I Buried My Wife and Danced on Her Grave

Here's a couple jigs the Thursday night Celtic Group Class is working on.  If you would like to join the group class, the only requirement is that you be actively taking private lessons either through the Studio, or with another teacher!  The group meets Thursday nights from 7-9pm here in Granby, MA.

The first is called "I Buried My Wife and Danced on her Grave".  Also known as I Buried My Love, I Buried My Wife, I Buried My Wife And Danced On Top Of Her, I Buried My Wife And Danced On Top Of Her Grave, I Buried My Wife And I Danced On Her.  It's a double jig in D Mixolydian with two parts of 8 bars.  The earliest source for this tune is 1927, which indicates that it's a relatively modern tune, probably written for the first Irish Feis in 1929 as established by the Gaelic League. 

The second tune is Connachtman's Rambles.  Also known as Bean Ag Baint Duileasc, The Connacht Man’s Rambles, The Connachtman’s Rambles, The Connachtmann’s Rambles, Connaght Man’s Rambles, The Connaught Man’s Ramble, The Connaught Man’s Rambles, The Connaughtman Rambles, Connaughtman’s, Connaughtman’s Ramble, The Connaughtman’s Ramble, The Connaughtman’s Rambles, The Duck From Drummock, Gathering Dilisk, Mickey The Moulder, Mooney’s.

 Here’s an anecdote from the dancing side of things: “Connaughtman’s Rambles” seems to be the most popular jig among sean-nós dancers in Connemara. If they’re going to dance a jig, then nine times out of ten this is what they’ll want. The jig is also one of the most commonly played pieces in the Irish repertoire, and has even spread to other genres. It is, for example, one of the commonly played jigs for English rapper sword dancing (along with “The Blackthorn Stick” and “The Ten-Penny Bit”). It comes up at most sessions most of the time.  Kevin Burke teaches it on his first DVD of a pair: Learn to Play Irish Fiddle: Polkas, Jigs & Slides (Homespun Videos, 2005), where he teaches it with “Saddle the Pony.”

Connaught was one of the five old provinces of Ireland (along with Ulster, Leinster, Meath, and Munster), named for the ancient tribe who lived there, the Connachta. It is, of course, one of the present four provinces. The title of this tune appears in a list of tunes brought by Philip Goodman, a professional and traditional piper in Farney, Louth, to the Feis Ceoil in Belfast in 1898 (Breathnach, 1997).  It is #1003 in O’Neill’s 1850  (1903), #218 in O’Neill’s 1001 (1907), and in both the Roche Collection (1891) and Ryan’s Mammoth Collection (1883).

I Buried My Wife and Danced on Her Grave

About the Feis

Feis (pronounced Fesh) is the Irish word for a festival. Feises are Irish Dance competitions which promote Irish culture and music. An Irish dance competition, feis (pronounced fesh), can be found somewhere in the United States every month of the year, although the spring and summer months are the busiest. Competitions are also held in Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. Regional competitions (Oireachtas--pronouned uh-roc-tus) allow the best dancers to qualify for national competitions and thus for world competition. The All World Championships are held every year at Easter-time in Ireland.

Modern Feises

More formalized competitions began in the late 19th Century. This period begins in 1893 when the Gaelic League was founded (Conradh na Gaeilge). This group encouraged the revival of Irish culture, a culture that the English had suppressed for centuries. The first Feis was held in Ireland in 1897 and was a celebration of the Irish culture including language, song, dance and creative writing. The Feis did not arrive in America until 1964. Though many Feisanna (plural for Feis) include language, writing and soda bread competitions, the focus is on Irish dancing.

The Irish Dancing Commission was founded (An Coimisiun le Rinci' Gaelacha) in 1929 to establish rules regarding teaching, judging, and competitions. It continues in that role. Prior to 1929, many local variations in dances, music, costumes and the rules of feisianna existed. Part of the impact of the Commission was standardization of competitions.

