Annotation:Boulavogue

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BOULAVOGUE. AKA - "Boola Vogue." Irish, Air or Waltz. F Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). One part. A popular song composed by Patrick Joseph McCall (1861-1919), a Dublin publican and city councilman who wrote many patriotic ballads, a number of which have entered into the tradition and which become an integral part of the ballad singers repertoire. "Boulavogue" was written in praise of one of the County Wexford leaders of the 1798 rebellion, a 'Croppy priest,' Father John Murphy, and is often sung to the old air called "Youghal Harbour (4)."

At Boulavougue as the sun was setting o'er bright May meadows of Shelmalier,
A rebel hand set the heather blazing and brought the neighbours from far and near.
Then Father Murphy, from old Kilcormack, spurred up the rocks with a warning cry,
Arm, arm,' he cried, 'For I've come to lead you, for Ireland's freedom we fight or die.

McCall was also the co-author of the Feis Ceoil Collection of Irish Airs (1914, reprinted as the Darley & McCall Collection of Traditional Irish Music), a collection of airs and tunes collected from competitors at the several Feis Ceoil from 1898 on, which McCall had helped initiate and sponsor the events (Breathnach, 1996). See also note for "Annotation:Kelly the Boy from Kilane."

Source for notated version:

Printed sources:

Recorded sources: Green Linnet SIF3040, De Dannan - "Ballroom" (1987).