version he heard the old Limerick people sing in his youth during the 1820's. Grattan Flood (1906) states it is probable the air dates from the year 1296 or 1297, believing it must have been composed not long after the Statute, 24th of Edward I, in 1295, which forbade those English in Ireland (who were becoming assimilated into the majority Gaelic culture) to affect the Irish hair style by allowing their locks to grow in 'coolins.' The original song, told from a young maiden's point of view, berates those Anglo-Irish who conformed to the edit by cutting their hair, and praises the proud Irishman who remained true to ancestral custom (the Gaelic title "An Chuilfhionn," means 'the fair-haired one'). The Irish Parliament passed another law in 1539 forbidding any male, Irish or Anglo-Irish, from wearing long or flowing locks of hair--this enactment, relates Flood, is the source of the claim printed by Walker in 1786 in Historical Memoirs of the Irish Bards as the impetus for the song. [Ed. note:--Grattan Flood is notorious for inaccuracies and unsubstantiated claims, and his information should be viewed as suspect until confirmed]. Walker states:

In the twenty-eighth year of the reign of Henry VIII [i.e., 1536-7], an Act was made respecting the habits, and dress in general, of the Irish, whereby all persons were restrained from being shorn or shaven above the ears, or from wearing Glibbes or Coulins (long locks), on their heads, or hair on their upper lip, called Crommeal. On this occasion a song was written by one of our Bards, in which an Irish Virgin is made to give the preference to her dear Coulin (or the youth with the flowing locks), to all strangers (by which the English were meant), or those who wore their habits. Of this song the air alone has reached us, and is universally admired.

Thomas Moore used the tune printed by Walker (who had no words) and wrote his own verses to the air. A.A. Lloyd writes that an informant, John Doonan, told him the song "The Coolin" was the work of one Maurice O'Dugan, who flourished in the latter half of the 16th century, but in this version the title refers to the hair style of a blond girl (A.A. Lloyd). In fact, the Irish word cuileann (sometimes chúilfhionn) means "fair lady" (a male character would be Cúilfhionn). The air is arranged for 'Temperance Band' in The Dublin Magazine (December, 1842, No. 5); there were separate parts for flute, three clarinets, horn in Eb, trumpet in Eb, bassoon, and trombone or bass.

The air was played by Irish harper Charles Fanning at both the first and second Granard Harp Competitions in 1781 and 1782, performances which earned him the first prize of ten guineas and eight guineas respectively. Fanning, 56 years old in 1781, won a similar contest eleven years later at the Belfast Harp Festival with the same air (Flood, 1906), although Bunting (who was in attendance, recording the tunes played) says he was not the best performer but used modern variations on the tune which was much in vogue with young pianoforte players at the time. It was well known enough to have been mentioned by name by the Belfast Northern Star of July 15th, 1792, as having been one of the tunes played in competition by one of ten Irish harp masters (i.e. by Fanning) at the last great convocation of the ancient harpers, the Belfast Harp Festival, held that week.

In the alternate title for the tune, "Lady of the Desert (The)," the word 'Desert' may refer to "Dysert" (though it has the same meaning), a place name in several parts of Ireland, including North Kerry. Bunting's source Hempson claimed to have his version from Cornelius Lyons, a North Kerry musician.

Source for notated version: the Irish collector Edward Bunting noted the tune from the harper "Hempson, at Magilligan in 1796," who learned his set with variations from the famous harper Cornelius Lyons (of the Barony of Clanmaurice) who composed them in 1700 (Lyons, a friend and companion of O'Carolan, had built his reputation as the arranger of variations in a more 'modern' style to old melodies such as this and "Eileen a Roon"); Joyce prints the version collected by Forde from Hugh O'Beirne, a renowned fiddler from Ballinamore in the mid-19th century; "From Taig MacMahon, as sung in Clare" [Stanford/Petrie]; fiddler James O'Neill (Chicago) [O'Neill].

Printed sources: Aird (Selection of Scotch, English, Irish and Foreign Airs, vol. 5), Glasgow, 1797; No. 71, p. 29. Bunting (Ancient Music of Ireland), 1840; No. 119, pp. 88-89. Carlin (Gow Collection), 1986; No. 537. Clinton (Gems of Ireland: 200 Airs), 1841; No. 48, p. 24. Gow (Complete Repository, Part 2), 1802; p. 10. P.M. Haverty (One Hundred Irish Airs vol. 2), 1859; No. 101, p. 45 and No. 180, p. 81 (two settings). Hime (Pocket Book), c. 1810; p. 33. Holden (Old Established Tunes), 1806-7; pg. 28. Joyce (Old Irish Folk Music and Songs), 1909; No. 564, p. 299 (appears as "The Coolin"). Kinloch (100 Airs), c. 1815; No. 25. McFadden (Scotch, English, Irish and Foreign Airs), volume V, 1790-7; p. 29. Mooney (History of Ireland), 1846; p. 532. Mulhollan (Selection of Irish and Scots Tunes), Edinburgh, 1804; p. 20. Murphy (Irish Airs and Jigs), 1809; p. 8. Ó Canainn (Traditional Slow Airs), 1995; No. 103, p. 88. O'Farrell (National Irish Music for the Union Pipes), 1804; p. 33 (appears as "Coolun with Variations"). O'Farrell (Pocket Companion), 1801-10; No. 122. O'Flannagan (The Hibernia Collection), 1860; p. 39. O'Neill (O'Neill's Irish Music), 1915; No. 46, pg. 30 (with variations). O'Neill (Music of Ireland: 1850 Melodies), 1903; No. 89, p. 16 (with nine variations). O'Sullivan/Bunting, 1983; No. 119, pp. 168-170. Roche (Collection of Traditional Irish Music, vol. 1), 1912; p. 22, No. 43. Stanford/Petrie (Complete Collection), 1905; Nos. 598 & 599, pp. 150-151. Sullivan (Session Tunes, vol. 3); No. 40, p. 17. Walker (Historical Memoirs of the Irish Bards), part X, 1786; p. 8.

Recorded sources: Cló Iar-Chonnachta CICD 167, Peter Horan & Gerry Harrington - "The Merry Love to Play" (2007). Green Linnet SIF 1084, Eugene O'Donnell - "The Foggy Dew" (1988). Green Linnet SIF 1045, Joe Burke - "The Tailor's Choice." MKM7590, Mike McHale - "The Schoolmaster's House" (2000). Topic 12TS230, Noel Pepper (et al) - "The Lark in Clear Air: Irish Music Played on Small Instruments" (1974. Learned from an old Waterford fiddler, Charlie Sweeney). Winner 4259 (78 RPM), Leo Rowsome (1925).

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