During the 20th Century, Irish dance has evolved in terms of locations, costumes, and dance technique. For example, during the period of the dance masters, stages were much smaller including table tops, half doors, and sometimes the "stage" was simply a crossroad. (An old poem called dancing "tripping the sod.") Tests of dancing ability involved dancing on the top of a barrel or on a soaped table! As stages became larger, the dance changed in at least two ways. The movement of dancers across a stage increased greatly (a judge would now subtract points if a dancer did not "use the stage"), and dance steps that require substantial space became possible (e.g., "flying jumps"). The location of competitions also changed over time from barns or outdoors where flat bed trucks were (and still are) used as stages, to predominately indoors in hotels, schools, or fairgrounds. (Note that fairgrounds are particularly appropriate in a historical context of where ancient feisianna were located.)

I Buried My Wife and Danced on Her Grave

Here's a couple jigs the Thursday night Celtic Group Class is working on.  If you would like to join the group class, the only requirement is that you be actively taking private lessons either through the Studio, or with another teacher!  The group meets Thursday nights from 7-9pm here in Granby, MA.

The first is called "I Buried My Wife and Danced on her Grave".  Also known as I Buried My Love, I Buried My Wife, I Buried My Wife And Danced On Top Of Her, I Buried My Wife And Danced On Top Of Her Grave, I Buried My Wife And I Danced On Her.  It's a double jig in D Mixolydian with two parts of 8 bars.  The earliest source for this tune is 1927, which indicates that it's a relatively modern tune, probably written for the first Irish Feis in 1929 as established by the Gaelic League. 

The second tune is Connachtman's Rambles.  Also known as Bean Ag Baint Duileasc, The Connacht Man’s Rambles, The Connachtman’s Rambles, The Connachtmann’s Rambles, Connaght Man’s Rambles, The Connaught Man’s Ramble, The Connaught Man’s Rambles, The Connaughtman Rambles, Connaughtman’s, Connaughtman’s Ramble, The Connaughtman’s Ramble, The Connaughtman’s Rambles, The Duck From Drummock, Gathering Dilisk, Mickey The Moulder, Mooney’s.

 Here’s an anecdote from the dancing side of things: “Connaughtman’s Rambles” seems to be the most popular jig among sean-nós dancers in Connemara. If they’re going to dance a jig, then nine times out of ten this is what they’ll want. The jig is also one of the most commonly played pieces in the Irish repertoire, and has even spread to other genres. It is, for example, one of the commonly played jigs for English rapper sword dancing (along with “The Blackthorn Stick” and “The Ten-Penny Bit”). It comes up at most sessions most of the time.  Kevin Burke teaches it on his first DVD of a pair: Learn to Play Irish Fiddle: Polkas, Jigs & Slides (Homespun Videos, 2005), where he teaches it with “Saddle the Pony.”

Connaught was one of the five old provinces of Ireland (along with Ulster, Leinster, Meath, and Munster), named for the ancient tribe who lived there, the Connachta. It is, of course, one of the present four provinces. The title of this tune appears in a list of tunes brought by Philip Goodman, a professional and traditional piper in Farney, Louth, to the Feis Ceoil in Belfast in 1898 (Breathnach, 1997).  It is #1003 in O’Neill’s 1850  (1903), #218 in O’Neill’s 1001 (1907), and in both the Roche Collection (1891) and Ryan’s Mammoth Collection (1883).

I Buried My Wife and Danced on Her Grave

About the Feis

Feis (pronounced Fesh) is the Irish word for a festival. Feises are Irish Dance competitions which promote Irish culture and music. An Irish dance competition, feis (pronounced fesh), can be found somewhere in the United States every month of the year, although the spring and summer months are the busiest. Competitions are also held in Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. Regional competitions (Oireachtas--pronouned uh-roc-tus) allow the best dancers to qualify for national competitions and thus for world competition. The All World Championships are held every year at Easter-time in Ireland.

Modern Feises

More formalized competitions began in the late 19th Century. This period begins in 1893 when the Gaelic League was founded (Conradh na Gaeilge). This group encouraged the revival of Irish culture, a culture that the English had suppressed for centuries. The first Feis was held in Ireland in 1897 and was a celebration of the Irish culture including language, song, dance and creative writing. The Feis did not arrive in America until 1964. Though many Feisanna (plural for Feis) include language, writing and soda bread competitions, the focus is on Irish dancing.

The Irish Dancing Commission was founded (An Coimisiun le Rinci' Gaelacha) in 1929 to establish rules regarding teaching, judging, and competitions. It continues in that role. Prior to 1929, many local variations in dances, music, costumes and the rules of feisianna existed. Part of the impact of the Commission was standardization of competitions.

During the 20th Century, Irish dance has evolved in terms of locations, costumes, and dance technique. For example, during the period of the dance masters, stages were much smaller including table tops, half doors, and sometimes the "stage" was simply a crossroad. (An old poem called dancing "tripping the sod.") Tests of dancing ability involved dancing on the top of a barrel or on a soaped table! As stages became larger, the dance changed in at least two ways. The movement of dancers across a stage increased greatly (a judge would now subtract points if a dancer did not "use the stage"), and dance steps that require substantial space became possible (e.g., "flying jumps"). The location of competitions also changed over time from barns or outdoors where flat bed trucks were (and still are) used as stages, to predominately indoors in hotels, schools, or fairgrounds. (Note that fairgrounds are particularly appropriate in a historical context of where ancient feisianna were located.)

Feis na nGleann

Feis na nGleann was established in 1904 in the picturesque Glens of Antrim by a group of cultural enthusiasts who wished to preserve the Irish language, traditions, songs, music, games and past-times for future generations.

The native Irish had struggled to preserve their ancient laws and customs for years and during the last quarter of the 19th century, Ireland was experiencing a massive cultural revolution. The north Antrim coast was no different.

An Cumann Luthcleas Gael (Gaelic Athletic Association) was founded in 1884, in Thurles, County Tipperary to preserve Gaelic games and was closely followed by the Gaelic League in the summer of 1893 in Dublin. The League's main aim was to preserve Irish as a spoken language and like the GAA, branches were being formed all over Ireland dedicated to keeping the language alive.

It was the establishment of a branch in Belfast that stirred interest in the North. Its president was Glenarm historian and leading Gaelic scholar Eoin MacNeill. He could recall Irish being spoken in the Glens during his childhood and wished to see the language spoken with pride once again. League branches were soon formed in the Glens with ceilidthe (dances) arranged, visits to historical places, language classes and concerts.

The Irish language was spoken universally in the glens and Rathlin Island up until the 1850s, making it one of the last Gaeltacht areas in Ulster. Spoken Irish suffered as a result of the Antrim Coast Road being established in the 1850s, bringing with it trade and the English language. English was no stranger to the area, with the 17th century plantation introducing the language as well as Scots Gaelic and the dialect Lallans.

Although the native language was adopted by many newcomers, significant factors including the potato blight of 1840s Ireland which resulted in An Gorta Mor (The Great Famine) and the introduction of assisted immigration saw the number of Irish speakers significantly reduced.

The English language was associated with trade and prosperity by many native Irish speakers. The English-speaking landed gentry who arrived during the Plantation lived comfortably in what was referred to as the 'big houses', confounding the belief of many poor Catholics living in poverty under the landlord regime that English would bring them wealth.

Dr Douglas Hyde, Professor of Irish at the National University, recognised the need for Irishmen and women to show that they were a distinct nationality from their English suppressors and the Glensfolk turned out for the first Feis, showing strong support for his theory. In an 1892 speech to the Irish National Literary Society he pointed out that 'in order to de-Anglicise ourselves we must arrest the decay of the language'.

Fellow Gaelic League member Francis Joseph Bigger, a lawyer-historian from Belfast, came up with the idea of the Feis with friends, including Sam Waddel, Fred Hughes, Dennis McCullough, Joseph Campbell and his sister, whilst holidaying in Cushendun. Joseph was a Protestant Nationalist and an Irish language and history enthusiast. He pledged money to the preservation of high crosses, patriot graves and castles throughout Ireland. He was one of many professional and wealthy Protestants which supported the revival of Irish language and past-times.

They were enthusiastic in their approach and met with prominent Glensfolk on the February 28, 1904 to lay the foundations of the great cultural festival, and preparations began from that day forth.

English born Ada Mc Neill, who lived in Cushendun was a member of the founding committee. A staunch Nationalist and a member of the Gaelic League, she embraced the revival and rejected the views of her Unionist family. Miss Ada, as she was affectionately known in the Glens, represented the Glenswomen on the first Feis committee alongside Rose Young, of the Unionist Young family from Galgorm Manor, Ballymena and Margaret Dobbs, a language enthusiast and scholar from Portnagolan House, Cushendall, to name but a few. The festival's first president was Barbara McDonnell of Monavart, Cushendall.

Great companion of young Roger Casement, a fellow Feis committee member, Mc Neill and Dobbs were greatly influenced by the young man who often resided at Magheraintemple, Glenshesk at the 'big house' of his Uncle John, a well respected member of the Unionist community.

The Feis was established at a time when there was growing support for the Home Rule movement which sought to give Ireland more say in how the country was governed and abolish direct rule from London.

On Thursday June 30, 1904 the inaugural Feis na nGleann was held in Glenarriff, the Queen of the Glens. A procession from Cushendall was led by pipers from Armagh with banners representing the nine glens and also the clans of North Antrim. Native speakers of Irish still existed in Glendun, Glenariff and Rathlin.

Rathlin Island was magnificently represented with two hundred of the three hundred and twenty five Irish speakers on the island travelling over on a boat paid for by Casement, accompanied by their own piper.

Hurling, then called shinny, was a major attraction and the Carey Faughs played the Cushendun Emmets in the final played on the beach, with Casement as one of the umpires. A specially made copper trophy for the winners called The Shield of Heroes was presented to the winning team, the Carey Faughs, who still care for the shield today.

A wooden hall in Glenariff held the industrial and arts exhibitions, which were an integral part of the Feis, displaying the craftwork of the Glens people. Called the Local Industries section, it consisted of of 46 sections, covering spinning, quilting, furniture making and shoemaking. It was hoped that by displaying the handcrafts of the Glensfolk that much needed employment would be gained. It survives today as the Arts and Crafts section.

Among the thriving small businesses at the time was a toy making workshop in Cushendall established in the village in 1900, which helped raise the standard of skills in areas such as sewing, knitting and embroidery. A home industry workshop was also opened in Ballycastle, aimed at improving traditional skills.

Irish dancing took place during the first Feis, on a platform in a field and drew great crowds. It is now held indoors over a two day period and the most popular venue in recent years has been Carey Parochial Hall.

Much planning went on behind the scenes for the day long festival and two of the behind-the-scenes helpers were the talented brothers, artist John Campbell and poet Joseph Campbell.

'The Nine Glens', a poem written by Joseph, appeared on the first ever Feis programme and both men were fine singers, often appearing around the piano at Francis Joseph Bigger's house, Ard Righ. It was Joseph who penned the lyrics to 'My Lagan Love', one of many songs on the verge of distinction. His most well-known song in the Glens is 'The Blue Hills of Antrim' which is sung at many a traditional session in the area and further afield to this day.

Music plays an important part of the annual Feis to this day, with choir, solo and group competitions held over two days.

Scholarships to the Gaeltacht allowed children, whose parents could not afford to send them to be schooled through Irish, to spend their summers learning the language and bringing their improved tongue back to the glens.

At the centenary celebrations of the Feis in 2004, over two thousand visitors came to view the Arts and Crafts section alone, which was held in a marquee in Glenariff over two days and stretched to 68 sections, making the Feis even more successful 100 years on.